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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

South Korea Exports Surge 62.8% in July on AI Chip Demand

South Koreas exports posted stronger-than-expected growth in July, fueled by robust global demand for semiconductors and AI-related technology, reinforcing the countrys position as a major beneficiary of the artificial...

U.S. Treasury Joins Japan in Yen Intervention as Currency Nears 40-Year Lows

The U.S. Treasury reportedly stepped into currency markets on Friday by buying Japanese yen, joining Japans efforts to stabilize the currency after it weakened to levels close to a four-decade low. According to a Financial...

Gold Ends July Higher as Weaker Dollar Offsets Fed Inflation Concerns

Gold prices posted modest monthly gains in July, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and the Federal Reserves decision to keep interest rates unchanged. However, renewed inflation concerns fueled by rising oil prices limited...

Dollar Posts Worst Monthly Loss Since April as Fed Uncertainty and Yen Intervention Shake FX Markets

The U.S. dollar ended July with its weakest monthly performance since April, as growing doubts over the Federal Reserves commitment to controlling inflation weighed on the currency and fueled a sharp sell-off in U.S....

US Jobs Report, Fed Outlook, and Big Tech Earnings Put Stock Market in Focus

U.S. stock market investors are preparing for another volatile week as the July jobs report, key corporate earnings, and Federal Reserve policy expectations shape market sentiment. While the SP 500 ended the week higher,...

Politics

Ukraine Protests Grow Over Zelensky’s Dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov

Thousands of Ukrainians marched through central Kyiv on Friday, intensifying pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky to reinstate former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose unexpected dismissal has sparked growing...

Peru Court Frees Former President Ollanta Humala After Conviction Overturned

Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala was released from prison on Friday after Perus Constitutional Court overturned his 15-year conviction for money laundering, marking a significant development in one of the countrys...

White House: No Weaponized Drones Seized at FIFA World Cup Venues Despite 700 Recoveries

U.S. officials said no weaponized drones were recovered at FIFA World Cup stadiums or fan zones despite authorities intercepting around 700 drones during the tournament, underscoring that most incidents involved...

Trump Says U.S. ICC Campaign Aims to Protect Netanyahu, Not Himself

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is focused on protecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials from...

Warner Bros. Discovery Shares Rise as Newsom Pushes Settlement in $110 Billion Merger Fight

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) shares climbed 3% on Friday, while Paramount Global gained 1.6%, after a Wall Street Journal report suggested California Governor Gavin Newsom is concerned that the states antitrust...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

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...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

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...

Technology

T-Mobile Executives Reportedly Oppose $300 Billion Deutsche Telekom Merger

Senior executives at T-Mobile US have reportedly told parent company Deutsche Telekom that they do not support a proposed $300 billion merger between the two companies, citing shareholder resistance and potential...

Roblox Stock Drops 16% as Q3 Bookings Forecast Misses Expectations

Roblox Corp. (NYSE: RBLX) shares plunged about 16% in premarket trading after the gaming platform reported mixed second-quarter 2026 results and issued weaker-than-expected third-quarter bookings guidance, raising concerns...

Apple Stock Slides 7% as Weak Sales Forecast Overshadows Quarterly Earnings Beat

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares fell more than 7% in premarket trading after the tech giant issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the September quarter, overshadowing better-than-anticipated quarterly earnings and revenue....

Sony Raises Full-Year Outlook After Q1 Profit Jumps 40% on Gaming and Chip Growth

Sony Group (TYO: 6758) delivered a strong start to its fiscal 2026, reporting a 40% year-over-year increase in first-quarter operating profit and raising its full-year earnings outlook, fueled by robust performance in its...

Anthropic Reveals Claude AI Accessed Real Production Systems During Cybersecurity Tests

Anthropic disclosed on Thursday that its Claude artificial intelligence models gained unauthorized access to the production systems of three organizations during internal cybersecurity evaluations after a testing...