November 30, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "charity requests are rampant around the holidays. But how do you ensure that your money is going to a worthy cause? This year, the question is especially important because you're likely to be solicited more often. The national do-not-call registry makes exceptions for charity groups, and the U.S. Postal Service has eased its rules for who can use bulk mailings to request charitable contributions. For many people, making donations is unsettling -- you can't always determine what's legitimate and what's a fraud within a few minutes."

November 30, 2003 -- The Emory Wheel has reported that "not all mail sent through Emory's [university] post office in the past two years has reached its destination because the post office appears to have repeatedly destroyed mail it did not deliver to on-campus addresses and student P.O. boxes, a post office employee said. Stacy Allen, a Pitney Bowes supervisor in the Emory post office, said bulk mail, publications and third-class mail are frequently thrown away, possibly breaking the law. United States Postal Service regulations mandate that no mail can be thrown away because the sender pays the post office for delivery services."

November 30, 2003 -- AMEInfo has reported that the "Emirates Post and Deutsche Post have cemented a strategic alliance with new agreement on cross-promotion of mail hubs."

November 30, 2003 -- The Winnepeg Sun (Canada) has reported that "the [Canadian] federal government sent out hundreds of new ID cards to landed immigrants only to have them 'returned to sender' because the envelopes were missing postal codes."

November 30, 2003 -- The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has noted that "each year, Glen Van Valin and his crew wait for a good stretch of nice, cold weather to descend on the Bethel area--cold enough to freeze the muddy waters of the Kuskokwim River into a wide open, frosty-white freeway. Van Valin is the Bethel-area manager for Seattle-based freight hauler Lynden Inc. and its subsidiary, Alaska Hovercraft Ventures. Under contract with the U.S. Postal Service, the hovercraft runs year-round, except for about a week during spring ice breakup and a five- to six-week pause in late fall while the rivers freeze solid." It's a "universal mail service" sort of thing.

November 30, 2003 -- The Guardian (U.K.) has reported that British "postal workers are threatening massive disruption to Christmas deliveries with two 24-hour strikes in London timed to coincide with the final dates for posting before the holiday." Good grief! Doesn't the CWU get that it's like shooting the bird on your toe with a shotgun? You may hit the bird, but it won't feel good.

November 30, 2003 -- According to Stars & Stripes, "the Military Postal Service, due to agreements reached with host-nation countries, cannot be used to operate a business or ship items that are being sold. Military personnel, dependents and civilian employees and their families who could use the Military Postal Service also sold products on eBay, but instead of following the regulations, they relied on the military to deliver their items. As a result, they charged customers about $15 less or even more than if they used the host-nation postal system."

November 29, 2003 -- The Chicago Tribune has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service shouldn't be able to flex monopoly powers in business matters such as awarding contracts, the dean of Chicago-Kent College of Law will tell the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. Harold Krent will argue his first case before the Supreme Court when he takes up the cause of Flamingo Industries Inc., an Illinois company and one-time manufacturer of mail sacks, versus the Postal Service. The case tackles questions about what rules must be followed by entities that are quasi-public and quasi-private." See also the Daily Herald.

November 29, 2003 -- According to the Grimsby Telegraph (U.K.), "letters in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and the surrounding villages could soon be delivered hours later in the largest postal service shake-up in years. Deliverers would leave sorting offices up to two hours later and round lengths would be extended to three-and-a-half hours in the new year under plans put forward by Royal Mail. Kevin Cusse, Communication Workers' Union representative at Grimsby's Fotherby Street sorting office, said the majority of workers in the county were against the changes, which would affect hundreds of residents and businesses across North East Lincolnshire. He said: 'We are like donkeys being offered carrots at the moment.'"

November 29, 2003 -- The Express & Echo (U.K.) has reported that "almost 94 per cent of first-class letters are being delivered on time in Exeter - one of the highest rates in the South West - according to official figures. Postwatch, the watchdog charged with monitoring postal services, released the statistics yesterday and Royal Mail spokesman Dan Panes has paid tribute to postal staff in the city for exceeding targets. Mr Panes said: 'It is mean-spirited of Postwatch to just go after the headlines without acknowledging these new figures.' 'Postwatch is choosing to ignore the fact that in nearly all areas of Britain we are achieving and often exceeding our targets.'"

November 29, 2003 -- As the Associated Press has noted, "UPS Corp., FedEx Corp. and other delivery companies will be getting help from millions of customers this holiday season. Using the Internet, many holiday shoppers will take part in the shipping process, pointing and clicking to create their own shipping labels, or, if they're ordering online, supplying information that makes it easier for packages to be sent worldwide."

November 29, 2003 -- According to The Scotsman (U.K.), "it ranks alongside British Rail's 'leaves on the line' as one of the least convincing excuses for poor service. Royal Mail recently informed one Edinburgh businesswoman that deliveries had been delayed because there was too much post in the capital."

November 29, 2003 -- According to Japan Times, "Japan Post, a mammoth public corporation that provides mail, savings and insurance services, is under fire from private life insurers here as well as from U.S. and European insurance industries and government authorities. Their object of criticism is the new life insurance policy that JP plans to sell beginning next January. Critics say the new product would make inroads into the business of private life insurance. They also insist that its planned sale should be postponed until a level playing field -- equal conditions for competition -- is created."

November 29, 2003 -- According to Maine Today, "some people accustomed to finding their mailboxes stuffed with catalogs may have noticed a decrease in recent years. For three consecutive years, the number of catalogs mailed across the country has been flat following a period of solid growth, and mail-order companies like L.L. Bean are being choosier about who receives their catalogs."

November 29, 2003 -- The Waterford News & Star (Ireland) has reported that "AIB and An Post are this week celebrating the first year of their unique business alliance, which allows AIB customers to conduct transactions at post offices throughout the country. It has been a proven success with over 100,000 transactions now taking place each month and rising, and 9 out of ten customers who would use the service say they would recommend or have recommended it to a friend."

November 29, 2003 -- Air Cargo World has reported that:

• While DHL relies on other air carriers to handle most of the air-shipping needs in Latin America, the integrated ground-and-air courier also has controlling ownership of four cargo airlines based in the region: DHL Aero Expreso in Panama, DHL de Guatemala, Trans Am in Ecuador, and Vensecar in Venezuela. Conservative is the operative word when it comes to DHL investments in its Latin American airlift. DHL relies so much on common carriage that some freight forwarders operating in Latin America see DHL as a bigger threat than asset-intensive suppliers of express delivery service.
• UPS has set up a new airport in Europe, but it has packages instead of planes.

November 29, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that "The growing delivery and use of software online means shippers need to spend less time, money and effort to become technology-savvy, and demand for web-based programs is changing the logistics software industry."

November 29, 2003 -- The agenda for the December meeting of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors has been posted on the USPS web site.

November 28, 2003 -- According to IBM's David Miller, writing for Postal Solutions, "large volume mailers are deploying other communication channels to get their message across to their customers. The posts need to be engaged in these additional channels."

November 28, 2003 -- The BBC (U.K.) has reported that "the Royal Mail has warned that progress to improve the reliability of letter deliveries has been undermined by last month's unofficial strikes. It said the staff walkouts had put at risk next March's annual delivery targets."

November 28, 2003 -- Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "La Poste, the French post office, announced plans to spend €3.4bn ($4bn) on modernising its mail sorting and delivery systems over the next seven years to prepare for the liberalisation of Europe's postal sector in 2009."

November 28, 2003 -- According to Business Times (Malaysia), "United Parcel Service Sdn Bhd (UPS) is focusing on small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to promote its business solution, known as synchronised commerce. UPS is moving away from its package delivery services image. The group has expanded its capabilities to logistics and distribution, financial services, international trade management and e-commerce solution in its effort to provide business solutions to supply chain services companies, especially the SMEs. In synchronised commerce business solution, producers only need to use the resources required to meet customer demand. Intermediaries, such as merchant, transportation carriers, suppliers and governmental agencies, are taken care of by the UPS."

November 28, 2003 -- The Stateman Journal has reported that "U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith wants Pendleton's mail to stay put. Pendleton processes all mail with zip codes starting with 978. But under a U.S. Postal Service proposal, that mail would be trucked to Pasco, Wash., where updated equipment can sort and stamp mail faster. "Oregon mail should not have to go to another state only to be sent back to Oregon and delivered late," Smith said in a statement this week. Pendleton is Smith's hometown and the corporate headquarters of the family's business, Smith Frozen Foods."

November 28, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "Argentina's Economy Ministry outlined Wednesday a framework for the government's renegotiation of public service contracts, presenting a plan that avoids reprivatizations and foresees interim agreements while delaying the resolution of frozen utility rates and other thorny issues until the end of the negotiations."

November 27, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail was accused of offering a cut-price service to catalogue companies in an attempt to win more business, a potential breach of its licence punishable by a fine. Postcomm, the postal regulator, announced yesterday that it had received information suggesting Royal Mail was offering undisclosed discounts to attract catalogue mail." See also The Telegraph.

November 27, 2003 -- Le Figaro (France) has reported that "the board of directors at La Poste, the French national postal services group, is expected to authorise chairman Jean-Paul Bailly to sign the 2003-2007 development contract drawn up with the government."

November 27, 2003 -- According to Adweek, "Campbell-Ewald highlights the role of the U.S. Postal Service and the pleasures it brings during the holidays in a new campaign running during the busy shopping and shipping season."

November 27, 2003 -- According to Delaware Online, "PostNet's shipping services, through UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service, make up about 50 percent of sales at the PostNet in Bear. But to compete in the cutthroat environment, PostNet stresses the services it offers outside of shipping. It's a place where you can get your wedding invitations, get your divorce papers notarized, pick up mail, send faxes, order business cards, copy blueprints for your new house, order office supplies for next-day delivery or even pick up some vanilla potpourri."

November 27, 2003 -- As MediaWeek (U.K.) has noted, "it can hardly be described as the sexiest of media channels, but no self-respecting marketer can afford to ignore it. And as the advertising downturn continues to bite, direct media has moved centre stage as clients seek instant return on investment. But there are some situations in which direct's failure is beyond its control. The recent postal strikes affected direct mail campaigns up and down the country."

November 27, 2003 -- The Pioneer Press has reported that "Buffalo Grove officials are cracking down on what kind of mailboxes are installed in the village. Revised regulations will limit the size of the mailbox and specify the materials from which it can be built. Mailboxes made of wood, iron, steel, aluminum and brick facade will be permitted. Mailboxes enclosed in masonry or solid brick will not be allowed. The intent of the regulation is to ensure mailboxes in the parkway will break or bend if a vehicle hits them, to minimize injury to the driver and passengers." Here's a thought! How 'bout telling auto drivers to stop hitting mailboxes?

November 27, 2003 -- Frontline Solutions has reported that "Videk, Rochester, N.Y., has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to provide Northrop Grumman with a new on-line print verification product. The Verifier BX will be added onto the more than 500 mail sortation machines that Northrop Grumman supplies to the U.S. Postal Service. Northrop Grumman was awarded a contact in excess of 100 million dollars to deliver the Flats ID Coding System (FICS) program to the USPS, with the goal of improving the processing rate of bulk mail. As part of the program, a new ID code or tag will be added to bulk, 'flats' type mail. Videk's Verifier BX is s compact, high-speed vision system that will decode the tag and look for bar height, bar spacing, skew, density, fill and quality to determine the overall readability of the mailing codes."

November 27, 2003 -- The Memphis Commercial Appeal has reported that "By this week, about 27,000 computer users will have received a mailing that features two die-cut quarters in a thin, recyclable sheet of plastic that the post office, rain, sleet or snow couldn't mar on a bet. The direct mail brainstorm (patent pending) is called ShipShapes. The Postal Service approved ShipShapes this summer. Since then, two or three firms have used them."

November 27, 2003 -- According to the Associated Press, "Germany's deficit-plagued government loses billions though errant spending on things like unusable torpedoes and failing to collect potential revenue from the post office and even bordellos, a report said."

November 27, 2003 -- According to Army Times, "Military postal officials have boosted their automated infrastructure in combat zones, but a lot of physical handling of mail still is required."

November 27, 2003 -- Insight magazine has reported that:

• The Brentwood Processing and Distribution Center that handles the capital's mail in Washington is safe enough for postal employees to return to work. But when government officials broke that news to Congress late last month, they failed to mention one slight problem: Postal employees are telling the government to take this job and shove it.
• It's been more than two years since the anthrax attacks struck fear into everyone who opened a mailbox. While the federal government has remained relatively silent about the safety of the mail, many postal workers insist the mail is not safe.

November 27, 2003 -- The Sierra Star has reported that "United Parcel Service (UPS) is quietly rolling out a new low-cost service that will use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages to final destinations. Soon thousands of packages a day will be dumped into the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail system for regular letter carriers to deliver. The impact is expected to be greatest in low-density, rural areas where the cost to deliver is much higher. Consequently, local contract carriers may face a long weary season of holiday deliveries."

