sgusers7的部落格

URL:.chinanews.com.cn/tw/2013/10-18/5395871.shtml　　海峽兩岸旅遊交流協會秘書長劉克智17日在此間透露，迷你倉今年1至9月，大陸赴台灣旅遊人數達168萬人次，同比增長15%。在團隊游基本持平的情況下，個人游達35萬人次，同比增長超過200%。　　劉克智是在海峽兩岸台北旅展展前新聞發佈會上作上述表示的。　　由海峽兩岸旅遊交流協會和台灣觀光協會共同主辦的第八屆海峽兩岸台北旅展將于18日至21日在台北舉辦，大陸參展單位包括來自29個省區市和新疆生產建設兵團的旅遊企業和主管部門。　　在17日下午舉行的發佈會上，劉克智介紹說，此次旅展的大陸展區總面積達3816平方米，展位232個，參展單位比往年更廣泛，除各地旅遊主管部門外，還有來自酒店、景區景點、旅遊商品廠家、旅遊經銷商等多個行業的代表。此外，大陸展團文件倉色更鮮明、產品更豐富，將舉辦演出、專題座談會、旅遊推介會等多種活動。　　劉克智表示，海峽兩岸台北旅展自2006年創辦以來，促進了兩岸旅遊業界深化交流合作，已成為兩岸旅遊業界資源共享、市場互惠的重要盛會。　　他指出，自2008年開放大陸遊客赴台旅遊以來，兩岸雙向旅遊交流人數從當年的470萬人次增至2012年的792萬人次，年均增幅14%，實現突破千萬人次的目標指日可待。兩岸旅遊交流合作不斷深化，產生了顯著的經濟、社會效益，得到兩岸各界普遍認同。旅遊已成為兩岸人員往來的主渠道和兩岸交流的重要領域之一。　　台灣觀光協會兩岸展籌委會主任委員張學勞則表示，大陸有巨大的旅遊市場，台灣在吸引大陸旅遊者方面有語言文字、風俗文化、交通等多方面優勢。隨著兩岸服務貿易協議的簽署和大陸旅遊法的實施，兩岸旅遊觀光產業將進入新境界，迎來新商機。(記者程卓 陳鍵興)存倉

URL:.chinanews.com.cn/fortune/2013/10-18/5395054.shtml　　如今，儲存跨境旅遊、海淘族隊伍不斷龐大。很多持卡人都知道，跨境刷信用卡消費、取現都可能產生各種費用，若是在非美元交易的國家，還可能因為貨幣匯兌而出現1%-1.5%的轉換手續費。但如果選對了信用卡，就能節省這些費用了。記者瞭解到，近期中行、工行、建行、招行、光大、民生等紛紛推出“全幣種”信用卡概念，使持卡人在境外刷卡、海淘時可避免被收取貨幣轉換費。據《南寧晚報》　　多家銀行推“多幣種”信用卡　　“老公，我們下個月要去美國旅遊了，手里的這張信用卡是用人民幣結算的，手續費貴喔。”市民張小姐張羅下個月蜜月旅行要準備的東西，不禁想到刷卡這個問題。“笨笨，你不懂現在銀行有多幣種信用卡啊？能省一筆錢呢。”聽到老公這麼說，張小姐立馬致電在銀行工作的閨蜜瞭解。　　近年來，中國出境游火爆，而境外消費總會和貨幣打交道。如果當地流通貨幣非美元，那麼刷卡有可能會產生相應的貨幣轉換費。不過，近期多家銀行推出的“全幣種”信用卡，能讓貨幣轉換費的煩惱迎刃而解。　　去年8月，工行推出多幣種卡，萬事達多幣種信用卡，可以滿足持卡人刷卡支付10個幣種的需求，包括旅行者最常使用的美元、歐元、港幣、英鎊、日元、新加坡元、加拿大元、澳大利亞元、瑞士法郎和新西蘭元。此外，中行聯合國際卡組織VISA公司也推出了長城“全幣種”國際芯片卡，無論客戶在世界何處持卡進行的外幣交易，都可自動轉換為人民幣入賬，客戶只需輕鬆歸還人民幣欠款，免除繁瑣的購匯手續。農行和建行也發行了悠遊世界信用卡、全球支付信用卡。近日，招商銀行也聯手VISA發行全幣種國際信用卡。　　“多幣種信用卡能在外幣交易過程中實現自動購匯，交易產生的金額以人民幣入賬。持卡人還款時直接支付人民幣，且貨幣轉換時沒有外匯兌換手續迷你倉。持卡人的境外支付成本下降，後續還款也更便利。”工作人員林邁介紹。　　每筆可省1.5%貨幣轉換費　　多幣種信用卡和普通的雙幣信用卡相比，最大的優勢是什麼呢？那就是可以節省一筆貨幣轉換費用。　　據瞭解，對於傳統的雙幣信用卡而言，持卡人在境外刷卡消費發生刷卡貨幣和入賬貨幣不一致的情況時，將會產生1.5%的貨幣兌換手續費。而這一幣種轉換所帶來的收費將被“多幣種”信用卡打破。記者算了一筆賬，如果使用一般的人民幣—美元雙幣卡在歐洲刷卡消費1000歐元，那麼就要支付15歐元，按照昨日歐元/人民幣匯率8.273的標準計算，相當于要多花人民幣124.10元。　　“不管在境外以什麼幣種結算，銀行都會以當時匯率折算成相應的人民幣金額入賬，客戶回來後只要還人民幣賬戶即可。而如果客戶去的不是以美元或者歐元結算的國家和地區，按照原來傳統雙幣卡的做法，那麼客戶這筆消費先由當地幣種折算成美元入賬，客戶回國後再以人民幣購美元還款。這中間就產生了一定的貨幣兌換費，一般貨幣轉換費為交易金額的1.5%左右。”林邁說道，多幣種信用卡支持多種幣種消費免貨幣轉換費，省錢的優勢還是比較明顯的。　　配套增值服務各有千秋　　盡管都是多幣種卡，但各家銀行的多幣種卡還是各有特色。建行的全球支付卡還提供一些特別附加值。持卡人刷卡購機票附贈500萬元航空意外險以及最高3000元航班和行李延誤險，如掛失前48小時內失卡可獲2萬元保障金額。如果你是常“在雲端”的商務人士，農行金穗悠遊世界卡和招行全幣種國際支付卡可以滿足你的更多需求。農行與境內高爾夫球場、機場、航空公司、喜達屋酒店集團合作，持卡人打高爾夫球、出入機場或入住酒店都將享受優惠。同時，持卡人還能得到更多人文關懷，用戶將長期享受24小時環球醫療救助。招行則能在海外200多個國家和地區繼續為用戶提供消費優惠，並開通境外掛失取現“綠色通道”。self storage

　　在國外旅遊時，儲存倉哪個景區可以提供中文服務？哪個商場可以刷銀聯卡？哪個酒店能提供熱水壺和燒水器……這些曾長期困擾中國遊客出境旅遊的難題，或將隨著“歡迎中國”旅遊認證項目的�動而得到解決。　　“歡迎中國”旅遊認證項目日前正式�動。作為目前中國官方唯一認可的境外旅遊服務標準認證平台，它將對為中國遊客提供細緻、周到服務的企業進行評級和認證，認證結果可作為中國遊客出迷你倉最平旅遊時的參考。　　據悉，該平台根據商戶提供的針對中國遊客的不同服務內容對商戶進行銅級、銀級和金級三個級別的認證。目前，通過認證標準的主要是酒店，未來該認證體系將逐步擴展到其他行業，如交通業、零售業、餐飲業、博物館和景區等。此外，“歡迎中國”官方網站現已正式開通，所有境外相關旅遊服務提供商可以通過該網站申請認證，中國遊客也可通過網站瞭解到已被認證商戶的相關信息。迷你倉

【本報訊】為期4日的第十八屆澳門國際貿易投資展覽會（MIF）於昨日閉幕，迷你倉今屆展會內容豐富多元，展覽及銷售兩旺，共吸引逾11.6萬人次入場參觀。同時本屆MIF共促成了2000多場商業配對及98項簽約項目，並舉行了51場論壇、會議和推介會等。本屆MIF設逾1900個展位，展覽面積逾3萬平方米，吸引超過50個國家與地區參展參會，其中俄羅斯、意大利、摩爾多瓦共和國等更是首次獨立設館或組團參會。同時今屆MIF的展館展區亦別具特色。昨天是展會開放的最後一天，同時適逢周日，不少市民及旅客把握機會到場參觀及採購。有參會的中小企表示，不少市民及旅客於展會最後一天前來搶購商品，銷情甚佳，達到預期成效。而滿載而歸的市民則指展會規模愈辦愈大型，場內商品琳琅滿目選擇繁多，其中有不少是在市面上較為鮮見商品，料明年再次到訪。此外，亦有參會企業表示，透過「中小企國際商機日」活動，得到來自中國內地、台灣及香港顧問及專家詳細分析國際市場及經營資訊，從而更了解到本地客戶的口味及需要，獲益良多。有葡萄牙參展商表示，藉�是次展會，一方面更瞭解在澳投資實況，同時亦可以借澳門的中葡雙方商貿橋樑平台，將業務拓展至內地市場。亦有國內企業指文件倉過展會，推廣各地特色的文化產品，有利開拓海外市場。也有專業訪客稱透過展會得到有關產品及服務再包裝和業務推廣範疇等專業意見。4天展會一共吸引了超過11.6萬人次到場參觀，較去年增長約12%。同時本屆「一程多站」服務及「會展直通車」計劃，為參展參會之客商提供有效對接和商機。MIF四天安排了配對洽談共2000多場 （比去年上升11.69%），簽約項目共98個（比去年上升11.36%）。今年促成多項國家或地區間的合作項目，從簽約項目的內容及來源地突顯MIF的經貿平台作用，利用澳門開拓海內外市場，促進區域合作，如今年MIF的簽約單位有來自俄羅斯、羅馬尼亞、瑞士、杜拜、馬達加斯加、意大利、德國、菲律賓等東歐、中東、歐盟及東南亞國家或地區，簽約項目涉及本地及俄羅斯兩地建築機械工程合作、歐洲品牌產品代理銷售、旅遊推廣合作、旅行社合作等。簽約項目亦涉及中醫藥、文創、教育、品牌零售、體育等新興行業，體現MIF對促進澳門經濟多元化發展的成效。此外，展會期間，亦舉行51場論壇、會議和推介會等，如「國際貿易投資論壇2013」、「第十屆世界華商高峰會」及「葡語國家─福建─澳門經貿交流酒會」等，入場觀眾人數較去年有所增長。存倉

