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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

Yen Slides Near Two-Year Low as Fed Holds Rates Amid Middle East Tensions

The Japanese yen hovered near a two-year low in early Asian trading Thursday, weighed down by a stronger U.S. dollar as investors closely monitored central bank decisions across major economies against the backdrop of an...

U.S. Futures Dip as Fed Hawkishness and Middle East Tensions Rattle Markets

U.S. stock index futures edged lower Wednesday evening following a broad sell-off on Wall Street, as investors processed a more hawkish-than-expected Federal Reserve outlook alongside a sharp escalation in Middle East...

Fed Holds Rates Steady as Middle East Conflict Clouds Inflation Outlook

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged significant uncertainty Wednesday, stating policymakers just dont know how rising oil prices stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict will ultimately impact U.S....

Oil Prices Surge Past $100 as U.S.-Israel War on Iran Threatens Global Energy Supply

Global oil prices spiked sharply on Thursday, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures briefly breaching the $100-per-barrel threshold amid escalating military tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Brent...

Iran-Israel War Escalates: Energy Infrastructure Attacks Shake Global Oil Markets

The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran reached a dangerous new threshold this week as Iran accused Israel of striking facilities within the massive South Pars gas field one of the worlds largest...

Politics

DOJ Antitrust Chief Rejects Political Fast-Track for Paramount-Skydance Deal

The head of the U.S. Department of Justices antitrust division has firmly dismissed suggestions that political connections could accelerate regulatory approval for the proposed Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner...

Trump Eyes Troop Deployment to Middle East Amid Escalating Iran Conflict

The Trump administration is weighing a significant military escalation in the Middle East, with reports indicating that thousands of U.S. troops could be deployed to the region as part of its ongoing campaign against Iran....

Russian Drone Strikes Hit Odesa Apartments and Lviv Security HQ

Russian drone attacks targeted multiple Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Thursday, causing widespread damage and injuries across the country. In the southern port city of Odesa, drones struck several residential...

Venezuela Appoints New Defense Minister as Rodriguez Reshapes Military Leadership

Venezuelas acting President Delcy Rodriguez has appointed Major General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez as the countrys new Defense Minister, replacing long-serving General Vladimir Padrino Lopez in what analysts are calling the...

Costa Rica Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Cuba Amid Growing U.S. Pressure

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves made a bold geopolitical statement on Wednesday, announcing that his country no longer recognizes the legitimacy of Cubas communist government and is shutting down the Cuban embassy in...

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

Cyberattack on Stryker Triggers U.S. Government Warning Over Microsoft Intune Security

A cyberattack targeting medical device giant Stryker Corporation last week has prompted urgent action from U.S. federal cybersecurity authorities. The March 11 incident severely disrupted Strykers core operations,...

Elon Musk Confirms SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla Will Continue Large-Scale Nvidia Chip Orders

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind some of the worlds most ambitious tech ventures, confirmed late Thursday that his companies SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla plan to keep purchasing Nvidia chips at significant scale....

Micron Technology Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates, Issues Strong AI-Driven Outlook

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) delivered a standout second-quarter performance, surpassing Wall Street expectations on both earnings and revenue as surging demand for AI-optimized memory chips continues to reshape the...

Microsoft Eyes Legal Action as Amazon-OpenAI Deal Threatens Azure Exclusivity

Microsoft is reportedly considering legal action against both Amazon and OpenAI following the announcement of a massive $50 billion cloud computing partnership between the two companies. According to the Financial Times,...

Alibaba Bets on AI Agents to Unify Its Vast Digital Ecosystem

Alibaba is doubling down on artificial intelligence by deploying AI agents designed to connect its wide-ranging portfolio of consumer and enterprise services. The strategy marks a significant pivot one that positions the...