November 27, 2003 -- The Herald Online has reported that "the strike by workers at Zimbabwe Posts, which began last week, has disrupted postal services throughout the country. It has also affected businesses and people who rely on postal services to send mail and bills."

November 26, 2003 -- According to Business Week, "e-shoppers are now e-spenders and retailers are learning to give Web customers what they want, such as better integration of sites and stores and flexible return policies."

November 26, 2003 -- PostInsight has reported that "Luis Jimenez, Senior Vice-President and Chief Strategy Officer, for Pitney Bowes is announcing a comprehensive review of the substitution models used in the past against actual results with the aim of improving the analysis of future mail volumes. In collaboration with Alan Robinson, Specialist in Industrial Organization of the Congressional Research Service, a preliminary paper of results will be presented at the Rutgers Conference on Postal and Delivery Service Economics in Cork, Ireland in June 2004. The project will conclude in July 2004 with the publication by Pitney Bowes of a comprehensive monograph on the subject."

November 26, 2003 -- Federal Computer Week has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service has signed a $4.5 million contract for information technology infrastructure management software with BMC Software Inc. of Houston. The contract has a one-year base and six one-year option periods. If all options are exercised, the contract will have a potential value of $ 13.76 million, according to BMC officials. BMC's software allows central management of USPS' infrastructure, including situational awareness and event management."

November 26, 2003 -- AFX-Asia has reported that "the amended draft of China's Postal Law has triggered strong protests from foreign and local private mail delivery companies, and three industry associations have jointly submitted a complaint to China's legislature."

November 26, 2003 -- Japan Times has reported that "a government panel said Tuesday it will discuss new business models for Japan's postal services, including dividing them by region, in view of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to privatize the services."

November 26, 2003 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal service, is expecting to achieve a higher profit for 2004 than for the current year. The company is also planning to sell 49 per cent of its shares in Postbank, the German bank, on the stock market. The flotation is expected to take place next autumn."

November 26, 2003 -- The Jamaica Gleaner has reported that "Jamaica's telegraph service will cease operations as of January 31 next year, says Cable & Wireless Jamaica's director of corporate communications, Errol Miller. A telegraphic service was established between Kingston and Havana from 1869, thus linking the island with the USA and Europe even before a domestic postal service had been established. But the postal service, telephone, fax machine and e-mail have superseded the telegraph, Mr. Miller said. 'The volume of telegrams has fallen off significantly,' he said. 'It is not a viable service in terms of making a profit or just breaking even.'"

November 26, 2003 -- The Stamford Advocate has reported that "Pitney Bowes Inc.'s changing business model will once again hit Stamford workers as the postage-meter maker ceases manufacturing within the city by the end of next year. Michael Critelli, Pitney Bowes' chief executive officer, said by the close of 2004 the company will halt all assembly work at its South Side Stamford factory. Pitney Bowes has already said it will shed its component manufacturing operations as part of a two-year $100 million restructuring plan it announced in January. The company will continue assembling postage meters, but not in Stamford."

November 26, 2003 -- Canada.com has reported that "the [Canadian] federal cabinet has approved sharp price hikes in stamps for mail to the U.S. and other countries, along with an automatic one-cent increase in the cost of mailing a first-class letter next January. While the cost of a stamp for domestic letters weighing up to 30 grams will rise to 49 cents, plus GST, on Jan. 12, the cost of stamps for letters, cards and postcards to the U.S. will jump 23 per cent to 80 cents, under an order the cabinet passed last week. The decision, made public yesterday, will result in an increase of the basic stamp price for mail to other destinations abroad to $1.40 from $1.25."

November 26, 2003 -- The BBC (U.K.) has reported that "the unofficial mail strikes of October may no longer be top of the national news agenda, but for small businesses in London the fallout from the dispute is still being felt."

November 26, 2003 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• According to a report in the Swedish daily 'Svenska Dagbladet', ePostboxen is doomed to close down. The system was an attempt by the post to entice customers to carry out correspondence and payments from their private PC. Posten's vision was that such a system would 'revolutionise postal communication'. However, two years down the line, only around 80 companies and local councils were linked up to the system, which consequently might be scrapped.
• Deutsche Post remains interested in a participation in ™sterreichische Post. Quoting the German post's CEO Klaus Zumwinkel, the news agency APA reports that he would like to acquire at least a majority, as soon as the Austrian post has been privatised.
• The Italian government appears determined to sell part of its Poste Italiane shares to the government-owned Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) before the end of the year.
• Focussing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) as customers has paid off for TNT Express. On the occasion of last week's 'Analyst Day 2003' Alan Jones, board member in charge of the segment, explained that 20% of its turnover is now generated by such customers. In 1999 the proportion was still unquantifiable.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

November 26, 2003 -- Les Echos has reported that "the French post office (La Poste) is said to be entitled to launch property finance services without forming a partnership with an existng actor in the sector -- a liberty which it would not be allowed if it were providing consumer credit.Over the past few months, French banks have campaigned for the extension of La Poste's financial services to be kept to a minimum."

November 26, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Hays Plc has sold the trading operations and certain assets of its logistics division to Platinum Equity, a US private equity group, for £102.4m (€150m) on a cash-free and debt-free basis. However the sale does not comprise the entirety of the logistics business. Hays will retain certain properties in the UK, France and Benelux along with the German Logistics and US Home Delivery businesses which it hopes to dispose of separately by the end of the year. These businesses generated aggregate sales of £80.7m (€117.8m) and losses of £6.1m (€8.9m) in the year ended 30 June 2003."

November 26, 2003 -- The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online.

November 25, 2003 -- According to Operations and Fulfillment, "service reliability, competitive rates, and fast transit times are the three factors that shippers value most in their air cargo providers, reports a survey of 800-plus shipping managers conducted by the International Logistics Quality Institute."

November 25, 2003 -- A small subsidiary of UPS is making a big impact on behalf of its customers through the deployment of computer software that allows exquisitely precise planning of delivery routes. The software, known as the Roadnet Transportation Suite, is offered by UPS Logistics Technologies and is being used by grocery stores, beverage bottlers and snack food companies, among others, to shave miles off their delivery networks."

November 25, 2003 -- The Nikkei News Service (Japan) has reported that "the Japanese Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy has presented 10 main points of discussion regarding the privatization of the postal mail, savings and insurance operations. It plans to draw up a basic policy on the initiative by next autumn. Government and nongovernment members of the council are already at odds over the issue and independent contractors running regional post offices, who are keeping silent for the moment, might begin voicing opposition, which could add to uncertainty over the outlook for postal reform."

November 25, 2003 -- The Miami Herald has reported that "as the busy season nears, some air-cargo companies are hiring part-time seasonal workers and filling permanent part-time positions that they kept open during slower months."

November 25, 2003 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "historians have joined forces with An Post to resist pressure to introduce US and European-style zip codes here." Fine. Are the "historians" prepared to deliver the mail?

November 25, 2003 -- The Herald (U.K.) has reported that "the Royal Mail has confirmed plans to scrap a service allowing newspapers to be sent first-class for the price of second-class postage. The Newspaper Registration Service was established about 150 years ago to promote literacy and freedom of information across the United Kingdom. It came at a time when newsagents were few and far between, especially in rural areas."

November 25, 2003 -- The BBC Monitoring Service (U.K.) has reported that "the chairman of the interim government of Liberia, Gyude Bryant, has appointed Eugene Namgbe as minister of postal affairs."

November 25, 2003 -- Expansion has reported that "Correos, the Spanish postal service operator, is to invest 750m euros between 2004 and 2006 and predicts annual turnover increases of 5 per cent for those three years. Management forecasts turnover of 2.2bn euros for 2006, 19 per cent more than this year's expected turnover of 1.85bn euros."

November 25, 2003 -- According to DMNews postal commentator, Cary Baer, "it's the postal governors' turn to argue for reform."

November 25, 2003 -- The NALC Bulletin has reported that "Three top NALC officers conducted a two-day meeting with key officials of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) November 18-19 in Boca Raton, Florida to develop new initiatives to increase Postal Service revenue. Discussions centered on developing new initiatives to increase use of the mail by the large mailers, thereby boosting revenue for the Postal Service."

November 25, 2003 -- AFP has reported that "Deutsche Post, the semi-privatised German postal authority, will put up to 49 percent of its banking services subsidiary Deutsche Postbank on the market next year, Deutsche Post chairman Klaus Zumwinkel told foreign reporters here late Monday. Most of the shares will be placed with institutional investors, he said. 'The stock flotation will happen next autumn,' he said. Deutsche Post in late September had announced the flotation would occur within 18 months, and probably in autumn 2004."

November 25, 2003 -- La Tribune (France) has reported that "S&P, the US ratings agency, decided to lower its long term senior debt rating on French post office La Poste from AAA to AA+. It did the same for Efiposte, the subsidiary which manages postal cheque accounts."

November 25, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "DHL over the weekend suspended all flights to Iraq after a a shoulder-fired missile struck a jet operated by the express courier service DHL over Iraq."

November 24, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "GeoPost, the parcels subsidiary of French Post Office La Poste, has become the latest company to enter the Turkish market. It has formed a joint venture with Yurtici, one of the largest parcels and logistics companies in the region."

November 24, 2003 -- The Houston Business Journal has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has signed, sealed and delivered a multi-year contract to Houston-based BMC Software Inc. that could be worth as much as $13.8 million. BMC will provide management software products across the Postal Service's entire information technology infrastructure as part of the deal."

November 24, 2003 -- Haaretz (Israel) has reported that "In August 1999, then-finance minister Avraham Shochat and then-communications minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer received a Trojan horse: a public commission report, whose recommendations focused mainly on the immediate opening of the postal service market to competition. Had the recommendations been implemented, any entrepreneur could have begun providing postal services without a special permit, and in any region of the country. The government-run postal service would have had to compete with the entrepreneurs."

November 24, 2003 -- The Chicago Tribune has noted that "United Parcel Service Inc.'s decision to slow its rate increases to the smallest amount in at least seven years is an attempt to protect its market share. The Atlanta shipping giant said it would raise rates for ground-based shipments by 1.9 percent, less than the 3.9 percent increase last year and the 3.3 percent annual average since 1997. UPS also said it would discontinue the fuel surcharge on its ground service but apply a new index to other delivery services, such as next-day air, to reflect their higher fuel consumption. The smaller-than-expected increase was interpreted as a move to protect market-share loss to FedEx Corp. and to fight DHL Worldwide Express' advances into U.S. territory." Ahhh, competition. You gotta love it. Now if we only do something similar with the post.

November 24, 2003 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "the business alliance between AIB and An Post now accounts for over 100,000 transactions per month just one year after its launch. The alliance, which allows AIB customers to conduct transactions at post offices throughout the country, is still growingin popularity, with nine out of ten customers who use the service saying they would recommend or have recommended it to a friend."

November 24, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that:

• Major mailing and postal associations sent letters and testimony to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs urging Congress to examine postal reform early in the next session of the 108th Congress.
• Reports that the economy continues to improve won't result in more holiday packages being shipped this year, based on estimates from the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx.

November 23, 2003 -- Bloomberg has reported that "a DHL cargo plane made an emergency landing at Baghdad's airport this morning and the three crew members on board are safe, said Patricia Thomson, a Brussels- based spokeswoman for the U.S. express-delivery company. She declined to confirm a report by Agence France-Presse that cited an unidentified U.S. military official saying the plane was hit by a Russian-built Strela missile. It was the first time that a plane using Baghdad airport had been hit by a missile although eight previous firings were reported, AFP said."

November 23, 2003 -- Online Ireland has reported that "An Post says it realises the country's postal service needs to be significantly improved. New figures released by the Communications regulator leveal a quarter of all mail An Post handles arrives late."

November 23, 2003 -- The Independent (U.K.) has reported that "The price of sending bulky items though the post is set to soar under radical plans being hatched by Royal Mail. If the proposals are given the go-ahead then the price of sending an A4-sized envelope first class will rise from 28p to 46p, in a move that will anger many businesses. Royal Mail wants to scrap the 150-year-old system of weighing parcels to determine the price of postage and replace it with a sized-based system."

November 22, 2003 -- The BakersfieldChannel.com has reported that "some people in Bakersfield aren't receiving their mail until well after the sun slips past the horizon, and with the holidays coming, they can expect to make the dark walk to the mailbox for a while longer. The overwhelmingly rapid growth of Bakersfield is what the post office says is delaying the mail service. Terri Bouffiou, of the U.S. Postal Service, says 14 new carriers were recently hired to help rectify the situation."

November 22, 2003 -- Internetnews.com has reported that "some of the most well known online publishers are reporting an average of 32 percent revenue growth in the first three quarters of 2003, as compared to the same period in 2002. The booming growth numbers come from an Online Publishers Association (OPA) survey of 26 of its member companies."

