Gross domestic product — one of the main indicators of economic health — has slumped in the first quarter of 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) announced on Monday.
Across OECD countries, GDP rose by only 0.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter according to provisional estimates, a sharp slowdown compared with the 1.2 per cent increase in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Most nations in the G7 also had slowing or contracting GDP as the bloc of industrialised economies fell by 0.1 per cent compared with an increase of 1.2 per cent the previous quarter.
The UK and Canada managed to record growth but weaker than the previous quarter, at 0.8 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
Elsewhere in the G7, the US had negative growth at minus 0.4 per cent, Italy at minus 0.2 per cent and Japan at minus 0.2 per cent. France recorded zero growth.
Germany was the only G7 country where the pace of growth increased, with GDP growth of 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared with minus 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
The German economy is on track for a tepid economic recovery but risks are tilted to the downside and Berlin should focus on cushioning the impact of the war in Ukraine and on securing gas supplies, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Fiscal policy in Europe's largest economy should be flexible in the uncertain environment that includes the war and navigating out of Covid restrictions, the IMF said in Monday.
The IMF said it projected that growth in the German economy would slow to about 2 per cent in 2022, picking up in 2023.
Among other OECD countries, Portugal and Austria recorded the highest increases in GDP compared with the previous quarter, at 2.6 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.
Decreases were recorded in Norway, with minus 1.0 per cent, Chile (minus 0.8 per cent), Costa Rica (minus 0.5 per cent), Israel and Sweden (minus 0.4 per cent in both countries) and Denmark (minus 0.1 per cent).
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School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
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3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