A luminary in the private higher education sector, former college head Chui Hong-sheung could have gone into retirement, basking in the satisfaction of his career achievements.mini storageInstead the 64-year-old has remained active, ready for another uphill battle.The former head of Hang Seng School of Commerce, a former matriculation college, Chui oversaw its transition into a private-degree-granting institution, renamed as the Hang Seng Management College in 2010. The Sha Tin-based college is now offering five degree programmes and has about 4,000 students.It seemed mission accomplished for Chui. But there is still a lot on his plate.Having left Hang Seng last year, Chui has turned his attention to setting up the territory’s first private Christian university, with plans for its first intake of 150 students in 2015. The college is tentatively named Gratia Christian College, and will be in Shek Kip Mei.Chui is prepared to apply for other sites from the government to create a bigger campus. On top of the HK$100 million pledged by a local donor, it aims to seek an endowment fund of at least HK$200 million.Besides philanthropists, Chui is also counting on a team of Christian advisers, including retired social work professor Alex Kwan; Daniel Shek, a chair professor at Polytechnic University; and Professor Mok Ka-ho, associate vice-president of the Institute of Education.Dr Patrick Lau, associate dean of the School of Business at the Chinese University, and Philemon Choi Yuen-wan, former chairman of the Commission on Youth, are also among them.Two years is a very short time to set up a university from scratch. But thanks to his experience at Hang Seng, Chui is confident about gaining government approval and accreditation of the school’s three initial degree programmes: business administration, social work and psychology.Chui is also hopeful that the student-centred model at the school of commerce, which was widely called an “A-grade factory” for its students’ top rankings in the A-levels, can be adopted successfully.When he transferred to Hang Seng from a secondary school in 1996, Chui had two goals: to turn it into a private college and to transform average students into top scorers.Instilling self-confidence among the students is the key, he says. “It is not difficult for a student to improve his grades. First of all, he needs to set a goal for himself, be determined, and adopt an effective and efficient learning method. We made our students think, not memorise.”At Hang Seng, English was taught to small classes of around 12 students. “Teachers with heart make a big difference,” added Chui, who is also a passionate teacher.“At Hang Seng, our teachers worked as teams – they shared less儲存n plans, teaching tips and had much interaction with students. I had conversations with students with low scores.