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Rhys ap Gwilym

Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bangor University
Dr Rhys ap Gwilym is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Bangor University’s Business School. He trained as a macroeconomist at Cardiff University, gaining his PhD on the “Macroeconomic Implications of Behavioural Finance Models” in 2009. His academic research has involved developing models which introduce behavioural factors into macroeconomic analysis (including DSGE models) and the analysis of financial instruments in a general equilibrium setting. He has published in journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance, Economics Letters and the Southern Economic Journal.

More recently, his research interests have evolved to cover spatial economics and public finance. He is currently working on a project examining how geographical differences in access to finance influence regional economic disparities; in particular the links between the financialization of land and regional economic development.

Rhys has a strong interest in regional development policy and its role in Wales in particular. He has been a principal investigator on two grant-funded research projects for the Welsh Government relating to land value tax and tourism taxes. He is a member of the Institute of Welsh Affairs’ Economic Policy Group, where he has been involved in the development of discussion papers on the Welsh economy. He recently contributed to the “expert roundtable on the Welsh tax base & implications for public policy”.

Why you should expect to pay more tourist taxes – even though the evidence for them is unclear

May 09, 2024 07:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

In April 2024, Venice began its controversial experiment to charge day trippers 5 (4.30) to visit the city on some of the busiest days of the year. But its not just the lagoon city, with its 30 million visitors a year...

Economy

Oil Prices Surge Above $109 as Strait of Hormuz Crisis and U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

Global oil prices soared Friday, posting strong weekly gains as tensions between the United States and Iran continued to intensify and the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, fueling fears of a prolonged global...

Gold Prices Post Worst Weekly Drop Since March as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Bets Pressure Metals

Gold prices tumbled sharply on Friday, recording their biggest weekly decline since mid-March as a stronger U.S. dollar and growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed heavily on the precious metals market....

Powell Named Fed Chair Pro Tempore as Trump Prepares to Install Kevin Warsh

The Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that Jerome Powell will serve as chair pro tempore until Kevin Warsh is officially sworn in as the next leader of the U.S. central bank. The move comes as President Donald Trump...

Dollar Surges as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Grow Amid Inflation and Global Bond Sell-Off

The U.S. dollar extended its rally for a fifth consecutive session on Friday, posting its strongest weekly performance in more than nine months as investors increased expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate...

UK Stocks Slide as Labour Leadership Tensions and U.S.-China Talks Shape Markets

British stocks closed lower on Friday as political uncertainty surrounding the U.K.s ruling Labour Party pressured investor sentiment and weakened the pound for a fourth straight session. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.61%, while...

Politics

Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Sales Remain Key to Regional Stability

Taiwan reaffirmed on Saturday that U.S. arms sales remain vital to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region after President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve a new weapons...

Amazon Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Trump Tariff Price Hikes

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit after consumers accused the company of inflating product prices due to tariffs later ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, filed in...

Alberta Separatist Movement Faces Major Legal Setback Ahead of Referendum Push

Albertas separatist movement has suffered a significant blow after a provincial court ruled against a petition campaign seeking a referendum on Alberta independence from Canada. The decision creates new uncertainty for...

ICC Arrest Drama Deepens as Philippine Senator Bato Dela Rosa Escapes Amid Senate Gunfire

Philippine politics plunged deeper into turmoil after Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa reportedly escaped authorities following a dramatic confrontation involving gunfire inside the Senate complex in Manila. The controversial...

Ukraine Begins Major POW Swap as 205 Soldiers Return from Russian Captivity

Ukraine has successfully brought home 205 service personnel from Russian captivity in the first phase of a large-scale prisoner exchange with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Friday. The operation marks a...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

SpaceX Shareholders Approve 5-for-1 Stock Split Ahead of Potential IPO

A majority of SpaceX shareholders have reportedly approved a 5-for-1 stock split proposed by the companys board, according to a Bloomberg News report published Friday. The decision comes as interest continues to grow...

FTC Antitrust Probe Targets Arm Holdings Over Chip Licensing Practices

Arm Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: ARM) is reportedly under formal investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over concerns tied to its semiconductor licensing business, according to Bloomberg. The probe marks a...

Applied Materials Forecasts Strong Q3 Revenue as AI Chip Demand Accelerates

Applied Materials posted record fiscal second-quarter revenue on Thursday and issued a stronger-than-expected forecast for the third quarter, fueled by rising global investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and...

Anthropic Nears $30 Billion Funding Round at $900 Billion Valuation

AI startup Anthropic is reportedly close to securing a massive $30 billion fundraising deal that would value the company at approximately $900 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Friday. The new...

Nvidia’s China AI Chip Sales Remain Frozen Despite U.S. Approval

Nvidias efforts to expand AI chip sales in China remain stalled even after the U.S. approved several Chinese technology giants to purchase the companys H200 processors. Although around 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba,...