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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

Vitol to Ship First U.S. Naphtha Cargo to Venezuela Under New Oil Supply Deal

Commodities trading giant Vitol is preparing to load the first shipment of U.S. naphtha bound for Venezuela this weekend, marking a significant step in efforts to revive the countrys oil industry. According to sources...

U.S. Signals Potential Venezuela Sanctions Relief to Boost Oil Sales and IMF Re-Engagement

The United States may lift additional sanctions on Venezuela as early as next week to facilitate oil sales and economic stabilization, according to comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with...

Russia Stock Market Ends Flat as Commodities Rise and Ruble Strengthens

Russian stocks closed flat on Saturday, reflecting a quiet session on the Moscow Exchange as market activity remained muted across key sectors. At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia Index finished unchanged at 0.00%,...

Trump Administration Targets Mortgage-Backed Securities to Ease Housing Affordability Crunch

The Trump administration has launched a new effort to support the U.S. housing market by stepping into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) purchases, aiming to counterbalance the Federal Reserves ongoing reduction of such...

G7 Finance Ministers to Meet in Washington on Critical Minerals Supply Chains

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced that Australia and several other countries will participate in a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies in Washington on Monday,...

Politics

Myanmar Military-Run Election Draws Criticism as Voters Head to Polls Amid Ongoing Conflict

Voters in conflict-ravaged Myanmar queued on Sunday to cast ballots in the second phase of a military-organized election, an exercise widely criticized by the international community as an attempt to legitimize junta rule...

U.S. Military Launches Multiple Airstrikes in Syria Targeting Islamic State

The United States military confirmed on Saturday that it carried out multiple airstrikes across Syria targeting the Islamic State (ISIS), as part of an ongoing operation launched in December following a deadly attack on...

Bangladesh Signals Willingness to Join International Stabilization Force in Gaza

Bangladesh has formally expressed its interest in joining a proposed international stabilization force that may be deployed in Gaza, signaling a potential new role in global peacekeeping efforts related to the ongoing...

Nicaragua Frees Political Prisoners Amid Growing U.S. Pressure on Latin American Governments

Nicaraguas government announced the release of dozens of inmates from its national penitentiary system, a move that came just one day after the United States publicly demanded the freedom of more than 60 political...

Norwegian Nobel Institute Clarifies Nobel Peace Prize Rules After Trump Remarks

The Norwegian Nobel Institute has firmly stated that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked, responding to recent remarks by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado suggesting she...

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

Elon Musk Says X Will Open-Source Its Algorithm Amid EU Scrutiny

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, will publicly release its recommendation algorithm, including the full code behind organic content and advertising post...

China’s AI Sector Pushes to Close U.S. Tech Gap Amid Chipmaking Challenges

China is accelerating efforts to narrow its technological gap with the United States, driven by increased risk-taking, innovation, and strong policy support for artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Leading Chinese...

Supreme Court to Hear Cisco Appeal on Alien Tort Statute and Human Rights Liability

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal by Cisco Systems that could significantly reshape how American companies are held liable for alleged human rights abuses committed overseas. The case centers on the scope...

FCC Approves Expansion of SpaceX Starlink Network With 7,500 New Satellites

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceXs request to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, marking a major step forward in the companys mission to expand global...

xAI Cash Burn Highlights the High Cost of Competing in Generative AI

Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is rapidly emerging as a major player in the generative AI race, but new reports highlight the enormous financial costs behind that ambition. According to Bloomberg News,...