“It is ridiculous for a school to only accept good students. A school’s role is to teach students well,” he says.Chui himself is testament to making something out of oneself, even with little resources, by working hard. Having grown up in tough times during the 1950s, he has a burning desire to help underprivileged children lead a productive life.Rather than formal education, Chui, to save money, attended extra classes run by a primary school. Then he managed to get into the elite Diocesan Boys’ School with financial help from his brother.In the junior forms, he struggled in the English-language learning environment, but he persevered. He used the same stamina to improve his performance in track and field events, becoming an outstanding athlete. Years later, he was accepted into the University of Hong Kong. After becoming a Christian in year one at university, he decided to become an educator.Gratia will be a teaching-led institution with a focus on character-building. “Christian or not, religious institutions share such values as compassion, serving others and justice. We also want to develop servant leaders like Jesus,” Chui says.Discipline, he maintains, is part of building character. Former Hang Seng students were certainly trained to follow strict rules like being punctual when it comes to class and submitting assignments. Dyed hair was banned and physical education was mandatory.“We enforced strict rules. I sat down with students who kept coming to class late,” Chui says.It is not yet known if the same strict rules will prevail at Gratia, but Chui certainly expects it to provide much-needed alternative paths for school leavers. He is angry at the fact that more than 10,000 students who met the university entrance requirements this year were denied entry into government-funded institutions due to limited places.“The majority of these students cannot afford to further their education abroad. Neither are they well-equipped to get a decent job in Hong Kong today. Our college would provide an opportunity to this group of underprivileged students to further their studies and move up the social ladder.”Several institutions are offering about 7,000 first-year private degree places this year. Albeit with a small initial intake, Gratia will help meet the growing demand for university education among school leavers.The new college may also provide associate degree places, but Chui echoes a educators’ common view that it is time for a consolidation of the sub-degree sector. “They have grown so fast that you just can’t properly control the quality of these programmes.”迷你倉

年度最大型旅展登場，存倉刺激民眾集中消費，台北國際旅展入場人次創歷年新高，看好民眾下單不手軟，昨日加碼優惠衝業績，接近閉館時間緊急開出關西4天16,888元含稅的超殺價，限量2團全部賣完。逛旅展的消費者大多鎖定耶誕、跨年以及隔年農曆春節假期行程，今年和以往狀況相似，香港、東南亞、日本買氣最旺，昨天短線平均再下殺1,000至3,000元，以除夕、初一出發，不必請假的出團日期最熱門。若想消化公司年假，或急在年底出國卻沒跟上早鳥專案，不妨考慮在旅展購買長程線行程。部分業者取得充足機位，歐美價格漂亮，折扣甚至媲美儲存鳥優惠，如易遊網法國8天5萬含稅、義大利9天6萬含稅，雄獅旅遊土耳其11日66,900元起含稅、捷克9日59,900元起。同步舉辦的海峽兩岸台北旅展今年展銷合一，人氣明顯較以往熱絡，大陸自由行旅客年齡層略下修，無購物、免自費行程最受歡迎，業者以第2人減5千元，或兩人報名現折1萬元等優惠，搭配食宿升級，拉抬行程質感。預期今日下殺幅度不如假日，但仍有零星好康可撿。雄獅旅遊京都環球5天23,888元起含稅；易遊網東京5天自由行10,900元、曼谷5天自由行9,900元；山富旅遊海南之旅全程5星19,900元。迷你倉

