On 1 August, China Post's EMS launched a same day 'intercity express' delivery service between Beijing and Tianjin which the group said would facilitate afternoon delivery of morning post and would be the fastest such service in the country. The move is part of a package of new measures introduced by China Post's subsidiary to cement its position as the leading nationwide express delivery provider including a substantial reduction in rates at the end of last year as well the introduction of … [Read more...] about New same-day service from China Post

Austrian Post has reported an increase in first half 2008 revenue and profit compared to the opening six months of 2007. The European postal organisation said group half-year revenue was up 7.3 per cent to €1.2 billion with EBIT of €81.9 million, an EBIT margin of 6.8 per cent and group profit for the period up by 3.4 per cent, to €70.1 million. "The first half of the 2008 financial year developed very satisfactorily for Austrian Post. The 7.3 per cent increase in revenue is not only … [Read more...] about Austrian Post reports rising profits

Swiss Post International (SPI), the international group unit of Swiss Post, recently announced it had acquired Global Press Distribution GmbH (GPD) in Germany for an undisclosed sum. SPI said the acquisition consolidated its position in the German export press market, the largest in Europe. GPD provided services connected with the international and national dispatch of magazines and its German customers included publishers, printers, letter shops and other service providers in the publishing … [Read more...] about Swiss Post buys German press company

Alas, this is the last Bellyache from your narrator, who has put together this page for most of the past 20 years. It is time to leave the "least serious page" in this magazine to someone else. We are glad to have been able to serve you with "news from the sidelines", based on regular anonymous and not so anonymous contributions from readers, which often were not only unprintable, but also clogged yours truly computer. Keep sending the stuff folks, because like nicotine, cell phones, … [Read more...] about GOOD BYE

According to the US Energy Information Agency "US oil demand during the first half of 2008 fell an average of 800,000 barrels per day compared with the same period a year ago, the biggest drop in 26 years." At the same time, the price of oil was soaring in the first six months of 2008, reaching US$147 per barrel in early July. Queried by consumers organisations and Congress, the Bush administration and representatives of the oil cartel vehemently denied that speculators were driving up … [Read more...] about SPECULATORS