November 22, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "the Argentine government has no intention of keeping the country's postal service in government hands beyond the 180-day period within which it has vowed to seek a new concessionaire for the operation, Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernandez said Friday."

November 22, 2003 -- According to AllAfrica.com, "Zimbabwe's young Internet caf industry continues to grow even under tight economic conditions as more people turn to the Internet, the cheapest means of communication. Internet provides the easiest and cheapest way of communicating between Zimbabweans in the country and their relatives who have fled Zimbabwe's worsening political and economic morass as the telephone and postal charges become unaffordable."

November 22, 2003 -- Kalitta Air, L.L.C. has announced that it will commence twice weekly scheduled B-747F all-cargo service between the United States and Kuwait. Kalitta Air is a US certificated all-cargo carrier based in Ypsilanti, MI. In addition to its scheduled services, Kalitta Air also operates six flights per week between the US and the Middle East on behalf of the US Postal Service, operates all-cargo services on behalf of the Department of Defense and provides commercial B-747 cargo charter lift worldwide with its fleet of 11 Boeing 747 freighters.

November 22, 2003 -- The Postal Rate Commission has filed comments with the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs concerning the report of the President's Commission on the Postal Service.

November 22, 2003 -- UPS has announced new rates for most U.S. services effective Jan. 5, 2004. UPS commercial ground services will increase 1.9 percent with U.S. air and UPS Worldwide Express services increasing an average of 2.9 percent. The premium for packages and letters delivered to residential addresses will rise from US$1.15 to US$1.40. UPS also will introduce a US$1.00 delivery surcharge to commercial shipments headed to more remote ZIP codes. These ZIP codes are the same as those covered by the current residential delivery area surcharge, which was first applied in 1999 and remains at US$1.75. The majority of UPS's accessorial charges stay the same."

November 21, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "one day after the government stripped Correo Argentino SA of its national postal concession, the company published an advertisement in local newspapers Thursday stating its intention to ignore the government's decision and assuring the public of continued service. The advertisement said 'we do not ratify the decree (which rescinds the contract), but we shareholders and directors of Correo Argentino SA have a firm disposition so that the postal service continues being provided in a regular and efficient form.'"

November 21, 2003 -- According to Borsen Zeitung, "Deutsche Postbank, the banking subsidiary of Germany's postal service operator Deutsche Post, is to acquire Entrium City, the financial services adviser until now owned by the German direct bank Diba. Postbank will offer the employees of Entrium City, numbering nearly 100, to work for its new asset management distribution division, which was founded a year ago."

November 21, 2003 -- 457 Canada Post locations across the country have begun selling American Express Travellers Cheques and Gift Cheques to their customers. Canada Post plans to expand the sale of the American Express products to additional offices, from coast to coast, in the future.

November 21, 2003 -- Canada Post, Canadian Pacific Railway and Hudson's Bay Company today launch Canada's first-ever travelling exhibition showcasing the crucial contributions that mail, rail and retail have made to opening up and developing Canada, and peeking back more than 150 years into the colourful history of the three enterprises. The exhibition, Mail, Rail, and Retail: Connecting Canadians, is being presented in partnership with the Canadian Postal Museum of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. It opens today at the museum in Gatineau, Quebec, where it will run until Nov. 29, 2004, before moving to other communities across Canada.

November 21, 2003 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, "United Parcel Service Inc. plans to impose the smallest increase for ground-delivery rates in at least seven years, underscoring the heightened competition in the U.S. package-delivery industry."

November 21, 2003 -- Khaleej Times has reported that "Emirates Post has announced that it would provide customers with optional services including the use of a large and exclusive database and printing and outsourcing services along with the recently launched Direct Mailing Service (DMS)."

November 21, 2003 -- Direct has reported that "direct marketing in the U.S. is more similar to marketing in the U.K. and the rest of Europe than it is different. In terms of direct marketing expenditures per capita, Germany tops the list, with an average of 258 euros per capita. The U.K. is close behind, followed by Norway, Switzerland, and Finland. Hungary had the lowest direct marketing purchases per capita, followed by Italy and Spain."

November 21, 2003 -- The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online.

November 21, 2003 -- Reuters Investor has asked, "Can United Parcel deliver the goods?"

November 21, 2003 -- The minutes from the last meeting of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee has been posted on the USPS' RIBBS web site.

November 21, 2003 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Japan Post and how it runs its business will be under scrutiny next month by Japan's Financial Services Agency. Beginning Dec. 4, the agency will examine how Japan Post, which took over the Postal Services Agency's operations, runs its savings and life insurance business."

November 20, 2003 -- The Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS) has awarded UPS the 2003 INFORMS Prize for integrating operations research and managerial decisionmaking."

November 20, 2003 -- La Tribune (France) has reported that "Tat Express, the parcels subsidiary of French post office La Poste, has presented a new redundancy plan, following the annulment of the previous one by a Tours court at the start of November. The latest plan involves 539 job cuts out of 1,500, 60 more than the previous plan. Management say they have had to increase the number of redundancies because of the deterioration of the financial situation."

November 20, 2003 -- CNET News has reported that "TV shopping originator HSN has turned to UPS to improve delivery service for its customers, just in time for the holidays. Whether their purchases include a stylish new outfit from legendary singer/designer Patti LaBelle or celebrity chef cookware from Wolfgang Puck, home shoppers are receiving their orders faster and with state-of-the-art visibility from order entry to the doorstep. HSN engaged UPS in a multi-year agreement to streamline and re-engineer its entire fulfillment and supply chain operations."

November 20, 2003 -- According to the Australian Financial Review, "the Post Office Agents Association Limited has threatened to file suit against Australia Post if it pushes through with its buyback of 150 licensed post offices. Australia Post has expressed its intent to purchase the LPOs in four years and turn them into franchises for Post Shops."

November 20, 2003 -- The Business Ledger has reported that an "Elk Grove firm aims to be first in global mailing."

November 20, 2003 -- The Harare Herald (Zimbabwe) has reported that "Zimbabwe has embarked on a five-year reform programme as part of efforts to adapt to the changes that have emerged in the postal services sector."

November 19, 2003 -- According to Wired, "getting packages to their destinations overnight is no simple matter. Efficient shipping and receiving is so complicated, in fact, that it has spawned the FedEx Institute of Technology, where researchers will tackle subjects as seemingly disparate as life sciences and transportation. Most of the lofty research taking place at the institute's new 90,000-square-foot facility in Memphis, Tennessee, can somehow be traced back to shipping, regardless of how esoteric it might seem."

November 19, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Argentina rescinded a concession to run the country's troubled post office Wednesday, the first such cancellation as President Nestor Kirchner scrutinizes 1990s privatizations of which he is highly critical." See also Dow Jones and AFX Europe.

November 19, 2003 -- The BBC Monitoring Service has reported that the Hungarian "Parliament has passed a law on postal services. One of the most important elements of the new law, which will come into force in January, is liberalization, which will be a gradual process. The full opening of the postal services' market will take place on 1 January 2009. By passing the new law, Hungary has also fulfilled its obligation of legal harmonization with the EU."

November 19, 2003 -- The Baltic News Service has reported that "CEO of the Eesti Meedia concern and head of the supervisory council of Postimees Mart Kadastik has sharply criticized a new postal service bill that would give the right of domestic delivery only to companies which provide the service in the whole territory of Estonia."

November 19, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Postcomm, the U.K. postal regulator, warned Royal Mail yesterday not to resist further liberalisation of the mail market."

November 19, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service said yesterday that it has canceled the Spring National Postal Forum, slated for May in Seattle, and will have only one forum next year, Sept. 19-21 in Washington."

November 19, 2003 -- Computerworld Singapore has reported that "SingPost has increased its mail efficiency with a new address management system."

November 19, 2003 -- The Wilson County News has reported that "the Alamo Area Council of Governments, the Alamo-La Bahia Corridor Committee, and the U.S. Postal Service announced the 15th annual Pony Express Christmas courier swearing-in ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the downtown U.S. Post Office, across from the Alamo." Now there's historical revisionism for you. The original Pony Express was a COMPETITOR of the U.S. Post Office and not a part of the Post Office.

November 19, 2003 -- Scripps Howard has reported that "the Department of Homeland Security has announced it will partner with the Postal Service to educate Americans about how to prepare their households for potential terrorist threats."

November 19, 2003 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• Recent rumour has it that - in addition to the Post Bank - a further tranche of Deutsche Post AG could be floated next year. These new considerations from the German Treasury have apparently been inspired by the strong increase in quoted value of Deutsche Post shares over the last few months.
• Osterreichische Post plans to take over the Croatian express service provider Overseas Express.
• Norway's Posten Norge intends to step up its measures against money laundering at the beginning of next year.
• According to a report in the 'Australian Financial Review' the Australian post is aiming for a partial privatisation of its branches.
• The overnight system restructuring programme embarked upon by the GLS subsidiary Der Kurier appears to have failed.

Don't be satisfied with a less than complete report on the courier, express, and postal market in Europe. Get your subscription to CEP News, today..

November 19, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "the Italian market has proved to be the focus of considerable attention from leading European logistics companies over the past few weeks." Va bene!

November 19, 2003 -- The Postal Rate Commission has noted in the Federal Register that it is "adopting a final rule that updates the periodic reporting regulations. These regulations identify the data and information the Postal Service is to file with the Commission on a regular, ongoing basis. The final rule differs from the proposed rule in several important respects. The Commission has narrowed or eliminated some filing requirements and has incorporated some flexibility in meeting other requirements. Adoption of these changes should facilitate the public's ability to more readily grasp the quantitative basis and support for Postal Service proposals. Effective December 19, 2003."

November 19, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it had lowered its long-term corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on 100% state-owned French postal company La Poste to 'AA+' from 'AAA'. At the same time, the short-term corporate credit and commercial paper ratings on the company were affirmed at 'A-1+'. The outlook is negative."

November 19, 2003 -- One writer for the Greenville Daily Advocate has noted that "every day I get dozens of offers that guarantee me every form of comfort, happiness and pleasure imaginable for just a small fee. It's called spam. Unsolicited e-mail. What we used to call junk mail when we found it in our snail mail boxes. But there is a difference. Advertisers have to pay for every ad they mail through the postal service. The more ads they mail out, the more it costs them. But not with e-mail. It costs the same to send 10 million ads as it does 10 ads." We'll slap his hands for calling advertising mail "junk," but at least he's a man who knows the difference between a sender paid system and one that isn't.

November 19, 2003 -- And this from the postmaster/ curator of the Delphos post office and postal museum. He writes, "Nov. 11, 2003 marked a significant milestone for those of us working at the Delphos Post Office. On this date 70 years ago, the current structure was dedicated and began its operation. In those 70 years, both customers and our employees have seen a multitude of changes and changes will continue at an ever increasing rate. Two of the areas that have changed significantly are postage costs and the transportation of the mail. In 1933, the mail traveled primarily by train and even canal boats for a cost of 3 cents for a one-ounce letter. Yes, some airmail had been instituted, but it cost an additional fee. Because of the government subsidy of postage, the cost of that letter was only 3 cents; but in the 1800s, letters cost as much as 10 times that amount. Today, postage costs are not subsidized by the government and, in fact, the U.S. Postal Service has not been a line item on the federal budget since 1985. With the use of express mail, items travel overnight from our area with a guaranteed delivery to more than 700 major cities across the nation. But, the majority of it travels by air and by truck and moves continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

November 18, 2003 -- According to USPSlinkOnline, "the Postal Service will get into the holiday spirit with a stamp-studded float that will glide through the streets of New York City during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 27, reminding Americans of the value and convenience USPS offers during the holiday season."

November 18, 2003 -- According to the U.S. Postal Service, "Deployment of new equipment designed to improve the overall health and safety of postal employees - and to reduce their exposure to biological threats in the mail - begins next year with the installation of new Ventilation and Filtration Systems (VFS) in mail processing and distribution centers across the country. Specifically designed to capture and contain potentially hazardous airborne particulates which might be released during in-bound mail processing operations, VFS equipment will be installed above operations performed by Advanced Facer Canceler Systems (AFCS) - the equipment that cancels stamped letter mail - and also above each facility's network of machines that handles and prepares loose mail for cancellation."

November 18, 2003 -- The Oregonian has reported that "a land swap between United Parcel Service and the U.S. Navy that could bring more than 900 overnight visitors a month to the Gresham area made its way through Congress last week. The deal will give the Navy 18 acres in Gresham's Southshore Corporate Park that currently belongs to UPS. In return, the Navy will give UPS its 13.3-acre reserve center at Swan Island in Portland, which is next to the main UPS facility."

November 18, 2003 -- The Alaska Journal of Commerce has reported that "Big Brown wants more parking space. United Parcel Service, which uses Anchorage as its hub to the Pacific, is focused on adding more aircraft parking spaces, or "hardstands," to its 93,000 square-foot facility at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Aircraft hardstands run about $1 million each."

