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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 Steady as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Extension Hopes Weigh on Dollar

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Friday while the U.S. dollar remained largely unchanged, as investors assessed reports suggesting the United States and Iran are close to extending their ceasefire agreement....

Asian Stocks Rally as AI Boom and Iran Ceasefire Progress Lift Market Sentiment

Asian stock markets posted strong gains on Friday, supported by a global technology rally and growing optimism surrounding a potential extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Investor confidence...

Tokyo Inflation Cools in May, Supporting BOJ’s Cautious Rate Hike Path

Tokyo consumer inflation slowed in May, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will continue taking a measured approach to monetary policy tightening as inflationary pressures remain moderate. According to...

Gold Prices Hold Near Record Levels as Inflation Concerns Offset Middle East Ceasefire Hopes

Gold prices remained largely unchanged during Asian trading on Friday as investors assessed reports suggesting that the United States and Iran could extend their ceasefire agreement. While easing geopolitical tensions...

Oil Prices Set for Sharp Weekly Losses as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Concerns

Oil prices moved lower during Asian trading on Friday and were on track for significant weekly losses as investors evaluated the possibility of a longer U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement and its potential impact on global oil...

Politics

China Expands Nuclear Defense Network in Remote Desert

China is rapidly strengthening its nuclear defense infrastructure in a remote desert region, according to newly analyzed satellite imagery. The large-scale construction project highlights Beijings efforts to enhance its...

Brazil Struggles to Stop Illegal Amazon Gold Mining as Gold Prices Surge

Brazil continues to face major challenges in its fight against illegal gold mining in the Amazon rainforest, despite increased enforcement efforts under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A new study by environmental...

DOJ Investigates Group Linked to Reid Hoffman Over E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Funding

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into a group connected to billionaire entrepreneur Reid Hoffman regarding its partial funding of E. Jean Carrolls lawsuits against President Donald Trump,...

Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Boston Sanctuary City Policy

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to challenge Bostons sanctuary city policy, marking another legal setback for the administrations efforts to expand federal immigration...

US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks

The United States has announced a new round of sanctions targeting Irans military-linked oil trade, even as Washington and Tehran move closer to extending a ceasefire agreement and restoring shipping access through the...

Science

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...

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

Technology

MongoDB Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook

MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB) delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, fueled by growing demand for its database platform among enterprises and organizations developing artificial intelligence...

SpaceX IPO Could Become Largest in History with $1.8 Trillion Valuation Target

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly moving forward with plans for a historic initial public offering (IPO), targeting a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion. According to a Bloomberg News report citing sources familiar with the...

Autodesk Beats Q1 Estimates, Acquires MaintainX for $3.6 Billion

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) reported stronger-than-expected financial results for its fiscal first quarter and announced a major $3.6 billion acquisition of MaintainX, a move that strengthens its position in AI-powered...

US Quantum Stocks Surge After $2 Billion Government Investment

The U.S. Department of Commerce has sparked major excitement across the technology and financial sectors after announcing plans to invest $2 billion into quantum computing and advanced hardware companies through the CHIPS...

Dell Raises 2027 Revenue Forecast as AI Server Demand Drives Record Quarterly Results

Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal Q1 2027 results on Thursday, fueled by surging demand for its AI-optimized servers. Following the earnings report, Dells Class C shares soared nearly...