Online Exclusive 07/12/2017 Blog

What We’ve Been Reading

From the Editors

Welcome to our roundup of news and current events related to ethics and international affairs! Here’s what we’ve been reading this month:

Photo credit: Christiaan Colen via Flickr.

New York Times: Global Cyberattack: What We Know and Don’t Know

A ransomware attack has affected more than 12,500 machines in at least 64 countries. Perpetrators of the attack encrypted victim's files then demanded money in exchange for restored access. Victims of the attack included Rosneft, Merck, and AP Moller-Maersk.

Read more on cyber security and modern conflict in Ethics & International Affairs:

The Ethics of Cyberweapons

Moral Dilemmas of Modern War: Torture, Assassination, and Blackmail in an Age of Asymmetric Conflict by Michael L. Gross


Photo credit: pasujoba via Flickr.

BBC: World food security risks growing, Chatham House says

The growth of international trade has exacerbated vulnerabilities in infrastructure, posing risks to international food security. Almost 25% of the world's food is internationally traded, and much of it must pass through a handful of ports and canals, each of which are at risk of damage due to climate-related events.

Read more on food security and climate risk in Ethics & International Affairs:

EIA Interview: Simon Dalby on Environmental Security

How We Count Hunger Matters


Photo credit: John+Elaine Chesterton via Flickr.

Al Jazeera: The looming question of Kurdish independence in Iraq

The president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government has announced plans for a referendum on independence. An affirmative vote could be a key step toward independence for Iraqi Kurds, but could lead to further tensions with the already strained Turkish and Iraqi governments.

Read more on rebellion, secession, and legitimate authority in Ethics & International Affairs:

Introduction: Legitimate Authority, War, and the Ethics of Rebellion

Assessing the Ethics of Secession: Crimea

Introducing The Thin Justice of International Law


Photo credit: Gareth Foote via Flickr.

Agence France Presse: G20 draft statement shows 19-against-US split on climate

The G20 summit has acknowledged the U.S.'s intent to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. The document confirmed that the other G20 countries remain committed to Paris, despite prior concerns that more countries might choose to exit the agreement.

Read more on climate change and global governance in Ethics & International Affairs:

A Call for a Global Constitutional Convention Focused on Future Generations

EIA Interview: Darrel Moellendorf on the Climate Change Negotiations in Copenhagen

Duties Owed: Does the International Trump the National Community?


Photo credit: Stacie DaPonte via Flickr.

The Globe and Mail: Seeing Canada through a New Lens: Syrian refugees share images of their new lives in Canada

Syrian refugees in Canada share photographs that express their feelings about life in a new home.

Read more on refugees, resettlement, and immigration in Ethics & International Affairs:

The Normative Terrain of the Global Refugee Regime

An Exchange: The Morality of Immigration

Securing Protection for De Facto Refugees: The Case of Central America’s Northern Triangle