November 18, 2003 -- The Guardian (U.K.) has reported that "postal workers yesterday accused Royal Mail's chief executive, Adam Crozier, of "astonishing opportunism" after he authorised a £1m donation to the London 2012 Olympic bid as an apology for recent industrial action. As the bid leaders gathered at Tate Modern to unveil the logo for the 2012 bid, it emerged that Mr Crozier had authorised the donation as a way of 'saying sorry' to customers inconvenienced by unofficial strike action earlier this month." See also The Scotsman.

November 18, 2003 -- As Traffic World has noted, "UPS is trying to win parcel traffic away from the U.S. Postal Service and then give it right back. The company is testing a new service called UPS Basic that will use the USPS's own delivery network for the last leg of delivery in parts of United States, offering cost savings over regular postal and UPS Ground service in a bid to capture business from the USPS and consolidators. The service marks a new step in the growing competition for ground delivery in the U.S. parcel market and FedEx says it is already talking with the Postal Service about a program of its own."

November 18, 2003 -- MSNBC has reported that "the government told cargo and passenger airlines on Monday that they must randomly inspect a certain amount of freight before it is loaded on planes as part of an effort to close security gaps."

November 18, 2003 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal and logistics group, is aiming for the loss-making US business of DHL, its express delivery subsidiary, to achieve a return of at least 4 per cent in a few years' time. It is hoping for a secure third position on the US express delivery market, behind the two market leaders FedEx and UPS, and, with this aim in mind, it invested 1.05bn euros in the acquisition of the US company Airborne, which, alone, already ranked third on the US market having achieved turnover of 3.34bn euros last year. Synergies between Airborne and DHL will be targeted as a step towards improving profitability."

November 18, 2003 -- iAfrica.com has reported that "the postal regulator has reached a compromise with the courier industry over the 'exorbitant' registration and licensing fees proposed for operators in draft postal service regulations."

November 18, 2003 -- According to the Daily Yomiuri (Japan), "Japan Post, a public corporation created in April to take over the Postal Services Agency's postal, savings and life insurance services, has been trying to introduce a production management system used by the Toyota group to streamline the postal services. However, the system has yet to result in an ideal post office, and some employees are perplexed by the new system. It remains to be seen whether the system will be effective as a method of postal reform."

November 18, 2003 -- Federal Computer Week has reported that "Northrop Grumman Information Technology will continue its repair work on the Postal Service's mail processing equipment and automated devices. USPS awarded Northrop Grumman IT a $130 million contract for repairs and ordering system management. The contract, which was a recompete for work done by the company for almost 25 years, is for the Postal Service Central Repair Facility and has a two-year base and an option for 10 years."

November 18, 2003 -- The Colography Group, an Atlanta-based consulting firm specializing in express cargo, has started to publish a series of "white papers" about long-term trends that it sees in the industry. The first white paper focuses on the "mega-trends" that will guide the U.S. shipping business for the next 20 years.

November 17, 2003 -- Siemens Dematic has announced that the United States Postal Service (USPS) has awarded the company an $89.9M contract to design, manufacture and install Ventilation and Filtration Systems (VFS) on their letter sorting machines. The deployment of the new system in 280 postal facilities nationwide is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2004.

November 17, 2003 -- NBC17.com has reported that "Consumer advocate Diane Wood, with the Center for a New American Dream, is calling on congress for a 'do-not-junk-mail' registry, similar to the popular do-not-call list that prevents unwanted telemarketing."

November 16, 2003 -- Catalog Age has reported that "multititle apparel and home goods mailer Brylane says it is shifting a substantial portion of its package delivery business to Basic, United Parcel Service's new ground delivery service that began the week of Nov. 10. New York-based Brylane, which mails 10 catalogs, including apparel titles Chadwick's of Boston, Lane Bryant, and Roaman's, is moving 'more than a little bit of our shipments' to the new service, says president/CEO Russell Stravitz. 'This is not a test. This is a substantial change. It's a major commitment by Brylane.' The cataloger, which had used the U.S. Postal Service for most of its package shipments, was drawn to Basic because 'it's an attractive service at an attractive price,' Stravitz says, although he would not without reveal the price."

November 16, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that "the Direct Marketing Club of New York presented Silver Apple awards to seven DM professionals and one corporation Friday during a luncheon here at the Roosevelt Hotel. Recipients spoke of their 25-plus-year careers in direct marketing and thanked many friends and colleagues who guided them through the years. 'You are the reason we have other classes of mail,' Silver Apple winner John R. Wargo, vice president of service and market development at the U.S. Postal Service, told the audience of direct marketers. 'If it weren't for you, the postal service wouldn't exist.' He went on to say that what in years past was referred to as junk mail has become a full-fledged economic engine."

November 16, 2003 -- AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Post and Emirates Neon LLC, a leading signboard company, have signed an agreement to use post-office buildings and their premises for advertising signboards of Emirates Neon's customers."

November 16, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "GeoPost, the subsidiary of French postal operator La Poste and owner of parcels networks DPD and Chronopost, has launched a joint venture with Turkish express company Yurtici Kargo. The JV will develop services to take advantage of the fast growing international express market which the company believes is growing at more than 10% pre year. Yurtici is the market leader in Turkey with a 40% share of the domestic parcels market."

November 16, 2003 -- According to the North County Times, "the U.S. Postal Service's unofficial motto says that neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night can stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds ---- but don't tell that to Linda Wedin. When the Murrieta woman didn't get her mail one day recently, she asked her carrier the next day what had happened and was told "it was too dark." She's not alone in her dissatisfaction with mail service in the area. Other Murrieta residents have complained recently of late delivery, no delivery, receiving other people's mail, having their mail delivered to other people and poor handling of mail."

November 16, 2003 -- And yet, the Daily Bulletin has reported that "mailman for the Fontana Post Office, Robert Gursslin, 50, of Riverside took it upon himself to make sure [fire displaced] Lytle Creek residents at the Jessie Turner Community Center shelter would receive their mail today. Since many of the residents could not pick up their mail, which is being held at the Fontana Post Office, Gursslin contacted the postmaster for permission to deliver the mail. After volunteering at the shelter, Gursslin said he realized many residents were waiting for checks and letters from their families."

November 16, 2003 -- The News Observer has reported that "the holidays are closing in, and the big three package-delivery services -- FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service -- all want to deliver your presents. But in an industry where the real competition is to sign contracts with big shippers such as catalog companies, there are no price wars or flashy packaging innovations to draw holiday shipping customers in. It's still foam peanuts or bubble wrap, and shipping costs have been creeping up across the board."

November 16, 2003 -- The Korea Herald has reported that "Shinhan Bank and ABN Amro signed an agreement with Korea Post on Friday to handle cash delivery services overseas. The two lenders will become the exclusive clearing agents in the main foreign currency remittances for customers of the nation's official mail carrier."

November 16, 2003 -- According to The Independent (U.K.), "Allan Leighton and the ideas-rich Adam Crozier, late of the Football Association were on our TV screens last week, trumpeting the return to profitability for the group en route to the financial turnaround they have promised at the Post Office. Even they admit that making £ 3m of profits on £4,120m of turnover in the six months to the end of September is hardly anything to crow about. But the profit was struck after some racy accounting and the gloss hides a terrible truth."

November 16, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail will try to win back customer goodwill lost in the recent unofficial postal strikes with a letter to affected households from Allan Leighton, chairman, and donation of £1m to charity. The mail group said it would donate £1m to London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, following a suggestion of consumer body Postwatch. The money will come from sales of special stamp books next year, and represents 'an apology for the recent disruption to postal services.'"

November 15, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "a four-foot alligator chewed its way out of a shipping carton before a postal worker tossed it into a hamper and called animal control officers. Employees were sorting mail Friday when they noticed the alligator chewing its way out of an Express Mail box.

November 15, 2003 -- The New Haven Register has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to reimburse recent Republican mayoral candidate Paul Messina for the entire $2,822 cost of a political mailing the post office somehow didn't get around to sending out until after the Nov. 4 election, Messina said Friday. Postal officials initially had offered to reimburse Messina's campaign only for the $931 it spent on postage. It agreed to cover the entire bill after Messina met Thursday with Postmaster Judy Martin and customer relations representative Lisa Landone, Messina said."

November 15, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that:

• The U.S. Postal Service said it plans to discontinue a four-year-old electronic bill-payment service operated through CheckFree Corp. In a filing with the Postal Rate Commission, Nicholas Barranca, the post office's vice president of product development, said the Postal Service had notified CheckFree that the agency wouldn't renew its contract with the Atlanta-based provider of financial electronic-commerce services and products when the pact expires next April. The decision also dooms two other services now provided as part of the Postal Service's contract with CheckFree. USPS Send Money, an electronic money-transfer service, and USPS Pay@Delivery, which lets customers combine money transfers with delivery confirmation, also will be dropped in April.
• United Parcel Service Inc. expects to cut its on-the-job injury rate sharply by 2007 while improving the environmental efficiency of its delivery operations and employee satisfaction.

November 15, 2003 -- The Japan Times has reported that "the posts ministry on Friday approved a new postal insurance product being opposed by other countries' trade watchdogs and domestic private-sector insurers. The decision will likely spark heated exchanges at a Japan-U.S. working-level meeting on insurance policy to be held Monday in Tokyo. Japan Post -- a public corporation created in April to take over the Postal Services Agency's mail delivery, postal savings and 'kampo' life-insurance services -- plans to launch the new product Jan. 1."

November 14, 2003 -- The commitment of large companies to sustainable business practices that enhance communities and protect the environment will ultimately ease public concern about globalization, the chief executive of UPS said. "Moving forward, the health of globalization - and its worldwide acceptance - will be conditioned on how well multinational business leaders address the economic, environmental and social implications of their actions," said Mike Eskew, addressing the 2003 Business for Social Responsibility Conference. Eskew said opponents of globalization who claim that multinational corporations care only about profits are seeing only part of the story.

November 14, 2003 -- Business Week has reported that "finally putting the dot-com devastation behind it, an older and wiser industry is enjoying a vigorous and long-awaited comeback. The fledgling comeback in online advertising is now an official rebound. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reports that during the second quarter, revenues jumped a better-than-expected 14%, to $1.67 billion, helped by ads on search engines and more traditional marketers piling online. However, the really promising news is that online advertising is back in a seasonal groove. By getting back in the groove, the industry proves that it has wised up."

November 14, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that "a plan moving through Congress would give some airlines carrying cargo across the Pacific Ocean new flexibility to ferry freight from Alaska to other points in the United States. The provision in the spending plan for the Federal Aviation Administration would crack open slightly the legal bar against cabotage - the law that prohibits foreign airlines from carrying domestic traffic in the United States. The exemption would be only for Alaska, where Anchorage has been a major technical stop and transit point for air operators on both sides of the Pacific. The Senate has yet to vote on the legislation that the House approved 211-207 on Oct. 30. Although unions oppose the cargo provision, saying it could give U.S. jobs to foreign competitors, the language is expected to stay in the bill."

November 14, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "United Parcel Service will be able to compete more effectively for imports of products ranging from seashell necklaces to leather belts thanks to a Congressional appropriation of funds for the Fish and Wildlife Service to set up shop at Louisville International Airport, the carrier's principal hub."

November 14, 2003 -- According to Business Week, "finally putting the dot-com devastation behind it, an older and wiser industry is enjoying a vigorous and long-awaited comeback. The fledgling comeback in online advertising is now an official rebound. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reports that during the second quarter, revenues jumped a better-than-expected 14%, to $1.67 billion, helped by ads on search engines and more traditional marketers piling online. However, the really promising news is that online advertising is back in a seasonal groove."

November 14, 2003 -- The Inquirer (U.K.) has reported that a recent "How Much Information? 2003 survey" looked "at four major storage media: print, film, magnetic, and optical. Of the four, magnetic media mostly hard disks are the data hogs, with 92 percent of the world's new information being stored on them. Paper accounts for only 0.01 percent; however, if you're thinking that means we're on top of the paperless office, fuhgeddaboudit. Paper sales are still up by 36 percent over the four years since the last version of this study. About 40 percent of new information each year is produced by the US....Most of the paper-based information is office documents and postal mail, not newspapers and books."

November 14, 2003 -- The USPS' vice president for Delivery and Retail, Henry Pankey, has been named to the new position of vice president, Emergency Preparedness. In the new position Pankey will develop, implement and coordinate emergency preparedness plans, and will be the USPS' representative to the Office of Homeland Security. Bill Galligan, manager of the Connecticut District, will be acting vice president, Delivery and Retail.

November 14, 2003 -- Handelsblatt (Germany) has reported that "the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany has ruled that the monopoly held by Deutsche Post, the German postal service, is not an infringement of the German constitution. Six other companies which had hoped to break into the market for postal services had complained about the exclusive licence held by Deutsche Post for the delivery of letters and catalogues, claiming that the sole purpose of the licence was to protect Deutsche Post against competition and to increase the value of shares in the company."

