BRUSSELS, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - The EU's top competition regulator ordered Italy on Thursday to recover 'unlawful' state aid granted to the national postal service Poste Italiane, following a two-year investigation.

BRUSSELS, April 30, 2008 (AFP) - The European Commission cleared on Wednesday 1.1 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars) in state aid for Poste Italiane, judging the post operator needed the support to meet its public service obligations.

Europe's top competition watchdog said that the state aid was in line with EU rules covering compensation for performing a public service.

OTTAWA, April 23, 2008 (AFP) - Canada Post is issuing its first ever Braille stamp featuring guide dogs to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Canada's oldest association for the blind, it said Wednesday.

TBILISI, April 21, 2008 (AFP) - Russia on Monday restored postal links with neighbouring Georgia, ending an embargo imposed by Moscow as part of its sanctions against the Western-leaning former Soviet republic.

BERLIN, April 19, 2008 (AFP) - Germany's Verdi trade union Saturday called an open-ended strike for May 2 at mail service and logistics provider Deutsche Post after a fourth round of talks with management broke down overnight.

Verdi said details of the action would be ironed out at meetings at the end of next week.

BERLIN, April 19, 2008 (AFP) - Germany's privatised postal service braced Saturday for a strike next week after a fourth round of talks with the Verdi union broke down overnight.

Deutsche Post's head of personnel, Walter Scheurle, said in a statement that it was prepared to continue talks provided that Verdi dropped a demand for no increase in working hours.

STOCKHOLM, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - Sweden and Denmark will merge their postal services to create a new company, along with a private investment fund, that will be able to meet new challenges in a changing market, a statement said on Tuesday.

STOCKHOLM, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - Swedish and Danish authorities have agreed to merge their postal services, the Swedish postal service Posten said on Tuesday.

BERLIN, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - German postal and logistics group Deutsche Post said on Tuesday it had sold real estate holdings to US investment fund Lone Star for 1.0 billion euros (1.6 billion dollars).

The US company will acquire some 1,300 properties, most of them in Germany, Deutsche Post said in a statement.

PARIS, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - The French state-run postal service, La Poste, reported on Thursday a net profit of nearly a billion euros (1.5 billion dollars) and said it would pay a profit-sharing bonus to its employees for the first time.

The company is also to pay 141 million euros, about 15 percent of its net profit, as a dividend to the state.