Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Thu, Aug 27, 2026 05:36 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Dave Beck

Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Sociology, Bangor University
My research is mapping the growth of the emergency food assistance sector throughout Wales whereby I am exploring the experience and understanding of food poverty through food bank use. The research has focused on three different case study areas of Wales explaining the experience of food poverty in both rural and urban settings. Qualitative data analysis has involved the use of a multi-method approach with the various groups involved in food banks (service users, coordinators, volunteers and local referral organisations) through semi structured interviews, biographical narrative interviews and focus groups. This has been combined with a quantitative analysis of growing numbers of referrals to food banks in Wales and used to explain the growth of the sector and how this can be mapped using Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

I am a Teaching Assistant in the School of Social Sciences Bangor University and a lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at Trinity Foundation College Bangor. I am also the lead on the Love Bangor Community Partnership for Bangor University Students’ Union and a volunteer at my local food bank. I have been researching the food systems of Wales for nearly ten years both within the school of Geography (SENRGy) and the School of Social Sciences and have been able to develop an understanding of how our current food structure affects choice and justice for marginalised people both through geography and demographic indicators. My recent research work has been utilised by both the Welsh Government and the UK Government with evidence submitted to the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger and Food Poverty in Britain and the Fabian Commission.
Supervision for my doctorate is provided by Dr Hefin Gwilym (Social Sciences) and Dr Eifiona Thomas Lane (Geography).

Universal basic income: Wales is set to end its experiment – why we think that’s a mistake

Dec 07, 2023 01:33 am UTC| Economy

The Welsh government has announced that its universal basic income (UBI) project will not be continued after the initial pilot ends in 2025 because of the cost. The trial involved paying monthly payments of 1,600 each...

Food poverty at record levels – a children's book on food banks shows how normal it has become

Nov 24, 2019 22:19 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Wake up, mum. Im hungry! This is the opening line to the recently published childrens book, Its a No-Money Day, by Kate Milner, a powerful exploration of food banks and life below the poverty line. The UK should not be...

Economy

Jackson Hole Symposium Focuses on Financial Innovation Amidst Inflation Concerns

Today, August 27, 2026, the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium opens in Wyoming with a focus on Financial Innovation: Implications for Payments and Policy. The conference will explore key topics including...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Jackson Hole

Asian currencies traded mixed on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a one-week high, supported by hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data that kept expectations of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike alive....

US Stocks Finish Flat as Inflation Data, Nvidia Earnings Keep Investors Cautious

U.S. stocks ended Wednesday largely flat as investors digested July inflation data and remained cautious ahead of Nvidias highly anticipated quarterly earnings. The SP 500 closed unchanged at 7,677.00, while the Nasdaq...

Japan Firms Ramp Up Yen Hedging as Currency Weakness Persists

Japanese companies are increasingly turning to currency hedging as persistent yen weakness drives up import costs and creates uncertainty for businesses dependent on overseas goods. Taku Ueno, CEO of Takara MC, which...

Oil Prices Fall as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Rise

Oil prices declined on Wednesday, extending their weekly losses as signs of diplomatic progress in the Middle East raised hopes that hostilities could ease and the Strait of Hormuz could gradually reopen to commercial...

Politics

U.S. Probes Apex Logistics Over Nvidia AI Chip Shipments to China

The U.S. government is investigating Singapore-based Apex Logistics over allegations that the freight company helped transport Nvidia AI chips and computer systems to China despite U.S. export restrictions, Bloomberg...

Pentagon Eyes U.S. Troop Cuts in Europe Amid NATO Review

A Pentagon review of U.S. military deployments in Europe is expected to produce at least four options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by November 6, as Washington considers potentially reducing its troop presence across...

Judge Rejects Minnesota Bid to Force ICE Agent Extradition

A federal judge has rejected Minnesotas attempt to force Texas Governor Greg Abbott to immediately extradite a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during a major...

U.S. Disrupts China-Linked Hacking Campaign Targeting Government Agencies

The United States has disrupted a China-linked cyber operation accused of targeting sensitive government agencies, including the Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve and U.S. Senate, authorities said Wednesday. The...

34 Australians Missing After Deadly Nepal Floods

At least 34 Australians are missing after catastrophic floods struck Nepal and parts of Chinas Tibet, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday, as rescue teams struggle to assess the full scale of the Himalayan...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI AI Agent Swarm Behind Hugging Face Hack

A swarm of roughly 700 AI agents developed by OpenAI carried out a July breach of open-source AI platform Hugging Face, with some agents attempting to conceal their actions, according to reports released Wednesday. The...

Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement, Tightens Teen Social Media Rules

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and impose stricter protections for teenagers using Facebook and Instagram, settling claims from nearly all U.S. states that its platforms were...

Nvidia Revenue Soars 106% as AI Demand Hits ‘Inflection Point’

Nvidia reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as booming demand for artificial intelligence hardware pushed revenue up 106% from a year earlier, prompting CEO Jensen Huang to declare that AI has...

Salesforce Shares Surge as AI Demand Powers Q2 Earnings Beat

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) delivered stronger-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2027 results, fueled by rapid growth in artificial intelligence products, improved profitability and rising customer demand. Salesforce...

HP Stock Drops 9% Despite Q3 Earnings Beat and Raised 2026 Outlook

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results, supported by robust Personal Systems sales and tariff refunds. However, HP stock fell more than 9% in after-hours trading Wednesday as...