November 14, 2003 -- Le Figaro (France) has reported that "the contract with the state which accompanies the 2003-2007 business plan of the French post office (La Poste) was approved yesterday evening by the French postal and telecoms services authority (CSSPPT). In its report, the regulator stresses that La Poste should not close any of its post offices until a substitute service has been set up. It also warns that what it calls the recurrent problem of the French post office's pension scheme must be solved by 2005."

November 14, 2003 -- The Guardian (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail is on course to make more than £100m operating profits this year despite facing extra charges of around £500m to fund pay rises, the cost of unofficial strikes and a large pension fund deficit, executives said yesterday."

November 14, 2003 -- The Washington Post has noted that "navigating a Smithsonian museum, even one of the smaller ones, can be a daunting experience. The National Postal Museum is no exception, with just enough space to tell the story of mail delivery but unable to exhibit more than a tiny percentage of its 13 million objects, mostly stamps. Beginning today, the museum is dedicating a small corner of its main atrium to an interactive arcade, which will provide additional postal history and a way to look into the museum's holdings. The new feature is called the Ford Education Center. The Ford Motor Co., which has been involved with mail delivery since the Model T, gave the museum $2 million to develop the electronic activities. The museum has two Ford vehicles on view."

November 14, 2003 -- UPS names top executives, announces two retirements; board sets quarterly dividend.

November 14, 2003 -- According to the Asahi Shimbun, "Japan Post is planning to introduce a life insurance product to compete directly with private-sector policies that combine whole life and term insurance-the main source of revenue for insurance underwriters. Postal insurance, like postal savings, is a vastly overblown public-sector financial entity ripe for drastic reform. Its future is a key issue for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration as it develops plans for privatization of postal services by next autumn. The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, which supervises Japan Post, should not authorize the new insurance product without a clear sense of the future of postal insurance."

November 14, 2003 -- According to The Independent (U.K.), "Royal Mail announced a return to profit yesterday for the first time in five years but warned that it still faced a huge challenge to remain in the black for the year."

November 14, 2003 -- Business Day (South Africa) has reported that "organised labour has accused the South African Post Office of refusing to pay wage increases and eroding worker benefits to help reach its financial targets next year."

November 14, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that:

• The U.S. Postal Service expects to complete much of its product redesign effort by May so that the changes can be included in the next rate case, which could be filed next fall and implemented in January 2006.
• The Mailers Council sent a letter this week to the House and Senate postal oversight and appropriations committees urging a reversal of the policy on military pension payments for postal retirees created in the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003.

November 14, 2003 -- The Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan) has reported that "some within the government and the ruling coalition believe Sunday's House of Representatives election significantly reduced the clout of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers with ties to the road construction and postal services industries."

November 14, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "well-meaning Americans are clogging up the military postal system by sending many letters and packages to individuals for redistribution."

November 13, 2003 -- Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), the world's largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal and business services and franchisor of The UPS Store, was recently recognized by law enforcement for its assistance in helping stop an international mail-forwarding fraud scam. The United States Postal Inspection Service honored the franchisor's contributions in fighting a computer scam involving hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, Web sites, commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRAs) and stolen credit cards.

November 13, 2003 -- MAD.co.uk has reported that "Royal Mail's dominance of business postal services has come under threat from rival company Business Post, after it revealed plans to launch UK Mail early next year. UK Mail will collect post from business customers and undertake the initial sorting before mail is transferred to Royal Mail for final sorting and delivery. Industry regulator Postcomm is set to finalise a tariff for the service by the end of this year and Business Post plans to launch it in the market by April 2004."

November 13, 2003 -- The USPS' LinkOnline has reported that "the Postal Service is helping eBay, the online marketplace, play 'Secret Santa' this holiday season. Beginning Nov. 13 through Dec. 18, eBay's Secret Santa Gift Exchange will be promoted in Post Offices located in eBay's top 10 U.S. markets: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston-Manchester, Washington DC (Hagerstown, MD), Dallas-Ft. Worth, Seattle-Tacoma and Atlanta. Posters invite customers to start or join a Secret Santa group on eBay and exchange gifts with family and friends. Everyone who participates could be eligible to win one of 100 $25 eBay gift certificates awarded daily in random drawings (official rules will be at www.ebay.com/secretsanta beginning Nov. 13)."

November 13, 2003 -- The Birmingham Post (U.K.) has reported that "fast growing Business Post, the Midlands-based express mail and parcels delivery group, is looking forward to a buoyant festive trading period - and a possible Christmas Eve present from mail regulator PostComm which could eventually double its turnover, it emerged yesterday. Business Post hopes that Post-Comm will hand down a final ruling on the tariff for access by subsidiary UK Mail to Royal Mail's delivery network. UK Mail will then collect post from customers and process it through its network of 64 sites - the largest of which is in Birmingham - before passing it on to Royal Mail for "final mile" delivery by local postmen."

November 13, 2003 -- The Guardian (U.K.) has reported that "The Royal Mail nudged into the black today for the first time in five years as it reported a £3m pre-tax profit for the first half of the financial year. Although tiny, the profit for the six months to September 28 contrasted with a £542m loss a year ago and brought a glimmer of hope to the beleaguered postal operator. The financial figures do not take into account the recent wildcat strikes, believed to have cost millions of pounds." See also The Times.

November 13, 2003 -- The Washington Post has reported that:

• Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) yesterday toured the Northeast Washington postal plant contaminated by anthrax two years ago, illustrating their confidence that the building is safe to reopen." See also the Washington Times.
• The FBI is attempting to determine who mailed four threatening letters, each containing a powdery substance, that were received at The Washington Post and other locations in the past 10 days. The powder was tested and found harmless, the FBI said. Besides The Post, which received its mailing yesterday, the letters went to a Denver radio station, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and a Long Island television station, authorities said. All four letters had postage, postmarks or return addresses from Pakistan.

November 13, 2003 -- Business Mailers Review has reported that:

• To pay the escrow account created under the Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act passed in April, mailers can expect an additional 5.4% increase in postage rates in the next rate case. Ralph Moden, senior vice president of government relations, told MTAC that if Congress does not pass legislation removing the escrow account, it will cost the USPS $3.2 billion in FY 2006. And if Congress does not pass legislation to return responsibility for paying military benefit costs to Treasury, it will cost the USPS a total of $27 billion, or $1.5 billion in 2006.
• Parcel Select consolidators are not happy to be competing with a UPS service that uses the Postal Service for last-mile delivery. They are less happy that they got no warning about it from the Postal Service, even though Brown informed the Postal Service it was interested in using Parcel Select and the USPS for lastmile delivery.
• The Postal Service is inching closer to its one-code vision and it's leaning toward the four-state barcode as the solution.
• Many U.S. marketers who mail to European countries are not aware that those direct mail pieces should include an 'opt-out' paragraph and check-off box for people to be removed from rental lists.
• The State Dept. has quietly posted a study on international remail and the potential effects from lifting certain restrictions on it. But the Postal Rate Commission, one of the cosponsors of the study, found the study to be infirm and not useful, putting the State Dept. in the middle of a dispute between the PRC and the Postal Service, and unable to endorse the study. The rate commission effectively said the survey was not statistically sound and therefore the results are highly unreliable.
• Parcel shippers that want to qualify for the parcel barcode discount must print labels using the UCC/EAN Code 128 barcode on Jan. 10, 2004. That's when the USPS will require that barcoded parcels be Code 128 compliant.

November 13, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "the head of Deutsche Post AG , Klaus Zumwinkel, confirmed on Wednesday that a higher dividend payment from the postal and logistics group was possible if results improved this year."

November 13, 2003 -- The ShippersNewsWire has reported that "FedEx Corp. said upscale retailer Neiman Marcus has selected the Memphis-based company to provide exclusive inbound and outbound transportation service. Under the three-year deal, Neiman Marcus will rely on service provided by FedEx Express for domestic and international expedited deliveries, as well as FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, the company's heavyweight trucking division. The agreement covers shipments to stores from suppliers, to stores from Neiman Marcus distribution centers, to catalog customers from distribution centers and to customers ordering directly from retail stores."

November 12, 2003 -- The Minneapolis Star- Tribune has reported that "hundreds of postal workers in Minnesota may be out thousands of dollars in premium payments after the apparent collapse of an Indiana-based dental-coverage provider, union leaders said. Union leaders were told last month that the company had laid off its employees and closed its Hammond, Ind., headquarters, and was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. About 450 members in Minnesota participating in the dental plan were instructed to contact their financial institutions about ending future electronic transfers to the company, My Smart Benefits Inc. But the unions were unsure what would happen to thousands of dollars worth of collected premiums and unpaid claims."

November 12, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that "despite highly unusual public opposition by FedEx, presidential appointee Kirk Van Tine moved closer to taking the No. 2 job at the Department of Transportation. Van Tine sailed through a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Nov. 4, getting only mild questioning from one senator as several airlines and FedEx competitor UPS rushed to distance themselves from the express giant's stance against President Bush's nominee to be deputy transportation secretary. Van Tine, the former general counsel at DOT, would fill a position left vacant since Michael P. Jackson left the department in August. FedEx began a high-profile campaign against Van Tine in October, setting up a rare stand by a single transport company against the White House's choice at the Cabinet department."

November 12, 2003 -- According to Wired, "under political pressure to increase profitability and security, the United States Postal Service is introducing new technology that can trace the progress of mail from sender to recipient and record the identity of both parties. Bulk mailers -- such as mail-order services, credit-card companies and online DVD rental services -- already use an 'intelligent mail' offering to confirm the check really is in the mail and to speed up outgoing shipments of The Postman Always Rings Twice. Critics, however, say new tracking technology could spell the death of anonymous love letters and anonymous documents mailed off in plain wrappers by whistleblowers. Intelligent mail also would create a massive data trail documenting intimate details of Americans' everyday lives, a rich vein that law enforcement would certainly want to mine."

November 12, 2003 -- The Norway Post has reported that "the Norwegian Postal Service (Posten Norge) will be facing competition after several Norwegian newspapers have established the company Mediapost which will be distributing newspapers, magazines and books. Aftenposten, the Labour Press and Orkla Media have taken the initiative to form the new distribution company, and will utilize their own distribution network for the new company. According to the National Association of Media Companies (MBL), the reason for establishing the new company is the announced increase in the cost of mailing papers through the regular postal service."

November 12, 2003 -- According to the AFX news service, the "Slovak parliament approved total privatisation of public companies. Slovakia's postal service, national forests and railways will also be open to partial or total privatisation under the new law."

November 12, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "the latest U.S. government terror warning is giving a push to the stalled effort to allow cargo pilots to carry weapons in the cockpit. The Homeland Security Department warned police last week that al-Qaida may be plotting to fly cargo planes from another country into U.S. nuclear plants, bridges, dams or other targets. That warning prompted the Senate to pass a bill late Monday that would allow cargo pilots to carry guns, according to Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., the bill's sponsor."

November 12, 2003 -- ThisDay News (Nigeria) has reported that "Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged the various parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Communication to evolve measures aimed at improving service delivery that will justify the immense investment in them. The governor, who stated this while receiving the Minister of Communication, Chief Corne-lius Adebayo, yesterday, noted that the introduction of 'Zip coding' by Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) will enhance the delivery of mails and create a database that could transform the planning process in the nation."

November 12, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that U.K. "mail firm Business Post has delivered a 13 percent rise in first-half profits and says it hopes to be able to compete in the bulk mail market by April. Business Post BPG.L , which delivers parcels for businesses to other firms and consumers, hopes to win business from former monopoly postal operator Royal Mail once the industry regulator has decided what price the company must pay to use part of state-owned Royal Mail's network."

November 12, 2003 -- The Scotsman (U.K.) has reported that "Parcels group Business Post today posted a 13% rise in half yearly profits to £8 million ahead of the launch of a rival to Royal Mail that will end the UK postal monopoly. The company expects to double its annual turnover when UK Mail gets the all-clear to begin trading in the spring next year."

November 12, 2003 -- Dubai Interact has reported that "Emirates Post has announced the launch of a new service that will allow Dubai residents to pay their electricity and water bills at Dubai post offices, starting November 15, 2003."

November 12, 2003 -- According to SmartMoney, "the only surefire way to have your mail forwarded when you move is to fill out the USPS's official change-of-address form. Don't be surprised if some new but all-too-familiar...direct marketing pitches arrive along with your more familiar bills and magazines. While the USPS says it does not sell your new address information to direct marketers, it does charge a licensing fee of $125,000 per year to third-party companies, which take old direct mailing lists, revise them with new information, and then send them back to direct marketers. Fortunately, it's possible to sidestep the NCOA database and still get your mail forwarded, but without the extra junk. Just fill out a temporary change-of-address form indicating that you'll be back at your old address in a year. The postal system forwards first-class mail only up to a year anyway, and 'temporary' address changes don't get stored in the NCOA database."

