Year: 2005

GAO urges better training for handling suspicious US mail

Posted by | Aug 8, 2005 | |

The US Postal Service needs to develop more detailed training to prepare its workers to handle suspicious mail more carefully, the Government Accountability Office said Monday.

The GAO cited mistakes in the handling of a letter containing the poison ricin that was found in the Greenville, S.C. post office in October 2003.

The letter, which contained a sealed vial, was labeled “Caution: Ricin Poison,” GAO noted.

It said the letter was discovered around midnight and postal officials double wrapped it and removed it to an area away from workers, but did not call postal inspectors until the next day. Inspectors then called in local emergency officials and the letter was sent to the state health department and later to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

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Japanese PM calls snap election

Posted by | Aug 8, 2005 | |

Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has dissolved the lower house of parliament and called an early election for 11 September.

The move follows the defeat in the Upper House of his landmark proposals to reform the country’s postal system.

The vote was a huge blow to Mr Koizumi, who staked his reputation on the issue.

One minister has resigned over his decision to call an early election, and his divided party may now face a close race in the poll.

The postal reform would have transformed Japan Post, with its 3 trillion dollars of assets, into the world’s largest bank.

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Royal Mail admits GBP4.5bn black hole will force up stamp prices

Posted by | Aug 7, 2005 | |

Royal Mail is to force customers to pay for its GBP4.5bn pension fund deficit with plans to raise stamp prices to plug the black hole.

The revelation is contained in minutes of a high-level meeting between executives of Britain’s postal industry, hosted by the regulator Postcomm last month.

Royal Mail insists that no decision has been taken on how to reduce its pensions gap. But at the meeting, Stephen Agar, Royal Mail’s director of regulatory affairs, said: ‘Prices have been too low to fund the deficit. Pensions are a real cost that customers should bear.’

The disclosure comes as ministers are preparing to review proposals by Royal Mail’s chairman, Allan Leighton, for the Government to hand over 51 per cent of the state-owned company to the workers and take on some of the pension liabilities.

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TNT appoint first UAE Country General Manager

Posted by | Aug 7, 2005 | |

TNT industry veteran Briton Moulds having served for nearly two decades, will spearhead and strategise the company’s immediate Dhs 2.5 million Emirates-wide expansion.

Moulds takes up the new post after four years as National Sales and Marketing Manager at TNT Gulf, where his duties included strategy planning and implementation, cost control and ensuring a robust workable commercial policy.

TNT Express, the world’s leading B2B express delivery company, has appointed Bryan Moulds as its first Country General Manager for the United Arab Emirates.

‘This new dedicated UAE appointment is a direct response to TNT’s rapid growth in the Emirates of more than 30percent over the last year,’ said Mark Pell, TNT’s Managing Director, Gulf and Saudi Arabia.

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DHL, MSD to alleviate river blindness

Posted by | Aug 7, 2005 | |

Patients suffering from river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in Africa, Latin America and Middle East may soon heave a sigh of relief, following an agreement reached between DHL and Merik Sharp and Dohme (MSD) to facilitate the delivery of Mectizan to those continents.

A statement signed by DHL’s communications Manager, Daniela Peter said the development would hold a lot of hope to those regions.

Under the new arrangement, which was signed last week DHL will offer at-cost shipping of MECTIZAN from MSD’s facility in Clermont-Ferrand, France to endemic countries through DHL’s reliable air express services. The new agreement builds upon an existing relationship between DHL and MSD and combines the core capabilities of the two companies to ensure rapid and flexible delivery of the drug.

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UPS completes acquisition of Overnite

Posted by | Aug 5, 2005 | |

UPS today announced it has completed the acquisition of Overnite Corporation for USD43.25 per share, or approximately USD1.25 billion in an all-cash transaction. Overnite shareholders approved the transaction yesterday. Based in Richmond, Va., Overnite reported net income of USD63.3 million in 2004 on revenue of USD1.65 billion. The carrier serves more than 60,000 customers in the less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) segments. It has operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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UK postal chiefs in dark over Bain official remit

Posted by | Aug 5, 2005 | |

The postal industry is calling for an official summit with newly appointed Government adviser Sir George Bain, who will scrutinise key proposals in the run up to market liberalisation. Despite overwhelming industry support for his appointment, the postal sector claims it is still in the dark about the extent of Bain’s remit. Nigel Stapleton, chairman of Postcomm, states: “It is not clear whether this is a review or something much less formal.” A Department of Trade & Industry spokesman explains: “He will be examining the relationships between Royal Mail, its regulators and unions, ensuring a strong working partnership.”

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