UK politician thinks China is one of the most innovative places By Andrew Moody andrewmoody@chinadaily.mini storagecom.cn Liam Byrne believes China is set to be at the center of a new Age of the Enlightenment over the next 20 years. The ex-British cabinet minister and author of a new book, Turning to Face The East: How Britain Can Prosper in the Asian Century, says the former Middle Kingdom is entering an exciting new dawn. “If Adam Smith (a leading Enlightenment figure) was writing The Wealth of Nations today he would base it on Foxconn City (where Apple and products for other tech giants are manufactured) in Shenzhen because of its pace of production and world-class innovation,” he says. “I think China is one of the most innovative places on Earth right now. Many people believe that China will produce the next Silicon Valley.” Byrne, who was appointed earlier this month as shadow minister for higher education, was speaking in the lobby of Portcullis House in Westminster. He was hitting back at those such as Will Hutton, who argued in The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century, that China lacked the institutions to have its own Enlightenment period that defined Europe’s progress in the 18th century. Byrne actually had a drink with the former editor of The Observer newspaper when he bumped into him in a bar at Oslo airport, which he refers to in his book. “I think it’s a much overrated problem (lack of institutions). I think the Chinese leaders have been very adroit at making the right adjustments at the right time,” he says. Byrne was chief secretary to the Treasury in former prime minister Gordon Brown’s Labour government and famously left a memo to his successor saying he was “afraid there is no money” left. He decided to write the book because of a growing realization that China could be a vital market for the UK in the wake of the financial crisis just as a resurgent Europe proved after the end of World War II. “My starting point was trying to answer the question of how Britain was going to pave its way in a world where China was the largest economy. “I also felt that China is hugely misunderstood in Europe, in general — in Britain, in particular. As someone who has traveled a little to China now and has worked with Chinese politicians for six or seven years, I wanted to share what I had learnt.” Byrne makes the case that while countries such as Germany through companies such as Siemens have been successful exporting to China as it has developed its infrastructure, the next phase of the country’s growth could benefit Britain. “China needs to build a social safety net. China needs to become a world leading science power and China needs to diversify a lot of its foreign exchange away from US Treasury bills. Britain can help with an awful lot of that. We are past masters of soft infrastructure such as legal systems, asset management and we could help China build that social safety net.” He makes the case Britain has been left in Germany’s trail in its dealings with China for more than a decade. Byrne, who took a first in politics and economics at Manchester University, where he was also a student leader, first encountered China when he worked at Hong Kong Telecom for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in the early 1990s. Then in 2006 as a minister of state in the Home