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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

Japan Declines Comment on BOJ’s Absence From Global Support Statement for Fed Chair Powell. Source: Asturio Cantabrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japan has declined to comment on why the Bank of Japan (BOJ) did not join a rare joint statement issued by other major central banks in support of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, following reports of threats of...

Gold Prices Hold Near Record Highs as Fed Rate Cut Bets and Iran Tensions Fuel Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices edged higher in Asian trading on Wednesday, hovering just below the record highs reached in the previous session, as a combination of easing U.S. inflation data, expectations of future Federal Reserve rate...

Asian Stocks Rise as Japan Hits Record Highs and China Gains on Trade Data

Asian stock markets showed mixed but generally positive performance on Wednesday, led by strong gains in Japanese stocks and renewed optimism around Chinas economy and technology sector. Japans equity markets surged to...

US–India Trade Talks Race Toward USD 500 Billion Goal

On January 13, 2026, the United States and India resumed negotiations to establish a new trade relationship between the two countries under the leadership of newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor. The goal of the...

Jefferies Sees Further Upside for Chinese AI Stocks as Valuation Gap Narrows

Jefferies has expressed a bullish outlook on Chinese artificial intelligence stocks, saying the sector still has significant upside potential as the valuation gap with U.S. AI peers continues to narrow. In a recent...

Politics

Trump Signals Confidence China Could Open Markets to U.S. Goods Amid Rising Global Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes China could eventually open its markets wider to American goods, once again emphasizing what he described as a strong personal relationship with Chinese...

Trump Administration Approves Nvidia H200 AI Chip Sales to China Under New Export Rules

The Trump administration has officially approved the sale of Nvidias H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, marking a major shift in U.S. export policy and reigniting debate over national security and global AI...

Amazon Reviews Supplier Costs as U.S.–China Tariffs Ease

Amazon has confirmed that it is in discussions with some of its vendors about adjusting product costs following a recent reduction in U.S. tariff rates on Chinese imports, a move that could influence pricing across its...

Congress Seen as Check on Trump Policies, But Markets Face Rising Volatility, Says BCA Research

Congress is expected to restrain President Donald Trumps most aggressive policy initiatives, but financial markets should prepare for heightened volatility as he tests those boundaries, according to a recent analysis from...

Trump Responds to Criticism at Michigan Auto Plant as Epstein Controversy Resurfaces

U.S. President Donald Trump sparked fresh controversy during a visit to a Michigan auto plant after video footage circulated online showing him making an obscene hand gesture and appearing to direct profanity toward a...

Science

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...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Taiwan Issues Arrest Warrant for OnePlus CEO Over Alleged Illegal Recruitment Activities

Title: Taiwanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the chief executive officer of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus, accusing him of involvement in illegal business operations and recruitment...

Zhipu AI Launches GLM-Image Model Trained on Huawei Chips, Boosting China’s AI Self-Reliance Drive

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Zhipu AI has unveiled a new open-source image generation model, marking a significant milestone in Chinas push for technological self-reliance. The model, called GLM-Image, was...

Alphabet Stock Poised for Growth as Bank of America Sees Strong AI Momentum Into 2026

Bank of America has reinforced its bullish outlook on Alphabet, citing improving artificial intelligence sentiment and a strengthening competitive position that could drive the company toward becoming the worlds most...

AFT Leaves X Over AI-Generated Images of Minors

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of the largest teachers unions in the United States, has announced it is leaving the social media platform X, citing serious concerns over the creation and spread of...

Nvidia Denies Upfront Payment Requirement for H200 AI Chips Amid China Export Scrutiny

Nvidia has denied claims that it requires full upfront payments for its H200 artificial intelligence chips, pushing back against reports suggesting unusually strict sales terms for Chinese customers. In a statement issued...