November 12, 2003 -- The Common Denominator has reported that "in an effort to persuade postal workers and customers that the building is safe, two members of Congress plan to lead a group of government and union officials Wednesday morning on the first tour of the District's main postal facility since the completion of its cleanup from anthrax contamination."

November 12, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "the German government has sold stakes in its former postal and telephone monopolies to a state-owned bank, raising $6.3 billion it planned on as part of its 2003 budget. The government's KfW investment bank said Tuesday it paid euro5.5 billion for a 30 percent stake in Deutsche Post and 4.7 percent of Deutsche Telekom. The bank now holds 48.3 percent of Deutsche Post and 16.7 percent of Telekom. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government is counting on the returns from selling assets such as its shares in the two big former monopolies to plug budget holes caused by three years of economic stagnation. Including the stakes parked at KfW, the government still owns about 43 percent of Deutsche Telekom and some 68 percent of Deutsche Post."

November 12, 2003 -- Oce, a global leader in digital document management and delivery solutions, today announced that San Diego-based NetGram Inc. has selected the Oce CPS700 digital color production system to expand NetGram's E-mail Bridge product offering to include full color, hard copy on-demand documents and marketing and sales communications. The Oce CPS700 gives NetGram customers consistent, efficient and economical digital output with near offset printing quality.

November 12, 2003 -- Net Security.org has reported that "nCipher plc, a provider of cryptographic IT security solutions, has announced that Royal Mail has selected nCipher's nShield hardware security modules (HSMs) to help deliver safe internet transactions and services from its web site www.royalmail.com. As well as providing postcodes online, mail and parcel tracking and philately services, the popular Internet portal also allows customers to shop for travel insurance and foreign currency and to pay bills online."

November 11, 2003 -- The Washington Post has reported that "four congressional Democrats have asked the U.S. Postal Service to reconsider its decision to allow cheaper postal rates for nonprofit groups that team up with commercial companies to raise money."

November 11, 2003 -- GovExec.com has reported that "the Postal Service reacted appropriately in response to an anthrax scare last week at a mail facility in Washington, but the incident illustrates the need for better bioterrorism technology, federal officials said Monday."

November 11, 2003 -- The Japan Times has reported that "a ceremony Monday at the Tokyo Central Post Office in Chiyoda Ward marked the nationwide launch of New Year's postcard sales. People line up to buy the first batch of New Year's post cards at the Tokyo Central Post Office in Chiyoda Ward. Japan Post said it has issued a record 4.4 billion "nengajo" postage-paid cards, up 14 percent from last year."

November 11, 2003 -- According to the Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Japanese Prime Minister "Koizumi's pet reform policy of privatizing the postal system also faces a wall of opposition.

November 10, 2003 -- According to the News-Sentinel, "the United States Postal Service is having a Hallmark moment. Postal customers can do the same, thanks to a nationwide agreement that will allow Gold Crown Hallmark stores to provide official USPS products and services. Since the in-store services will be staffed by store employees, it allows the Postal Service to offer its non-business customers more locations and expanded hours without building new post offices. The post office here has similar arrangements with the Meijer stores, White Swan and Copy Solutions."

November 10, 2003 -- The USPS at MTAC last week announced that it will accelerate it's schedule for implementing the Address Accuracy verification feature of MERLIN. The USPS now plans to implement Phase 1 of this verification process January 1, 2004. In Phase 1, the USPS will use MERLIN to check for what it calls "gross" address accuracy errors. These include: ZIP+4 codes of "0000," ZIP+4 codes of "9999" (except where allowed for General Delivery addresses and Confirm Smart Seed addresses), and incrementing/decrementing ZIP+4 codes or multiple instances of identical ZIP+4 codes within the MERLIN sample (which MERLIN will then check against the address to determine if the ZIP+4 is accurate).

November 10, 2003 -- Belgian Post is sponsoring a one-year post-doctoral grant of 50.000 € for the best research project in the field of postal economics. Candidate must have been awarded a PhD in Economics or the Management Sciences within the past 5 years. Deadline to register your application: November 30th, 2003 Electronic submission of your proposal at gonzales.dalcantara@post.be or paper copy submission of your proposal at De post / La poste, Attn: Gonzales d'Alcantara Coordinator International Prize in Postal Economics Muntcentrum - Lokaal 717 B-1000 Brussels /Belgium Further information and regulation about the prize are available on the web site www.post.be/postaleconomics.

November 10, 2003 -- UPS has been selected to receive the coveted National Urban League Corporate Leadership Award. UPS Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew will accept the award during the Urban League's 47 th Annual Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner in New York on Nov. 11.

November 10, 2003 -- According to postal commentator Gene Del Polito, "while nation-states are known to defend vigorously their claims to sovereignty, including the sovereignty signified by their national posts, it is becoming much more common to find that nations are willing to bargain away some elements of the sovereign claims when a greater national interest (read "trade" and profits) are at stake. The current discussion over postal reform could take on quite a different character if issues ordinarily relegated to an international arena find their way into what has seemed to be predominately a domestic debate."

November 10, 2003 -- If you've ever gone looking for it....Here it is! The Direct Mail Advisory Board of the Universal Postal Union has provided you "A World of Direct Mail Marketing at your fingertips!" Here are answers to hundreds of questions about the direct mail marketing industry in all regions of the world.

November 10, 2003 -- Billtrust, a provider of outsourced billing solutions, has announced the release of its CompleteBilling(TM) product for use with Intuit's(R) Eclipse(TM) Distribution Management Solution (DMS). The CompleteBilling solution enables companies to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with customer billing, accelerate cash flow, improve customer service, and easily begin the migration to electronic billing. Instead of printing invoices and statements in-house, Intuit Eclipse users can now electronically transmit bills to Billtrust for processing. Billtrust's SmartRouting(TM) technology automatically determines the most cost effective delivery route including e-bill, e-mail, fax, or U.S. mail.

November 10, 2003 -- The Zambia News Agency has reported that "post services in Africa have been challenged to shape up and modernize to meet the new challenges in the sector. Communication and Transport Minister Bates Namuyamba pointed out that the world was now moving towards utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for social and economic development. Mr. Namuyamba said the postal services in Africa must realise the importance of applying modern technology to improve the quality of services so as to meet the growing and diversified customer needs."

November 10, 2003 -- The Canadian mailing industry saluted the Hon. Andre Ouellet, P.C.,Q.C., President and CEO, Canada Post Corporation, at the "FIRST CLASS MAIL" 2003 NAMMU Mailing Industry Awards event November 3 in Toronto. Mr. Ouellet was cited as the only "pick" possible for the category: EXCELLENCE: MAILING INDUSTRY ISSUES MANAGEMENT. In her presentation remarks in the sold out Awards venue, NAMMU President, Kathleen Rowe, acknowledged the "..over half million of us who earn our living in the Canadian mailing industry.." and went on to describe NAMMU's business presence to both parties leading up to and during the negotiations.

November 10, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "in a move that would satisfy R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.'s quest both for growth and for a new chief executive, the printing giant agreed to acquire Moore Wallace Inc. for $2.8 billion in stock. The merger would create an $8 billion-a-year printing conglomerate that Donnelley said would rank as the largest in North America. Still, the combined companies would control only about 5% of the fragmented $160 billion-a-year commercial-printing industry. The agreement calls for Moore Wallace Chief Executive Mark A. Angelson, 52 years old, to assume control of Donnelley, ending the search that Donnelley launched in July for a successor to Chairman and Chief Executive William L. Davis, 60, who intends to retire. Longtime Donnelley director Stephen M. Wolf, the veteran airline executive, will become nonexecutive chairman."

November 10, 2003 -- Business Day has reported that "United Parcel Service, the world's largest package-delivery company, stepped up vigilance after the US Homeland Security Department warned that al-Qaeda terrorists may be plotting to hijack and crash cargo aircraft into US nuclear power plants, bridges and dams. 'We are taking the appropriate steps,' said David Bolger, a spokesman for UPS in Washington. 'We have an effective security programme in place. We will be reinforcing our existing security measures.'"

November 10, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that "the Association for Postal Commerce, Arlington, VA, began Project Fairness last month to promote direct mail. In a letter to PostCom's 1,000 members, vice president Anthony Gallo said, 'During the past year, PostCom has noticed an increasing number of news stories [that] equate the mail stream with cold calling and electronic spam. Given the establishment of the FTC's 'Do-Not-Call' list and growing efforts to limit electronic mail, we believe the paper-based mailing community cannot ignore the business development threats we face today.'"

November 10, 2003 -- Alpine Air Express Inc. has announced that its operating subsidiary Alpine Aviation Inc., a leading provider of regional air cargo transport and logistics services, began Saturday, Nov. 8, flying a new route for the U.S. Postal Service

November 10, 2003 -- The Memphis Commercial Appeal has reported that "cargo pilots fear a clause in the Federal Aviation Administration's reauthorization bill will replace them with cheaper Asian labor on some U.S. routes. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, would allow overseas air cargo coming into Anchorage, Alaska, to be transferred to foreign-owned carriers for the last leg of the trip to a U.S. end destination. Neither FedEx Corp. nor United Parcel Service is fighting on either side of the battle. But Northwest Airlines, the only U.S. passenger carrier with a dedicated cargo fleet, supports the provision."

November 10, 2003 -- The Sun Sentinel has reported that "three bulging mail sacks stamped U.S. Treasury arrived at the Mexico City airport on Jan. 31. They were stuffed with almost 4,000 U.S. Social Security checks bound for recipients who live in Mexico. Minutes after being taken out of the belly of the plane, they vanished. Isabel Martiniano Guerrero Pacheco, postal service chief at the airport, who had been secretly cooperating with officials investigating multimillion-dollar thefts there, began asking questions. His investigation, according to family members and co-workers, eventually got him killed."

November 10, 2003 -- The Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail, the troubled monopoly postal operator chaired by Allan Leighton, is in dispute with the government-funded postal watchdog on whether it should pay compensation to customers inconvenienced by recent strike action."

November 9, 2003 -- The Sunday Herald has reported that "postal services watchdog Postcomm will rub salt into the self-inflicted wounds of Royal Mail next month when new chairman Nigel Stapleton announces terms for the break-up of the organisation's £5 billion plus monopoly for business post. Four groups have already been granted seven-year licences to compete and another clutch of potential entrants, including Deutsche Post and TNT, have been given permission to test the system on a 12-month basis once a price has been agreed for access to the 'last mile' of Royal Mail's delivery system. Royal Mail has argued that it needs an average access price of as much as 15p to 17p a letter to ensure a level playing field, while the new 'permanent' entrants Business Post, Hays, TPG and Express Dairies argue that they should not pay much more than 10p."

November 9, 2003 -- The Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "Nigel Stapleton, who was named as the new postal regulator last week, believes that private sector competitors to the Royal Mail should be exempt from paying VAT. Nigel Stapleton, the new postal regulator His views will set him on a collision course with the European Commission. In March this year, Frits Bolkestein, the European Commissioner responsible for the internal market and taxation, said that, as state monopoly postal services across Europe are opened up to competition, all suppliers should have to pay VAT."

November 9, 2003 -- The Times (U.K.) has reported that "Britain's state-owned postal group, Royal Mail, which last week managed to halt a series of wildcat strikes, is poised to declare its first interim profit for five years. Allan Leighton, the group's chairman, is expected to reveal the group moved into the black for the first six months of the year, making an operating profit of 50m and a pre-tax profit of more than £3m. It marks a big turnround in the group's financial fortunes, which last year saw a loss of £611m." See also the Evening Standard.

November 9, 2003 -- The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) has announced that "in a preliminary decision, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton denied the APWU's motion to compel the Postal Service to immediately arbitrate our grievances over the Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) program. Still pending before the court is the APWU's request that the court order the Postal Service to submit the parties' dispute over VERA to arbitration."

November 8, 2003 -- According to Business Week, "could one of the U.S. Postal Service's best engines for growth stall? It runs a program called Parcel Select, which lets bulk shippers save money by simply sorting packages and letting the Postal Service finish the deliveries. In theory, that should help all parties. But United Parcel Service has started using the program and that worries some Postal Service officials. Why? Unlike other shippers that rely mostly on the Postal Service for delivery, UPS is keeping much of the delivery volume for itself, leaving only costly rural packages for the Postal Service to deliver. With UPS siphoning off customers from rival shippers, that could sharply cut Postal Service revenues. In a memo obtained by BusinessWeek, Robert Fisher, a manager in the Postal Service's Washington, D.C., office, says volume from some customers could fall 70%. The Parcel Select program could take in over $700 million this year, says Doug Caldwell, of transportation consultant AFMS. A spokesman says the Postal Service expects a short-term 'downturn of sorts.' But between new UPS customers and efforts by other shippers to replace business lost to UPS, the Postal Service anticipates growth in the long term." Oh really? Then why the "leak?" That little "internal" memo sure got around.