Office, he visited China dealing with issues around asylum seekers and organized crime. “Coming back (from that trip) I realized that as a British politician I kneself storage nothing about this country that was soon going to become the biggest economy on Earth,” he says. The book, which provides impressive analysis on China for which he acknowledges help from some of Britain’s leading China experts, including the UK foreign office’s China team, is evidence he has since redressed that knowledge deficit. He says there is a tendency in the West not to give full credit to the giant leap China has made since reform and opening up in the late-1970s. “It has been hugely successful and it has been faster than anyone anticipated, much faster, in fact,” he says. He says, however, that the recent nervousness in the financial markets about China’s slowing growth is indicative of the fact that people were ignorant of the government’s long-term strategic approach to policy. “The (concept of the) five-year plan is not very well understood in the West. People don’t pay attention to it or read it properly,” he says. “A lot of the anxiety about the slowdown in growth was very easily answered by simply pointing to the plan and saying that is what Chinese leaders said was going to happen.” He says that it might take a historic event such as China becoming a bigger economy than the United States ending its more than 100 years in pole position to change perceptions. “I think this will be a huge moment and I think it is important that US citizens and US politicians, in particular, react in a cool-headed way,” he says. Byrne, however, does feel that there will have to be reform of the post-World War II Bretton Woods institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. “China is now doing something very clever in building new institutions to sit alongside the Bretton Woods settlement. The BRICS bank, for example, may be more powerful than the IMF or the World Bank over the next 10 years. China will be helping steer that in a big way,” he says. Byrne, who now teaches a class to students from leading Chinese banks at the Said Business School at Oxford University, believes there needs to be more focus on China in the UK education system. He is currently exploring private Chinese lessons for his 13-year-old son. “It is a big challenge for our education system. When a friend of mine asked the education secretary how many qualified Mandarin teachers we had in British schools he didn’t know,” he says. Byrne says he has had recent discussions with educators trying to develop an A-level course in Chinese civilization but they are finding it “tough to get it off the ground”. bio Liam ByrneUK shadow minister for higher educationAge: 43Education:• 1992: BA (First Class Honours), Politics and Modern History, University of Manchester• 2000: MBA, Harvard UniversityCareer:• 1991-92: Leader, Manchester Students’ Union• 1993-96: Management consultant, Andersen Consulting (now Accenture)• 1997-99: Banker, NM Rothchilds• 2000-04: Co-founder EGS Group• Since 2004: Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill• 2006-08: Minister of state, Home Office• 2008-09: Minister of state, Cabinet Office• 2009-10: Chief secretary to the Treasury• Since 2010: Various shadow positions, including appointment this month as shadow minister for higher education.Book: The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. “One of the great travel books of the 1930s written by a slightly comic English aristocrat.”Film: Casablanca (1942, dir. by Michael Curtiz)Music: Stone RosesFood: Curry. “I have a lot of very good friends in Pakistan and it is always a great pleasure to go back and eat.”mini storage

