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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

U.S. Job Market Braces for Slow Recovery Amid Middle East Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

The U.S. labor market is expected to post modest gains in March, recovering from Februarys sharp drop of 92,000 jobs, but persistent headwinds are keeping economists cautious. A Reuters poll forecasts nonfarm payrolls...

Bank of Japan Eyes Further Rate Hikes Amid Middle East Tensions and Inflation Pressures

A senior Bank of Japan official reaffirmed the central banks commitment to continuing its interest rate hike cycle, while closely monitoring how the ongoing Middle East conflict is shaping Japans economic outlook and...

Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as Yen Weakens Toward 160 Per Dollar

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a stern warning to currency traders on Friday, signaling that Tokyo is prepared to take decisive action against what officials describe as speculative behavior driving...

China's Services Sector Maintains Growth Streak Despite March Slowdown

Chinas services industry continued to expand in March, though at a notably slower pace, as weakening demand and ongoing workforce reductions tempered activity across the sector. According to the latest RatingDog Services...

U.S. Stock Futures Stabilize Ahead of Good Friday as Investors Eye Jobs Report

U.S. stock index futures held steady Thursday evening as markets entered a cautious holding pattern before the Good Friday holiday closure, with traders weighing Middle East tensions and positioning ahead of a critical...

Politics

Iran-U.S. Military Tensions Escalate as Tehran Fortifies Key Energy Infrastructure

As geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, Tehran is ramping up its military readiness in anticipation of a potential ground operation on its soil. According to reports from the Wall Street...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

First Western Ship Transits Strait of Hormuz Since Iran War Began

A container vessel operated by French shipping giant CMA CGM has become the first Western-linked ship to successfully navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, signaling a cautious...

Trump Fires Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files and Slow Prosecutions

President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position on Thursday, ending a tenure marked by controversy and growing frustration from the White House. Sources familiar with the matter say Trump had...

Ukraine Frontline Holds Firm as Zelenskyy Claims March Offensive Successfully Repelled

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared this week that the countrys frontline situation is the strongest it has been in ten months, crediting the Ukrainian armed forces with successfully neutralizing a major...

Science

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...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Annie Altman Amends Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Annie Altman has filed an amended civil lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of sexually abusing her over a span of nearly a decade. The amended complaint was submitted Wednesday in St. Louis...

TSMC Japan's Second Fab to Produce 3nm Chips by 2028

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has confirmed plans to begin equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers at its second fabrication plant in...