November 8, 2003 -- The State has reported that "Greenville (South Carolina) postal workers and truck drivers are being put through polygraph tests after last month's discovery of a deadly poison at a post office."

November 8, 2003 -- Deutsche-Welle has noted that "German Harry Potter fans didn't have to camp outside bookstores to get the much-anticipated fifth book in the series. They simply waited at home for a special midnight delivery from Deutsche Post."

November 8, 2003 -- According to the Tri-Valley Herald, "post office delivers more than just mail."

November 8, 2003 -- The Scotsman (U.K.) has reported that "the al-Qaida terror network may be plotting to fly cargo planes from overseas into crucial targets such as nuclear plants, bridges or dams in the United States, according to US security officials. In a separate development, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was closing its diplomatic missions in that country today for an undetermined period because of credible information that terrorists are about to carry out attacks. The US government is considering regulations to plug holes in air cargo security, which has received less attention than airline passenger security since the September 11 terror attacks. Only a small percentage of cargo is checked before being shipped in cargo or passenger planes. Neither air marshals nor armed pilots are aboard cargo planes, and areas where cargo is handled at airports are not as secure as passenger terminals." See also The Telegraph and NewsRadioKTAR.

November 8, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service said on Friday it would reopen 11 mail offices closed in an anthrax scare after tests showed no contamination."

November 8, 2003 -- Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Rep. David R. Obey, and Rep. John W. Olver have written to the Chairman of the United States Postal Service Board and to the Postmaster General urging them to reconsider a change to the cooperative mailing rule set to go into effect on November 13. If allowed to take effect, this rule will dismantle current consumer protections that prevent unscrupulous marketers from abusing the nonprofit mailing rate and siphoning fundraising dollars from charities.

November 8, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that:

• Astar Air Cargo is seeking sanctions against rivals Federal Express and United Parcel Service for making what it described as "unsupported and deceptive claims" in a recent motion they filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Deutsche Post World Net has said its net profit in the first nine months of the year more than doubled to nearly $1 billion. The company attributed the gain to strong growth in its express delivery and logistics divisions, which more than compensated for lower government-mandated mail prices, negative currency movements and a slide in third quarter income.

November 7, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "BA and DHL announced a ground breaking deal which will see the airline charter a number of aircraft from the express carrier during the day and at weekends. This will help DHL improve its asset productivity as well as increase the frequency and quality of BA's services. UPS issued a briefing on the development of its business over the next few years. The giant US express company forecasts that its supply chain division will grow at double digit rates and that all segments will have operating margins of at least 15% by 2007."

November 7, 2003 -- And now, an update. The Washington Post has reported that "postal officials announced last night that 10 neighborhood post offices in the Washington area will not open today, calling the move a precautionary measure prompted by the possible detection of anthrax spores in a mail-sorting facility at the Anacostia Naval Station. The decision by the U.S. Postal Service came hours after the Navy confirmed that a sensor in a mail-sorting machine at the naval station detected the presence of anthrax spores Wednesday. A subsequent analysis done at Fort Detrick also tested positive for anthrax, but a "definitive finding" will not be available for several days, Cmdr. Conrad Chun, a Navy spokesman, said last night. 'We don't know what we've got here,' Chun said, emphasizing the preliminary nature of the information. 'We're not even sure there is anthrax.'" The USPS has posted a press release on the matter on its web site.

November 7, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "the Postal Service closed its government mail facility Thursday night while authorities ran tests to determine whether anthrax was detected at the Navy site that handles mail for federal agencies." Oy!

November 7, 2003 -- DMNews has reported that "the U.S. Postal Service is holding a series of focus groups and interviews to gauge interest in its Delivery Point Packaging initiative, one of two programs the agency is considering for flats. DPP would sort letters and flats into delivery order simultaneously, then bundle them into individual delivery packages. The other proposed program, the Flats Sequencing System, would sort magazines, catalogs and other flats into delivery order but would not bundle them with letters. The decision to proceed with one or both initiatives likely will be made in 2004. If approved, FSS will be targeted for initial deployment in 2006 and DPP in 2007. Though the technology is not yet available, the USPS is working on prototypes of DPP sorting machines with manufacturers."

November 7, 2003 -- St. Louis Today has reported that "thousands of boxes pass through the FedEx facility near Lambert Field in St. Louis each week. Almost all pass without notice or delay. But workers Wednesday spotted one box leaking fluid. Following standard procedure, they opened the box and two others headed for the same Kirkwood residential address. Inside: a human arm and two legs packed on dry ice."

November 7, 2003 -- The BBC has reported that "the recent spate of unofficial strikes by Royal Mail workers has once again posted the beleaguered company back in the mire. Even with all staff now back at work, such is the backlog of mail that hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the UK may still have to wait up to a fortnight for that important letter or parcel to finally arrive. Whatever the rights or wrongs behind the unofficial walkouts, the public can be forgiven for being completely exasperated with the Royal Mail."

November 7, 2003 -- Ahmedeabad Newsline India has reported that "in an innovative step, the Rajkot post office circle has started door-to-door sales of postal products like postal stamps, envelopes, covers, post cards, inland letters, air letters, through their postmen."

November 7, 2003 -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) has asked: "Which of Germany's former state monopolists still has the same boss it had in 1989? Is it a) Deutsche Bahn, b) Deutsche Lufthansa, c) Deutsche Post or d) Deutsche Telekom? Correct: Bahn, Lufthansa and Telekom have used up entire generations of managers during this period. Only Deutsche Post has seen an almost uncanny continuity for the past 14 years. When Klaus Zumwinkel took over at the postal giant, eastern Germany was still governed by socialists and Deutsche Post was still called Deutsche Bundespost. Zumwinkel has overseen the partial listing of the still mostly state-owned company, and recently announced plans also to list Deutsche Post's retail banking subsidiary, Postbank, in autumn 2004. It would be the first major public listing in Germany for a long time and a surprise for investors who liked the news and started buying the Post share, because the parent company will reap an estimated EUR2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) from the listing."

November 7, 2003 -- ADVO, Inc. has announced the election of Karen Kaplan, 43, to the Company's Board of Directors. Kaplan is President of advertising agency Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts.

November 7, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that:

• United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp. are taking advantage of a U.S. Postal Service discount for package consolidators to steal away some of the post office's biggest customers. Atlanta-based UPS, already the world's largest transportation company, on Thursday launched UPS Basic, a low-cost delivery service that will have the U.S. Postal Service making final deliveries of some of its packages. The new program is targeting mail-order merchants, who are some of the post office's biggest customers due to its cheaper rates compared to UPS or competitor FedEx Corp. See also Forbes.
• DHL has launched a new online trade service. DHL described its Trade Automation Service as an interactive, online application offering automated global trade and customs clearance information. The features include landed cost calculator, product compliance, comparative landed costs, trade documents, interactive classification and restricted party screening.

November 6, 2003 -- The Federal Times has reported that "Postmaster General John Potter warned against giving a proposed regulatory board power to define universal mail service, cap workers' salaries and alter the U.S. Postal Service's monopoly over first-class mail."

November 6, 2003 -- GovExec.com has reported that "the head of the General Accounting Office demanded "more specificity and more transparency" Wednesday from the United States Postal Service, as the nation's cash-strapped mail service examines possible reform efforts."

November 6, 2003 -- According to Prosperity 4, "E-Learning solutions provider Futuremedia Plc announced today that it has won a three-year contract for the promotion and delivery of its Learning For All programme to over 200,000 Royal Mail employees. However postal workers may be too busy sorting their backlog of 50 million letters, after their series of strikes, to take advantage of discounted PC's."

November 6, 2003 -- According to Financial Times (U.K.), "Royal Mail will again enlist Labour peer Lord Sawyer to help improve relations between workers and management in an attempt to avoid further postal strikes."

November 6, 2003 -- The Polish News Bulletin has reported that "private building owners have until August 24, 2008 to replace mailboxes at their own expense with new units meeting new EU-mandated technical specifications. The Polish Post, which owns existing mailboxes, must remove them by this deadline. These requirements stem from an Infrastructure Minister directive that recently entered into force. It accommodates Polish regulations to liberalization of the postal delivery market within the EU. Various operators competing in this sector must all have access to mailboxes without the need for a key, as is presently the case. Also, the directive adapts technical standards to the needs of blind and disabled persons. Whereas private home owners remain unaffected by this directive, housing cooperatives have already announced that tenants will have to pay for this modification themselves. Free market principles will apply to the selection of sale of new mailboxes."

November 6, 2003 -- According to the Irish Independent, "Tim McCarthy is happy with the progress of One Direct as An Post's financial services arm heads for its fifth birthday early next year."

November 6, 2003 -- The Independent (U.K.) has reported that "the new chairman of the postal regulator, Postcomm, served notice yesterday that the watchdog's efforts would be redoubled to end Royal Mail's letters monopoly. Nigel Stapleton, who takes over from Graham Corbett in January, said there was evidence that rival companies were still being deterred from setting up in competition." See also The Times.

November 6, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "escalating its attack on the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service Inc. is quietly rolling out a new, bare-bones service that will soon begin dumping thousands of packages a day into the mail system for regular letter carriers to deliver. The new service, called UPS Basic, is designed to steal some of the post office's biggest customers, especially mail-order merchants that often avoided UPS because of its comparatively steep rates. UPS Basic, which has angered post-office officials and UPS's own Teamsters union, exploits a postal discount program that was designed for very different purposes. Because of the discount, customers pay UPS less for its new service than if they went straight to the post office."

November 6, 2003 -- Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) yesterday urged the U.S. Postmaster General to continue taking strong steps to reform his agency, and pledged to introduce legislation to help the Postal Service meet its reform goals. Senator Collins said she intends to introduce legislation to assist the Postal Service with its reform efforts, and that universal service would be an essential goal."

November 6, 2003 -- The World Socialist web site has reported that "nearly 30,000 postal workers returned to work on November 3 after a two-week unofficial strike was ended following a deal struck between the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Royal Mail. In an expression of gratitude to the CWU for its work in ending the strike, Royal Mail has said that it recognises that the CWU did not instigate the unofficial action and that they will not make any legal claims on the union." According to the World Socialist web site, the union sold out the postal strike.

November 6, 2003 -- The U.S. General Accounting Office has issued a report on the Status of Inspector General's Recommendations on the Supplier Diversity Program.

November 6, 2003 -- Federal Computer Week has reported that "when it comes to keeping personal information confidential, people generally have the most trust in organizations that they deal with on a daily basis, according to survey results released this week. The Privacy Trust Survey, conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by the CIO Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, found that health care providers and banks received the highest results, and the U.S. Postal Service was the highest-ranked government entity."

November 6, 2003 -- Japan Today has reported that "mail deliveries to Britain and surrounding areas have been delayed for some three days due to a strike by British postal workers"

Novmeber 6, 2003 -- Washington Technology has reported that "Computer Sciences Corp. won two five-year follow-on contracts to provide management and logistics support services for five U.S. Postal mail transport repair facilities."

November 5, 2003 -- The testimony presented by Postmaster General Jack Potter and Comptroller General David Walker before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs can be found on the committee's web site. In his comments, the PMG said that he agreed with many of the recommendations offered by the President's Commission on the Postal Service, but disagreed with a few, including the some of the provisions pertaining to the governing board, the regulatory board, and the base-closing idea. The Comptroller General said that "the GAO agrees with the President's Commission that now is the time to modernize the nation s postal laws rather than waiting until a financial crisis occurs that limits Congressional options."

November 5, 2003 -- The U.K. Department of Trade and Industry has announced the re-appointments to the Consumer Council for Postal Services (Postwatch). See also The Guardian.

November 5, 2003 -- According to USPSlinkOnline, "Postal Service employees collected, transported, processed and delivered First-Class Mail the next day 95% of the time during FY 2003 quarter 4, as measured externally and independently by IBM's Business Consulting Services unit. That's the third straight quarter USPS employees have maintained that record level of EXFC service."

November 5, 2003 -- According to the Sun-Sentinel, "the U.S. Postal Service returned 17,245 of the 100,000 ballots sent out [for a South Florida election], because they went to people no longer at the addresses listed." If your list lacks quality, it isn't a "mailing" list!

November 5, 2003 -- ThisDayOnline (Nigeria) has reported that "the management of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Ogun State has lamented the loss of an over N13.5 million revenue yearly due to non-patronage of its 10,710 post office boxes across the state. The Ogun State Area Postal Manager, Mr I.F. Adeyomoye who disclosed this in Abeokuta further bemoaned the low purchase and use of postal and money orders, post cards and philatelic stamps."

November 5, 2003 -- According to The Gazette (Canada), "the union representing Canada Post's workers in Montreal is a veritable "grievance machine," pumping out 130 to 150 complaints against the crown corporation every month."