王憲舉俄羅斯總理梅德韋傑夫10月22日至23日將來華訪問。俄羅斯政府新聞處稱，迷利倉俄總理將同中國領導人討論增加兩國貿易、發展投資合作、落實能源項目和加強工業生產合作等問題。同時，梅德韋傑夫將參觀位於安徽合肥市的中國科學創新中心和中國科技大學，並討論中俄人文合作。由此可見，這將是一次十分重要的訪問，是落實今年3月習近平主席訪俄時與普京總統確定的方針——把兩國前所未有的高水平政治關係優勢轉化為經濟、人文等領域務實合作成果——的具體措施。近年來，中國已成為俄羅斯最大的貿易伙伴，俄也躍入我國十大外貿伙伴之列，兩國相互投資規模持續擴大，總的發展勢頭迅猛良好。但無論是貿易還是投資，現有水平與中俄的經濟實力相比，與中國和美國、歐盟、日本、東盟、韓國等國家和地區的貿易相比，都還低一大截，潛力相當大。究其原因，從俄方來說，主要是經濟結構不合理、互利觀念不夠強、資金較短缺。中方的主要原因則是對俄市場瞭解不夠，對相關法律法規搞不清楚，開拓俄市場的能力不夠強。為此我們有必要提高對加強投資和技術合作重要性的認識，自存倉取措施儘快改變現狀。梅德韋傑夫總理將在中國科技大學與師生交流，這是俄擬與中國加強科技合作的一個重要信號。在西方一些國家特別是美國拒絕同中俄開展高科技合作的情況下，兩國加強彼此間的科技合作理應成為雙邊戰略和長期合作的重點之一。目前中俄科技合作項目很少，甚至連各種科技資料的翻譯都捉襟見肘。這對開展科技和工業生產合作不利。2012年成立的黑龍江大學中俄人文合作協同創新中心，著眼于在科學方面達到世界科學的前沿，在學科建設、人才培養、科學研究、社會服務方面滿足國家發展和中俄合作的重大需求。希望這一嘗試取得成功。通過開展一系列的文化年和旅遊年等活動，中俄兩國的人文交流取得長足進步，去年來華的俄羅斯人為230萬，赴俄的中國公民近百萬，但對於我們兩個鄰國來說仍顯不夠，彼此的瞭解也還少。最近一個時期我們國內關於蘇聯解體的爭論，一定程度上也反映了相當多的人對俄羅斯現狀還缺乏瞭解。因此，兩國政府把明後兩年定為“青年交流年”是非常正確和十分必要的。▲（作者是國務院發展研究中心歐亞社會發展研究所副所長、研究員）迷你倉

你心目中的名望城市是甚麼地方？專門從事聲譽評級的國際機構「聲譽顧問公司」（Reputation Institutte）公布2013年全球最佳百大名望城市調查，自存倉其中澳洲悉尼高踞榜首，2、3名分別是多倫多和斯德哥爾摩。該調查從環境、經濟以及政府效能三大範疇，邀請約2.2萬人就城市的美麗及安全等方面作評分，滿分以百分計算，藉此評選出全球前100大最佳名望城市。香港去年排名第66位，今年就躍升12位，排第54。 本報港聞部報道第1名 悉尼澳洲悉尼（Sydney）去年得73分，排名第3，今年就以77.4分高踞榜首，成為全球最具名望的城市。雖然澳洲的首都在坎培拉而不是悉尼，但是悉尼卻有�首都的氣勢及實際地位。報告中提到，環境優美亦得分指標之一，悉尼除了有�世界上最美麗的海港之一的悉尼港外，還是澳洲最古老、規模最大和極具多樣性的城市。從市中心到郊區，所到之處無不散發各自的魅力。第2名 多倫多第2名是加拿大多倫多（Toronto），評分76.9。多倫多去年只有68.1分，上升8.8分，成功登上第二位。報告指出，調查結果顯示城市的名望與經濟發展程度有關聯，同時城市環境的美觀、安全、文化等指標，也是影響分數與排名高低的關鍵。多倫多是加拿大的經濟中心，也是世界上最大的金融中心之一。多倫多在經濟上的領先地位在於金融、商業服務、電信、交通運輸、媒體、藝術出版、教育、旅遊等產業。多倫多證券交易所亦是世界第七大交易所，有多數加拿大公司在這�上市。第3名 斯德哥爾摩瑞典首都斯德哥爾摩（Stockholm）今年以76.9分榮獲第3名，去年只有71分， 上升5.9分。斯德哥爾摩是瑞典首都，也是瑞典第一大城市，集經濟、文化於一身，符合評分標準。瑞典國家政府、國會以及皇室的官方宮殿都設在斯德哥爾摩。同時亦是瑞典的政治、文化、經濟和交通中心。斯德哥爾摩由於免受戰爭的破壞而保存良好，現在共有100多座博物館和名勝，包括歷史、民族、自然、美術等各個方面。斯德哥爾摩也是一個高科技的城市，擁有眾多大學，工業發達。第4名 維也納維也納（Vienna）今年以76.9分得第4名，較去年的74分上升2分。維也納是世界名城，奧地利的首都。維也納的古典音樂氣氛濃厚，引來各國音樂家聚集於此，因而被冠上「世界音樂之都」和「樂都」等美譽。此外，維也納還是購物天堂和美食天地。從葡萄園釀製的純正葡萄酒，到風靡世界的奧地利咖啡，從世界頂級設計師設計的名牌產品，到珍貴的古玩和有趣的紀念品，在維也納都可說是應有盡有。第5名 威尼斯威尼斯（Venice）今年得分75.8，排名第5。威尼斯去年只有71分，而今年則上升了4.8分。威尼斯是意大利東北部著名的旅遊地區，在威尼斯本島上共有150條運河穿梭在整個島嶼之中，上面的橋樑更高達數百座之多。整座島上，是完全沒有任何的車輛，全部仰賴人類的雙腳或是水上船隻。威尼斯被譽為「水之都」、「面具之城」、「漂浮之都」等多個美名，亦被多本個名雜誌形容為「無疑是最美麗的人造都市」及「歐洲最浪漫的城市之一」。第6名 佛羅倫斯今迷你倉排名第6的佛羅倫斯（Florence）得分75.7，較去年的71.7分上升4分。位於意大利中部的佛羅倫斯，集歷史文化與商業中心於一身。佛羅倫斯又被認為是文藝復興運動的誕生地，藝術與建築的搖籃之一，擁有眾多的歷史建築，和藏品豐富的博物館，而著名的佛羅倫薩歷史中心就被列為世界文化遺產。另外，亦有很多歷史名人誕生於此地，比較著名的有詩人但丁、畫家列奧納多達芬奇、米開朗基羅、政治理論家馬基維利、雕塑家多納太羅等。第7名 愛丁堡第愛丁堡（Edinburgh）今年得分75.1，排名第7。愛丁堡去年只有68.4分，今年就上升了6.7分之多。愛丁堡位於蘇格蘭東海岸福斯灣南岸，是英國蘇格蘭首府。1995年被聯合國教科文組織列為世界文化遺產。愛丁堡也是蘇格蘭最重要旅遊城市，每年吸引過千萬名遊客。每年8月份，愛丁堡都會舉辦世界聞名的愛丁堡國際藝術節（EdinburghInternational Festival），項目包括戲劇、電影、舞蹈和音樂。在藝術節的期間，愛丁堡城堡前也會舉行愛丁堡軍操表演（The RoyalEdinburgh Military Tattoo）。第8名 蘇黎世蘇黎世（Zurich）今年排名第8，得分74.7，較去年的71.7分上升了3分。蘇黎世是瑞士的最大城市，亦是主要的商業和文化中心集中地，是全歐洲最富裕的城市。蘇黎世不僅是瑞士最大的金融中心，也是西歐重要的金融中心，集中了120多家銀行，其中半數以上是外國銀行。