"How do I move abroad?" Since January 2020, there has been a 29 per cent increase in global Google searches for this question, and you do not need Hercule Poirot to uncover why.
While athlete's foot may not be a known symptom of Covid-19, the pandemic has given large numbers of people itchy feet.
The trend prompted FinTech company Remitly to research the most popular relocation destinations of people from 101 countries around the world.
The company's number crunchers and analysts pored over average monthly search volumes for phrases commonly associated with researching a move overseas.
By ranking them with the most-searched-for location in each country, they were able to see which came out on top.
Why do people want to live and work in Canada?
It may not be too much of a surprise that Canada heads the list. Everyone knows someone who has moved to Canada.
The Great White North is renowned as one of the safest places in the world. It also has low employment rates and a high number of immigration options.
Canada has stunning scenery and a population blessed with relentless cheeriness.
Distant runner-up in the list, Japan, is a hotbed of culture and technological innovation, so its popularity is also expected.
More surprising are the lowly positions of the US and the UK.
Britain's divisive leadership, coronavirus mishandling and Brexit uncertainty would have suppressed some of the interest in moving there.
Where do Europeans want to move?
In European countries, the most popular relocation destination is Germany, which topped the list for eight countries on the continent.
Benefits include its excellent universal healthcare system, a thriving economy, fantastic public transport, low crime rates, clean environment and excellent job opportunities.
Canada is still the second most popular choice, with five European countries, including France and Belgium, listing it as their top pick.
Where do Central, North and South Americans want to move?
Traditional rivalry with Canada was set aside by North and Central American countries, as it proved to be their preferred location.
The US and Canada picked Japan as their destination of choice.
South Americans went for Spain, with Portugal the only other choice.
Where do Asians, Africans and Australasians want to live?
There seems to be more of a location-based split in the Asian countries.
South-East Asians are mostly interested in heading to Japan, making it the preferred option for the continent as a whole.
Canada notched another first place in Africa, while those in Oceania showed parochialism, with New Zealand and Fiji choosing each other as their top picks.
Australia set its sights a little farther from home and opted for Japan too.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
WORLD CUP SQUAD
Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
More from Neighbourhood Watch
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Ability to sleep well diminishes
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The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