November 5, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "cargo carrier FedEx Co. is opposing the nomination of Kirk Van Tine to become the No. 2 official at the Transportation Department. FedEx spokeswoman Kristin Krause said Van Tine took the wrong approach in a fight over ownership of a competitor. FedEx claims Astar Air Cargo, formerly DHL, is owned by a German postal company and therefore is not allowed to do business in the United States. It is illegal for foreign-owned airlines to operate solely within U.S. borders. Transportation Department spokesman Robert Johnson said it was too bad that FedEx had personalized their disagreement."

November 4, 2003 -- According to Global-Unions.org, "postal services around the world are under siege by globalisation and pressures to privatise - but change needs to be gradual and tailored to each country to preserve a universal service to the public and avoid massive job losses."

November 4, 2003 -- UK online centres across England have been inundated with people learning how to use e-mail and the Internet as a result of the current chaos in the postal service. The Internet drop-in help and advice centres are supporting users as they venture online to beat the current postal blues. The postal strikes have caused a backlog of 16 million letters which has disrupted the service nationally and is expected to take two weeks to clear. These delays are forcing people to find other way to communicate. It is estimated that UK online centres in areas affected by postal disputes have seen a 25% rise in the number of visitors wanting help and advice. Managers are reporting that many of the customers are requesting information on paying bills or sending E greetings cards specifically because of the current postal problems. Those who have previously been unable to e-mail are now deciding to do so. In addition, UK online centres have seen an increase in people paying bills and changing personal details online.

November 4, 2003 -- According to PostCom President Gene Del Polito, in an article prepared for PostalSolutions, "posts around the world are beginning to wake up to the fact that the dynamics that drive the postal business are changing big-time. The days of being able to take your customers' business for granted are over. most posts persist in the belief that if they tell the market the kinds of services they offer that businesses will beat a path to their door. What many fail to grasp is that in today's environment, the question to ask is not 'here's what I have; what do you want to buy,' but rather, 'what do you need, and may I build it for you.' While no post is perfect, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) benefits enormously from an historical 'accident' that more closely linked marketplace interests with the development of postal products and services. The link was what we call in the United States 'worksharing.'"

November 4, 2003 -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) has reported that "Deutsche Post, Germany's postal service operator, forecasts ebita of more than 2.9bn euros and a turnover increase from 39.3bn euros to around 44bn euros for 2003. The group had recorded ebita of 2.4bn euros last year. Analysts predict ebita of 3bn euros. Management aims to increase ebita to at least 3.6bn euros by 2005."

November 4, 2003 -- Die Welt (Germany) has reported that "Postbank, the banking subsidiary of Deutsche Post, Germany's postal service operator, is expected to register an increase in pre-tax profits of around 25 per cent to 500m euros this year. This forecast has been made by Klaus Zumwinkel, chairman of Deutsche Post. He has stressed that Postbank will continue to focus on retail banking and services for medium-sized businesses and will refrain from entering other market segments."

November 4, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "President George W. Bush intends to nominate Brian Roseboro, Treasury's assistant secretary for financial markets, as Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance. Roseboro has been acting undersecretary for domestic finance since Peter Fisher left Oct. 6 to seek a private-sector job. Treasury's domestic finance head oversees a wide range of Treasury issues, including debt management and government-sponsored enterprise policy."

November 4, 2003 -- The Business Times (Singapore) has reported that "Singapore Post Ltd reported on Tuesday a drop of 9.5 per cent in net profit to $24.19 million for the second quarter ending Sept 30 2003, against the same period last financial year."

November 4, 2003 -- According to The Telegraph (U.K.), "Royal Mail could lose even more business following the strike by postal workers, rivals warned yesterday."

November 4, 2003 -- The Guardian has reported that "a deal to end a series of wildcat strikes by thousands of postal workers was agreed today as the huge task to tackle a backlog of millions of items of mail got under way. The end of the unofficial strike action came after a deal was finally clinched at 3.30am. It came after tortuous negotiations, lasting all weekend, at a central London hotel. However, disruption, especially in the capital, will take time to come to an end, with Royal Mail admitting that the backlog could take between two and three weeks to clear." See also the BBC.

November 4, 2003 -- NewsFactor has reported that "CRM software maker ATG (Art Technology Group) said that Deutsche Post, the German postal service, has launched a personalized, online post office based on the ATG enterprise commerce suite and relationship management framework. The new site helps Deutsche Post manage relationships with consumers and small to mid-size businesses that perform postal transactions online, ATG said."

November 3, 2003 -- The Associated Press  has reported that "former Rep. Frank McCloskey, an outspoken champion of Bosnia during his 12 years in Congress, died Sunday after a year-long battle with bladder cancer. He was 64." For several of his years in Congress, McCloskey served as the chairman of a  House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service.

November 3, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "French bankers are well known for exaggerating threats, especially since their apocalyptic warnings about the financial crisis at Alstom persuaded the French government to step in with support for a ¬ 3.2bn bail-out of the ailing engineering group. So it is hardly surprising that their howls of protest about the government's plans to expand the financial services activities of La Poste, the French post office, have met more than a healthy dose of cynicism. La Poste already offers deposits, the Livret A savings plan, life insurance and a mutual fund. However, it wants to expand into mortgages for customers who don't already have savings accounts, as well as consumer credit and household insurance, to help offset heavy losses at its struggling mail delivery business. The banks have lobbied furiously against the proposals."

November 3, 2003 -- Agence France Presse has reported that "Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on Israel's union movement, the Histadrut, to delay a planned general strike for 48 hours and enter into round-the-clock negotiations."

November 3, 2003 -- Teletext (U.K.) has reported that "a deal to end the series of wildcat strikes by postal workers has been agreed, paving the way for the huge backlog of mail to be cleared. Communication Workers Union leaders said members should return to work after reaching an "understanding" in marathon talks with Royal Mail bosses. A joint statement said all outstanding issues relating to pay and major change would go to the conciliation body Acas." See also Ananova and the BBC.

November 3, 2003 -- According to The Telegraph (U.K.), Brits "are schizophrenic in our attitude to the Royal Mail. On the one hand, we have confidence in the system: we like the idea that a letter posted anywhere in Britain will turn up safely at its destination for a guaranteed price. On the other, we have ample evidence that this is not happening. We frequently get misdirected post through our letterboxes, and suspect that not everyone is as punctilious as we are about returning it. We know that half a million letters are lost every week. Yet we are still reluctant to change the system. If nothing else, the unofficial strikes of recent days will have jolted some of us out of our complacency."

November 3, 2003 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "British Airways World Cargo and DHL have announced a new co-operation deal which will see the UK flag carrying airline utilise DHL s aircraft during the day and at weekends. BA will charter 20 DHL 757s and offer 20 services per week between London and key European hubs in Frankfurt, Bergamo (Milan), Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, Dublin and Hamburg."

November 2, 2003 -- The Sentinel (U.K.) has reported that "a string of rivals are poised to challenge the Royal Mail's 360-year-control of the postal service if the wildcat strikes drag on. Four private firms have been given the go-ahead to deliver letters to homes and businesses as the unofficial walkout continues to cause havoc across Britain. They include Express Dairies, which already uses milkmen to deliver thousands of parcels and catalogues to households around the country every day. Industry regulator Postcomm last week opened the market to private firms that previously had been restricted to carrying a limited amount of bulk mail to major customers. The companies will now be allowed to deliver to every household and apply for licences to hire postmen and put up post boxes."

Novmeber 2, 2003 -- The U.S. Postal Service's Chief Privacy Officer said Friday that as new postal products are developed "they will include privacy policies that reflect our trusted brand." Speaking at a conference of the International Association of Privacy Professionals meeting in Chicago, CPO Zoe Strickland said, "The Postal Service is a trusted business that seeks to develop modern products and services to meet customer needs. Part of that equation includes best-in-class privacy policies."

November 2, 2003 -- Zawya has reported that "British Airways World Cargo (BAWC) has announced an agreement with DHL to provide its customers with a short-haul European freighter programme. This will provide BAWC with a significant improvement in its offering to its customers utilising the European network. The addition of short-haul freighter aircraft will enable the carrier to offer faster connections and increased capacity on a number of key routes. Transferring capacity will receive a boost as 'known shippers' freight from mainland Europe will be subject to a streamlined security process which will result in speedier transit times at the airline's hub."

November 2, 2003 -- The Independent (U.K.) has reported that:

• The post office strike is making the Royal Mail "look stupid", the chairman of the company said yesterday. Allan Leighton told The Independent on Sunday that his customers did not care who was to blame for the wildcat action which has seen 50 million items of post build up over the past two weeks. What started as a trivial dispute in London has now spread across the country, with one in eight postal workers now on unofficial strike. Mr Leighton said yesterday: "I am sick of all the rhetoric. Let's get back to brass tacks. We are letting our customers down. The strike is making us look stupid throughout the whole country. I talk for the company, not the management, not the workforce. At the moment the company does not look good. It's not doing what it is supposed to do, which is deliver mail.
• The Royal Mail is in the privileged and increasingly unusual position of being a state-owned company protected from the market place. There has been a powerful case for its monopoly in the delivery of mail. In spite of the rise of faxes, email and text messages as alternative forms of communication, we are still dependent on the efficient, speedy delivery of bills and payments to our homes and businesses in exchange for the price of a stamp. In many parts of the country these items cannot be delivered at a profit, and until now it has seemed simpler and more cost-effective to place the collecting of the post and the subsequent delivery into the hands of a single company. It was not just political cowardice that led the last Conservative government to reject the privatisation of the Royal Mail.

November 2, 2003 -- The Scotsman (U.K.) has reported that "wildcat postal strikes will hit Scotland as early as tomorrow unless last-minute talks to end disputes south of the Border succeed, union leaders warned last night."

November 2, 2003 -- The Mirror (U.K.) has reported that "frantic talks to end the wildcat postal strike continued last night as the head of Royal Mail pledged to take a more "hands on" role in the dispute. Bosses and union leaders remained deadlocked during the fourth day of negotiations aimed at resolving the unofficial walkouts crippling mail services across the country. Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton warned that an escalating "war of words" between the two sides was in danger of getting out of hand."

November 2, 2003 -- The Guardian (U.K.) has reported that:

• Talks went ahead yesterday after the Government intervened in the row between postal workers and the Royal Mail for the first time. In a clear indication that Ministers were concerned the series of wildcat strikes sweeping Britain would escalate, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt called for cool heads on both sides. See also U.TV.
• A vermin problem in one delivery office lit the fuse. As wildcat strikes spread, the long-running divisions of an industry have been exposed. Can they ever be healed?

November 2, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "Dr. Seuss' "Cat in the Hat" will be making special guest appearances on cards and letters this holiday season. Mail canceled by automatic canceling machines will carry a "Happy Holidays" message and a drawing of the famed cat from Nov. 1 to Jan. 1, the Postal Service said Friday."

November 1, 2003 -- And this from the husband of a retiring postal employee: 

"Dear Gene: My wife just retired from the USPS after 33 years of service. Please find attached a picture of the plastic mug that the Manager of Distribution Operations presented to her on her last day of work along with a form letter. She has spent her entire adult life as a craft employee sorting the nation's mail. A plastic mug? The Presidential Commission suggested that the USPS pay be based on performance. A plastic mug; now there is an incentive for 800,000 employees. P.S. They put 31 years of service on the form letter. It should have been 33."

November 1, 2003 -- The BBC has reported that "talks are due to resume in the postal dispute, amid signs the row is becoming more bitter." See also icCoventry.co.uk.

November 1, 2003 -- And this also from the BBC: "'The cheque's in the post' may be one of the most well-worn excuses for late payment, but for thousands of small businesses the current postal delays caused by unofficial strike action are no laughing matter. As the wildcat strikes, which now affect London, the South East, South West, and Midlands, come to the end of their second week, many small and medium concerns are facing real financial difficulties."

November 1, 2003 -- Business World (Ireland) has reported that "postboxes in London have been sealed by the Royal Mail to stop people adding to a big mail backlog caused by a strike by postal workers there."

November 1, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Adam Crozier, chief executive of the Royal Mail said 'we were always going to face this eventually'  following a week of the most damaging postal strikes in recent years. But given the inevitability of some sort of showdown with trade unions over controversial restructuring plans, questions are growing about the management's strategy for tackling this spiralling crisis."

November 1, 2003 -- According to The Telegraph (U.K.), "post strikes could cost £20m a day."

November 1, 2003 -- The Edinburg News (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail chiefs have asked lawyers to investigate possible court action against postal unions amid allegations officials encouraged workers to stage wildcat walk outs. Post Office management believe they have evidence of secret involvement by union militants in stirring up the dispute which has caused chaos to the postal system across large parts of England."

November 1, 2003 -- Of course, there's always another point of view, and here's one from the World Socialist Web Site.

November 1, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc. has forecast 2004 earnings per share 12-18 percent higher than this year's profits." See also the UPS press release.

November 1, 2003 -- According to NBC San Diego, "the wildfires have interrupted mail delivery to a number of evacuated and burned-out East County communities, but residents can still get parcels and letters."