蘇黎世又被譽為湖上的花園城，市內滿是的精心修整的花園，漫步城中，整齊、潔凈，隨處是鮮花綠草與別致的建築物。第9名 倫敦倫敦（London）今年得分74.4，較去年的69.5分上升了4.9分，排名第9。倫敦是英國首都，一個非常多元化的大都市，其居民來自世界各地，具有多元的種族、宗教和文化，城市中使用的語言超過300種。同時，倫敦還是世界聞名的旅遊勝地，擁有數量眾多的名勝景點與博物館等。倫敦港同時也是英國最大的港口，每年吞吐量約5000萬噸，倫敦證券交易所是世界上最重要的證券交易中心之一。第10名 哥本哈根排名第10 的哥本哈根（Copenhagen）今年得分74.3，較去年的73分上升了1.3分。哥本哈根是丹麥的首都、最大城市及最大港口，座落於丹麥西蘭島東部。哥本哈根是座集古典與現代於一體的城市，充滿活力與藝術氣息。著名的童話故事作者安徒生在哥本哈根度過了他的大半生，他的眾多著作都是在這�進行創作。哥本哈根同時亦聚集了不少充滿童話氣質的古堡與皇宮、鄉村與莊園。第54名 香港被譽為「東方之珠」的香港去年得分57.6，排名第66位，今年就躍升12位，排第54，得分64.1，上升了6.5分。本港由一個小小漁港，發展成現今的世界級城市，是全球重要的國際金融、服務業及航運中心，並且以廉潔社會、優良治安、經濟自由及法律制度完備而聞名於世。香港在全球金融中心指數排名中一直名列前茅，為僅次於紐約及倫敦的全球第三大金融中心，連續第18年獲得全球最自由經濟體系的評級，經濟自由度指數排名第一。mini storage

Source: Bangor Daily News, MaineOct.存倉 20--BRUNSWICK, Maine -- New figures released last week by Amtrak show the Downeaster train from Boston to Portland and Brunswick is busier than ever, prompting officials to contemplate eventually increasing the number of trips.Ridership on the Downeaster is up 3 percent from last year, and up a "staggering" 123 percent since the service started in 2005, according to Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority,which operates the service for Amtrak. The number of people using the train for tourism increased 30 percent in the past year alone, Quinn said, and the amount of people arriving in Brunswick on the mid-afternoon train and leaving in the early evening for Boston has increased up to 20 percent during the week and 60 percent on the weekends."People are not only riding the train, but coming here, going to local businesses, staying overnight, buying things in restaurants and stores and contributing to the local economy. [It] is extremely exciting for us," she said.The increase in ridership has NNEPRA thinking big thoughts about the future, including the possibility of increasing the number of roundtrips between Brunswick and Boston to five per day, with an additional train running from Portland to Boston. That would be good news for local business owners, who say they see more customers when the trains are running.Each day the Downeaster rolls into Brunswick Station, Scarlet Begonias owner Doug Lavallee can count on "a handful" of customers to step off the train and visit his nearby restaurant."We get people getting off the train, people buying food to go; we see conductors and engineers," Lavallee said. "It's been a really positive effect for the whole area."Dominic Petrillo, whose Freeport restaurant, Petrillo's, sits about 100 yards from the train platform, said a busy train can bring in "quite a few" customers, and others stop while waiting to board the return trip.Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce, said Thursdays that restaurateurs and retailers, particularly along Main Street and at Freeport Village Station, are seeing "quite a bit of traffic" from the train.But more riders don't guarantee more trips. Quinn儲存said NNEPRA will complete a long-term "service development plan" to outline future work. At the top of that list is building a controversial train layover facility in Brunswick.Currently the Downeaster chugs into Brunswick from Portland twice a day. The first train in and the last train out "dead end" because trains cannot currently overnight in Brunswick.The proposed $12 million facility, which has