(tb) The Austrian post A proposal aims to get the Unicode Consortium to approve an emoji featuring a postal worker. The Universal Postal Union supports the proposal, which received unanimous backing at the recent Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. If the proposal is approved by the Unicode Consortium, the postal emoji could be installed on computers and smartphones as early as 2026.
(tb) Was the current President of the United States involved in the Declaration of Independence? Well, it's probably not entirely out of the question that he himself believed he was. After all, he also calculated that the Gaza War, which began with the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, would last 3000 years.
The open youth stamp competition "Stamp it! – Everyone can participate" will take place for the first time in 2026. All young stamp collectors up to the age of 21, as well as youth groups, school classes, and clubs, have the opportunity to participate. Membership in the German Philatelic Youth Association (Deutsche Philatelisten-Jugend e.V.) is not a requirement for participation.
(tb) Jörg Maier is needed by the readers of the MICHEL-Rundschau not to introduce him. He is rightly considered the most important Chile expert in Germany. Whether the letter addressed to him was philatelic in nature, he kept to himself. He presented the envelope, which clearly demonstrates the reading capabilities of modern sorting machines, to the editorial staff. One could hardly address a letter more neatly by hand than the sender. Nevertheless, the technology couldn't handle it. The yellow sticker with the address in letters and in matrix code proves that the machine needed some human assistance.
(tb) The Japanese Post It is expanding its activities in logistics. It acquired a 19,9 percent stake in LogisteedBehind this lies the former logistics division of the Hitachi-Group. Logisteed is one of the leading providers in the Asia-Pacific region for logistics services that companies have fully outsourced. In Japan, 56.000 people work for Logisteed at 1000 locations, and another 19.000 at 450 locations outside Japan. Among globally operating logistics providers, Logispeed is currently ranked 29th with a revenue of almost six billion euros.
Japan Post is paying the equivalent of just over €900 million for the minority stake. It did not specify whether it intends to pursue a full takeover in the medium or long term. Its own logistics division operates under the name... Toll and currently ranks 30th in the world.
(tb) Three corporate divisions of German Post announced increased investments in Africa. DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain Deutsche Post plans to invest around €300 million in expanding its activities in sub-Saharan Africa. The express delivery division intends to modernize transshipment centers, increase air freight capacity, and expand time-definite deliveries in emerging cities. In the freight forwarding and logistics sector, the focus is on developing industry-specific solutions with the aim of strengthening trade in Africa. Finally, the group's supply chain management segment plans to expand its transport solutions, with a particular emphasis on the transport of pharmaceuticals and related products, the so-called life sciences and healthcare sectors. Deutsche Post also announced its intention to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with training, for example, on navigating customs regulations.
(tb) The Federal Ministry of Finance The issue of commemorative coins minted in silver was discontinued at the end of October. The "Christmas" issue, scheduled for release on November 20th, and the "125 Years of the Wuppertal Suspension Railway" issue, planned for January 22nd, 2026, will not be released, or not in the planned form.
(tb) As of January 1, 2026, business customers will have to pay more for parcels. Deutsche Post The company announced postage increases without specifying the exact amount. Since business customers use individually negotiated contracts, there are no price lists. The company justified the price hike with rising delivery costs and upcoming investments, including the expansion of its network of parcel and postal stations, the number of which is expected to grow from 16.500 to 30.000 by 2030.
