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Dafydd Townley

Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth
Dr. Dafydd Townley is a a Teaching Fellow in International Security and part of theUniversity of Portsmouth's Military Education Team at RAF College Cranwell. He teaches history, politics, international relations and security studies to officer cadets int eh Royal Air Force. He was previously a Lecturer in history at the University of Reading. He has also been a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford's Rothermere American Institute.

Dr. Townley was awarded his Ph.D in 2018 at the University of Reading. His research areas include the US Congress, notably its oversight of the intelligence community and cybersecurity policy. He is author of "The Year of Intelligence in the US: Public Opinion, National Security and the 1975 Church Committee (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021" and has written per review articles about presidential elections, the intelligence community and presidential scandal.

In 2021, Dr. Townley was elected as Vice Chair of the American Politics Group (APG) UK, the major professional organisation for the researchers and teachers in the UK whose work concentrates on the government and politics of the USA.

The key takeaways from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech

Jan 21, 2025 06:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Donald Trump has been sworn in as president of the US for a second term and this time there wont be any arguments about crowd sizes. The most glaringly obvious difference in optics this time round for both those in...

Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures

Jan 14, 2025 05:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The Biden administration comes to an end on January 20. Joe Biden joins Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush on the list of single-term presidents in the modern era. So, how will the Biden presidency be...

Why Kamala Harris has a head start in the race to replace Joe Biden

Jul 23, 2024 05:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Joe Bidens decision to step down from the 2024 campaign is yet another significant moment in this years US election, following on from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump the previous Saturday, July 13. Not...

Trump guilty verdict: the fallout for US democracy

Jun 03, 2024 11:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The USs democratic reputation and institutions may have been undermined by the trial of Donald Trump, analysts said as the former president was found guilty of 34 charges. Kim Lane Scheppele, a professor at Princeton...

Global Geopolitics Series

Russia’s space weapon: anti-satellite systems are indiscriminate, posing a risk to everyone’s spacecraft

Feb 20, 2024 11:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

In a week where national security has taken centre stage in Washington, the White House confirmed on Thursday that it had evidence that Russia was developing a space-based nuclear anti satellite weapon. John Kirby, the...

US election: how a Trump victory could embolden Russia, China and Israel

Jan 15, 2024 04:15 am UTC| Politics

A potential second term as president for Donald Trump is likely to result in an America-first, America-alone foreign policy. The ramifications for the rest of the world could be huge, potentially endangering...

Global Geopolitics Series

Joe Biden to meet with Xi Jinping – what a good result looks like for the US president

Nov 13, 2023 12:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views

US president, Joe Biden, will meet Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, in San Francisco as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) conference, which runs until November 17. Although no exact time has been set for...

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Economy

China Opens Door to Stronger U.S. Trade Ties Amid Rising Tensions

China has signaled a willingness to deepen economic and trade cooperation with the United States, as Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade...

U.S. Stocks Tumble as Iran Peace Deal Uncertainty Spooks Markets

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Thursday as conflicting signals over a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement rattled investor confidence. President Donald Trumps ambiguous remarks about whether Washington was willing or...

Oil Prices Slip as Middle East Tensions Ease, Heading for Weekly Loss

Oil prices declined during Asian trading on Friday, putting both major benchmarks on course for a weekly loss of more than 4%, as signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran reduced the geopolitical...

Dollar Strengthens as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Send Mixed Signals

The U.S. dollar gained ground on Thursday, rising 0.3% to 99.90 on the US Dollar Index, as conflicting signals surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations renewed demand for safe-haven assets. Investors looking for stability...

Gold Prices Drop Amid Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty and Stronger Dollar

Gold prices fell sharply on Thursday as mixed signals from President Donald Trump regarding Iran peace negotiations rattled investors, while a strengthening U.S. dollar added further downward pressure on the precious...

Politics

Israeli Airstrike Targets Building in Beirut's Southern Suburbs Amid Ongoing Hezbollah Conflict

Early Friday morning, Israeli forces launched an airstrike involving three missiles aimed at a building located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to security sources familiar with the situation. Details...

Ukraine-Russia War: Frontline Updates as Spring Offensive Looms

Tensions along the Ukraine-Russia front line are escalating as both sides report territorial shifts in eastern and northeastern Ukraine. Russias Defence Ministry claimed Thursday that its forces seized the village of...

Russia Accused of Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces, European Powers Tell G7

European nations have formally accused Russia of providing military intelligence and drone technology to Iran to help target American forces in the Middle East, raising the issue directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco...

G7 Summit 2026: South Africa Excluded Amid U.S. Pressure, Kenya Invited Instead

France has officially denied that South Africa was dropped from the G7 leaders summit guest list due to pressure from Washington, stating that Kenya was chosen as Africas representative ahead of President Emmanuel Macrons...

Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Peace Talks Stall Amid Military Buildup

President Donald Trump announced a 10-day pause on U.S. strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, pushing the deadline to April 6, 2026. Trump attributed the extension to a direct request from Tehran, though peace...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...