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Fri, Jan 30, 2026 02:43 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

Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S.

Canada recorded a sharp increase in its monthly international trade deficit in November as merchandise exports fell significantly, highlighting ongoing challenges tied to trade diversification and U.S. tariff uncertainty....

U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster

The Trump administration has eased select sanctions on Venezuelas oil industry, signaling a major policy shift aimed at encouraging U.S. investment following the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this...

Oil Prices Surge Toward Biggest Monthly Gains in Years Amid Middle East Tensions

Oil prices are heading for their largest monthly gains in years as escalating Middle East tensions fuel concerns over potential supply disruptions, particularly involving Iran, one of the worlds largest OPEC producers....

Indonesia Stocks Face Fragile Sentiment After MSCI Warning and Market Rout

Indonesia stocks are set for a cautious start as investor sentiment remains fragile following a sharp market selloff triggered by concerns raised by MSCI. The Jakarta Composite Index suffered its steepest two-day decline...

Asian Stocks Waver as Trump Signals Fed Pick, Shutdown Deal and Tech Earnings Stir Markets

Asian stock markets were volatile in early Friday trading as investors reacted to fresh signals from U.S. President Donald Trump on government funding and monetary policy, alongside mixed corporate earnings from major U.S....

Politics

Trump Threatens Aircraft Tariffs as U.S.-Canada Jet Certification Dispute Escalates

U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified trade tensions with Canada by announcing the decertification of Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatening steep new tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft. In a...

Trump Warns UK and Canada Against Deepening Business Ties With China

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to the United Kingdom and Canada over expanding business cooperation with China, describing such moves as very dangerous during a recent public appearance. His...

Faith Leaders Arrested on Capitol Hill During Protest Against Trump Immigration Policies and ICE Funding

Dozens of faith leaders were arrested on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., after staging a protest against President Donald Trumps immigration policies and calling for funding restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs...

Democrats Question Intelligence Chief’s Role in FBI Georgia Election Raid

Top Democrats on the U.S. Senate and House intelligence committees are demanding answers after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during a recent FBI raid on an election facility in Georgia, an...

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...

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 Faces Margin Pressure as Memory Chip Prices Surge Amid AI Boom

Apple is beginning to feel the strain from rapidly rising memory chip prices, a challenge that is expected to intensify in the current quarter as the global semiconductor market pivots toward artificial intelligence...

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...