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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 Markets Rise as Investors Weigh Venezuela Crisis, Oil Prices, and Key Economic Data

Asian stock markets opened higher on Monday as investors largely looked past recent U.S. military action in Venezuela and turned their attention to a busy week of global economic data releases. In the first full trading...

Japan Manufacturing PMI Stalls in December as Demand Shows Signs of Stabilization

Japans manufacturing activity showed signs of stabilization in December, ending a five-month period of contraction, as demand declined at a slower pace, according to the latest private-sector survey. The SP Global Japan...

Gold Prices Surge as Venezuela Crisis Sparks Global Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed sharply during Asian trading on Monday as investors rushed toward safe-haven assets following reports of a major U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás...

U.S. Dollar Rises as Markets Eye Fed Policy and Key Economic Data

The U.S. dollar began the first full trading week of the new year with modest gains, strengthening against major currencies as investors focused on upcoming economic data and Federal Reserve policy expectations. Early...

U.S. Oil Companies Face Costly Conditions to Return to Venezuela After Expropriation Disputes

U.S. oil companies seeking compensation for assets expropriated by Venezuela in the 2000s may be required to return to the country and invest billions of dollars to rebuild its oil industry, according to sources familiar...

Politics

U.S. Capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro Sparks Global Legal Debate at the United Nations

The legality of the United States capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to face intense scrutiny at the United Nations, as the U.N. Security Council convenes to discuss Washingtons controversial military...

Russia Condemns Trump’s Venezuela Actions as Illegal and Destabilising, Warns of Global Fallout

Senior Russian officials have sharply criticised U.S. President Donald Trumps actions in Venezuela, calling them unlawful, destabilising, and driven by American self-interest, while warning they could have dangerous...

Trump Supporters Applaud Maduro Capture as Analysts Warn of Political Risks

Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have largely welcomed the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, framing it as a swift and low-cost victory that reinforces American strength abroad. Many within the...

Ukraine Intensifies Drone Attacks on Moscow in Early 2026, Marking Escalation in War Strategy

Ukraine has carried out daily drone attacks targeting Moscow since the start of 2026, according to figures released by Russias Defence Ministry, signaling a notable escalation from the earlier pattern of more sporadic...

Venezuela Faces Political Upheaval After U.S. Detains President Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela entered a period of deep political uncertainty after senior officials vowed to remain unified behind President Nicolas Maduro following his dramatic capture by the United States. Maduro, 63, is being held in a...

Science

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...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Technology

Samsung Electronics Hits Record High as AI Momentum Fuels Investor Optimism

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:005930) shares surged to a record high on Monday, extending a strong rally fueled by growing optimism around the companys artificial intelligence strategy and semiconductor outlook. The South...

Grok AI Controversy on X Sparks Global Outrage Over Nonconsensual Images

A growing controversy surrounding Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot built into Elon Musks social media platform X, has triggered international concern over the misuse of AI-generated images and the failure to...

Reddit Emerges as a Major Winner in the Shift to AI-Powered Search

Reddit is increasingly being recognized as a major beneficiary of the global shift from traditional search engines to AI-generated answers, according to a recent analysis from brokerage firm Needham. As artificial...

Trump Blocks HieFo’s Emcore Chip Assets Deal Over National Security Concerns

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order blocking HieFo Corp. from acquiring semiconductor-related assets from Emcore Corp., citing serious national security risks tied to foreign ownership and sensitive chip...

Grok AI Faces Global Scrutiny Over Safeguard Failures and Illegal Content on X

Elon Musks artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, developed by xAI and integrated into social media platform X, has come under intense international scrutiny after admitting that lapses in safeguards led to the generation...

Digital Currency