received full funding from the federal government, would provide a place for trains to idle during the day and spend the night in Brunswick, Quinn said, eliminating the need for a return trip to Portland late at night, only to return first thing the next morning. Officials say it would also reduce noise, emissions and fuel consumption.The project has encountered fierce opposition, however, from neighbors who say it would reduce quality of life and negatively affect air, water and other environmental conditions.Dan Sullivan, chairman of the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition, told The Forecaster in July that the facility would "change the nature of the residences and the neighborhoods nearby. The air quality will drop dramatically through our neighborhood. The noise is off the scale."Following a public hearing in late September on NNEPRA's draft environmental assessment, the Federal Rail Authority is determining if extra analysis of the project's potential impact is needed, The Forecaster reported.Quinn said Thursday that once the layover facility is completed, NNEPRA could increase the number of round-trips from two to three each day between Boston and Brunswick.Other plans include track work in the Yarmouth area and improvements that could shave 10 to 15 minutes off the Brunswick-Boston trip. NNEPRA is also working with officials from Pan Am Railways -- which owns the tracks -- and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority -- which operates North Station in Boston -- to develop plans for other improvements that would increase the number of trips between Portland and Boston.Quinn said NNEPRA also hopes a feeder service to and from Lewiston/Auburn is part of the plan.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at .bangordailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

知情人士透露，mini storage摩根大通（JP Morgan Chase）已在一項暫時協議中同意支付130億美元，就當局對該公司販售不良抵押貸款給投資人的調查達成和解，可能創下美國政府和單一企業的最高和解金額。美聯社和華爾街日報報導，摩根大通執行長戴蒙、法務長柯特勒（Stephen Cutler）18日晚上已和司法部長霍德（Eric Holder）與聯邦助理檢察官韋斯特，透過電話敲定和解協議的一般條款。知情人士說，摩根大通支付的130億美元中，50億美元是罰款、40億美元是與聯邦住宅金融管理局（FHFA）的和解金、40億美元用於協助消費者。若這是最終協議，將創下美國政府和單一業者的和解金額紀錄。知情人士說，這項協議並未化解摩根大通面臨的刑事調查；加州沙加緬度的聯邦檢察官正在進行這項調查。這位消息人士也透露，霍德跟摩根大通說，不太可能達成不起訴迷你倉議，這代表司法部將持續對摩根大通進行刑事調查。司法部也預期，摩根大通將繼續和司法部合作，調查這家銀行於2005年到2007年販售抵押擔保證券（MBS）的事宜。當局正在調查摩根大通販售這些MBS時，是否知道這些證券的風險比看起來還高。房利美（Fannie Mae）和房地美（Freddie Mac）等投資人指出，摩根大通說這些貸款比實際上還安全，或指控該銀行疏於取得借款人的所得等資訊。2007年美國房市泡沫破滅後，大批MBS價值暴跌，導致投資人損失數十億美元。這樁和解協議牽涉到的約80%證券都和貝爾斯登（Bear Sterns）和華盛頓互惠銀行（Washington Mutual）有關；政府在這兩家業者於金融海嘯期間幾近破產後，鼓勵摩根大通收購。另一位消息來源說，摩根大通有可能和當局達成130億美元更廣泛協議，但雙方仍在擬定細節。文件倉

【家居援助】基伯（74歲）多年來生活捉襟見肘，存倉他曾任運輸工人，後來轉任保安員，工資都是僅夠餬口，無兒無女又無積蓄，晚年靠綜援過活。由於年輕時工作過勞，他的左小腿骨彎曲，行路須靠枴杖，行動不便，但日常起居仍能自理。憶起20多年前妻子離家出走，從此沒有再相見，基伯坦言並無怪責妻子，只是淡然道：「可能佢嫌棄我窮，或者佢有新理想，話唔埋�！」口硬心軟的他其實曾經想辦法尋妻，可惜最終也未能如願。「希望同其他人溝通」基伯搬進現址公屋已12年，一直無力添置電視，雖然日間能到鄰近的社區中心看電視，但該時段通常都是重播舊劇集，而鄰居茶餘飯後喜愛討論都是近期播映的電視劇情，「人�話亞視套《秦直道》好好睇，但我都搭唔到嘴」。獨個兒在家「靜英英」時，他會聽收音機，但與儲存居總是欠缺話題。「希望有部電視機，可以擴闊社交圈子，同其他人都溝通到。」基伯說。蘋果日報慈善基金已從「家居援助專戶」撥款為他購置電視機，助他融入社區。「基伯」捐款編號：C3515網上捐款：charity.appledaily.com.hk/donate蘋果日報慈善基金電話：29908688傳真：37112468電郵：charity@adfund.org.hk網址：charity.appledaily.com.hk蘋果基金收捐款戶口�生銀行：368-006565-001�豐銀行：580-198836-001中國銀行：012-898-00067655渣打銀行：447-0-667059-3蘋果日報慈善基金乃根據《稅務條例》第88條獲豁免繳稅的慈善機構 迷你倉