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Fri, Jan 30, 2026 01:34 AM All times are UTC

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Tom F.A Watts

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London
My research focuses on American foreign policy and international security. I am particularly interested in the study of remote warfare, autonomous weapon systems, great power competition, and the evolution of American counterterrorism policy after 9/11.

My research has made a major contribution to the study and conceptualisation of remote warfare. Published with the journal Defence Studies in 2021, I co-edited the Remote Warfare and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century special issue – the first on this concept – with Dr Rubrick Biegon and Dr Vladmir Rauta. I have also published articles on the remoteness of remote warfare, the role of remote warfare in the retooling of American primacy following the Iraq War, and whether remote warfare is a buzzword. Other articles have examined the change and continuity in Donald Trump’s counterterrorism policy as well as the neoconservative legacy on the "forever war".

Another strand of my research examines the US’ approach to the development and possible regulation of autonomous weapon systems. Alongside Dr Ingvild Bode, I have co-authored major policy reports on the use of autonomy in air defence systems and loitering munitions. Bringing the growing study of AI narratives into greater dialogue with the International Relations literature on popular culture and world politics, we have also unpacked the repository of different stories told about intelligent machines in the first two Terminator films and examined their relationship to the global regulatory debates on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems.

The Terminator at 40: this sci-fi ‘B-movie’ still shapes how we view the threat of AI

Oct 25, 2024 12:16 pm UTC| Entertainment

October 26, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of director James Camerons science fiction classic, The Terminator a film that popularised societys fear of machines that cant be reasoned with, and that absolutely will not...

Economy

Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on Canadian Aircraft Amid Escalating U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday escalated tensions with Canada by announcing plans to impose a 50% tariff on all Canadian-made aircraft sold in the United States, citing Canadas refusal to certify several jets...

U.S. and El Salvador Sign Landmark Critical Minerals Agreement to Boost Investment and Trade

The United States and El Salvador have signed a new bilateral agreement aimed at encouraging investment in the exploration, development, and export of critical minerals, a sector U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly...

Trump to Announce New Federal Reserve Chair Pick as Powell Replacement Looms

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will reveal his choice to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday morning, a move that is expected to draw significant attention from financial markets, economists, and...

Copper Prices Hit Record Highs as Metals Rally Gains Momentum on Geopolitical Tensions

Copper prices surged to record levels on Thursday, extending a powerful rally across global metals markets as investors increased exposure to physical assets amid escalating geopolitical risks and ongoing supply concerns....

Indonesian Stocks Plunge as MSCI Downgrade Risk Sparks Investor Exodus

Indonesian stocks suffered a dramatic selloff on Thursday, putting the market on course for its largest two-day decline on record as fears of a potential downgrade to frontier market status rattled investors. The benchmark...

Politics

Trump Family Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Over IRS Tax Disclosure

U.S. President Donald Trump and several members of his family have filed a sweeping $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury Department, alleging unlawful disclosure of their...

Trump Administration Expands Global Gag Rule, Restricting U.S. Foreign Aid to Diversity and Gender Programs

The U.S. State Department has ordered American missions worldwide to review all foreign aid programs to ensure compliance with newly expanded rules under the Trump administration that restrict funding related to family...

China Reconsiders Pressure on Japan as Prime Minister Takaichi Seeks Strong Election Mandate

China may reassess its escalating pressure campaign on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi if she secures a decisive victory in Japans February 8 snap election, according to current and former Japanese officials and...

New Zealand Declines Trump’s Board of Peace Invitation, Citing UN Alignment Concerns

New Zealand has decided not to accept an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his newly launched Board of Peace, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed in a statement issued on Friday. The decision...

UN Chief Warns Against U.S.-China Power Rivalry, Calls for Multipolar World Order

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that global challenges cannot be solved by a single dominant power or by dividing the world into rival spheres of influence, comments widely seen as directed at the...

Science

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...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Apple Earnings Beat Expectations as iPhone Sales Surge to Four-Year High

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) delivered a strong fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings report, comfortably beating Wall Street expectations on both profit and revenue, driven by its strongest iPhone sales growth in more than four...

OpenAI Reportedly Eyes Late-2026 IPO Amid Rising Competition and Massive Funding Needs

OpenAI is reportedly accelerating preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO), with plans to go public by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the...

Sandisk Stock Soars After Blowout Earnings and AI-Driven Outlook

Sandisk shares surged more than 15% in after-hours trading on Thursday after the data storage and memory solutions company delivered a fiscal second-quarter earnings report that significantly exceeded Wall Street...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Explores Merger Options With Tesla or xAI, Reports Say

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly exploring potential merger and consolidation options with Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) or artificial intelligence startup xAI, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the...

Amazon Stock Dips as Reports Link Company to Potential $50B OpenAI Investment

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares trimmed losses to around 0.8% on Thursday afternoon, even as the broader technology sector faced notable selling pressure. The stock movement followed a Wall Street Journal report...