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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 Surges After Suspected Japan Currency Intervention

The Japanese yen strengthened sharply on Wednesday, hitting its highest level in more than two months after reports suggested that Japanese authorities recently intervened in the foreign exchange market to support the...

Italy Services PMI Nears Stabilization as Middle East Tensions Push Costs Higher

Italys service sector faced mounting cost pressures in April 2026, with businesses reporting the sharpest rise in input prices in more than three years amid ongoing instability in the Middle East. According to the latest...

European Stocks Rally as Trump Halts Hormuz Operation, Oil Prices Slide

European stock markets opened sharply higher on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump paused a military-backed effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, boosting investor confidence and raising hopes for a potential...

Fitch Upgrades Argentina to B- as Milei Reforms Strengthen Economy

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Argentinas Long-Term Foreign Currency and Local Currency Issuer Default Rating to B- from CCC+ with a Stable outlook, signaling growing confidence in the countrys economic recovery under...

Asian Currencies Rise as Middle East Tensions Ease, South Korean Won Surges After Inflation Data

Asian currencies mostly strengthened on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East boosted investor confidence and weakened the U.S. dollar. Market sentiment improved after U.S. President Donald Trump...

Politics

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Violating Ceasefire Amid Fresh Drone and Missile Attacks

Ukraine has accused Russia of breaking a newly proposed ceasefire just hours after it came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, intensifying tensions in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian officials reported that...

US Military Strike in Eastern Pacific Sparks Debate Over ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Operations

The U.S. military confirmed on Tuesday that it carried out another deadly strike in the Eastern Pacific, targeting a vessel allegedly linked to drug trafficking operations. According to U.S. Southern Command, the operation...

Guatemala President Bernardo Arevalo Appoints Gabriel Garcia Luna as New Attorney General

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has appointed former judge and university professor Gabriel Estuardo Garcia Luna as the countrys new attorney general, marking a significant political shift in Guatemalas justice...

Rubio Signals Possible U.S. Action on Cuba, Calls Current Situation “Unacceptable”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the current situation in Cuba is unacceptable, signaling that the United States intends to address ongoing concerns involving the island nation in the future. Speaking...

Lula and Trump to Discuss Brazil-U.S. Anti-Crime Partnership During Washington Meeting

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to prioritize security cooperation and organized crime prevention during his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this week. According to...

Science

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

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

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...

Technology

BHP Attracts AI-Focused Investors as Copper Demand Surges

BHP Group is drawing growing attention from international investors as the global artificial intelligence boom increases the value of copper, according to Chief Financial Officer Vandita Pant. Speaking at the Macquarie...

AMD Q1 Earnings Surge on AI Demand, Stock Jumps After Strong Guidance

AMD delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 earnings, fueled by booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center chips. The semiconductor giant reported adjusted earnings of $1.37 per...

Agentic AI Boom to Drive Massive Growth in CPU Market, UBS Says

The rapid rise of agentic AI is reshaping the future of data center infrastructure, creating major growth opportunities for CPU manufacturers such as Arm Holdings, AMD, and Intel. According to UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri,...

Supermicro Forecasts Strong Q4 Revenue Growth as AI Server Demand Surges

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) projected fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue above Wall Street expectations, driven by continued growth in artificial intelligence infrastructure and strong demand for data center...

Samsung Surpasses $1 Trillion Market Cap Amid AI Chip Boom and Apple Partnership Talks

Samsung Electronics has officially crossed the $1 trillion market valuation milestone for the first time, fueled by soaring demand for AI memory chips and growing speculation about potential partnerships with Apple and...