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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

Asian Currencies Trade in Tight Range as Dollar Steadies; Yen Slips on Weak Japan GDP

Asian currencies moved within a narrow range on Monday as thin holiday trading and steady U.S. dollar performance limited major price swings. Market closures in China, Taiwan, and South Korea reduced regional liquidity,...

Asian Stock Markets Trade in Narrow Range as Japan GDP Misses Forecasts, Hang Seng Gains

Asian stock markets traded in a tight range on Monday as a week-long Lunar New Year holiday in China reduced regional trading volumes, while weak Japanese GDP data pressured Tokyo equities. Market participation was further...

Ukraine Secures $8.2 Billion IMF Loan as Tax Conditions Are Eased

Ukraines government has reached a revised agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a new $8.2 billion lending program, easing several previously proposed conditions, including politically sensitive tax...

BOJ Governor Ueda Meets PM Takaichi as Markets Eye Possible Rate Hike

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are set to hold their first bilateral meeting on Monday since the ruling partys landslide election victory, a discussion that could shape expectations for...

Yen Pulls Back After Rally as Fed Rate Cut Bets Support Dollar Stability

The Japanese yen began the week slightly weaker against the U.S. dollar after posting its strongest weekly gain in more than a year. The currency eased 0.2% to 153.07 per dollar in early Monday trading, following a nearly...

Politics

Zelenskiy Urges Stronger Sanctions as U.S.-Brokered Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Near

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed cautious optimism ahead of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled in Geneva next week. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskiy said he...

Rubio Reaffirms Transatlantic Alliance at Munich Security Conference Amid Ukraine and Russia Tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the United States as a child of Europe during a closely watched speech at the Munich Security Conference, aiming to reinforce transatlantic unity after a turbulent year in...

EU Divided on Setting 2027 Timeline for Ukraine Membership Amid Ongoing War

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has indicated that EU member states are not prepared to offer Ukraine a concrete timeline for joining the bloc, despite renewed calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr...

Anthropic’s Claude AI Reportedly Used in U.S. Operation to Capture Nicolas Maduro

Anthropics artificial intelligence model, Claude, was reportedly used in a U.S. military operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing...

Europe Rethinks NATO as U.S. Policy Shifts Shake Transatlantic Alliance

European leaders signaled a turning point in transatlantic relations at the Munich Security Conference, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that some lines have been crossed that cannot be...

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

Disney Issues Cease-and-Desist to ByteDance Over Alleged AI Copyright Infringement

Disney has sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the Chinese tech giant of using copyrighted Disney characters to train and power its Seedance 2.0 AI video generator without authorization, according to a...

OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger to Advance Next-Generation AI Agents

OpenAI has hired Peter Steinberger, the creator of the open-source artificial intelligence agent OpenClaw, according to CEO Sam Altmans announcement on social media Sunday. The move follows OpenClaws recent surge in...

Vietnam Approves SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet Service Amid U.S. Trade Talks

Vietnam has officially granted SpaceX permission to deploy its Starlink satellite internet service in the country, marking a significant step in expanding high-speed connectivity across Southeast Asia. According to state...

Anduril Eyes $60 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round to Expand Defense Manufacturing and Autonomous Fighter Jet Development

U.S. defense technology firm Anduril Industries is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in fresh funding at a valuation of at least $60 billion, according to a recent report by The Information citing...

Grok AI Market Share Surges as xAI Faces Scrutiny Over Image Generation Controversy

Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok is rapidly gaining traction in the U.S., even as it faces mounting global criticism over the generation of non-consensual and sexualized AI images. According to data from app intelligence firm...