To celebrate 100 years of educating Canadians to save lives, Canada Post today issued a domestic rate stamp honouring the Lifesaving Society. The Lifesaving Society's singular focus is to prevent drowning and water-related injuries through training programs.

"Canada Post has paid a great honour to the centenary of the Lifesaving Society." said Timothy Feher, the Society's national CEO. "We are celebrating 100 years of service to Canadians as the authority for lifeguard training, aquatic safety standards, research and technical innovation and public education for drowning prevention. It is an extraordinary legacy that we can be proud of in Canada. The fact that the stamp is being released during the Society's National Drowning Prevention Week, serves to underscore the importance of this issue among Canadians in all communities across the country."

While swimming was extremely popular across Europe during the late 19th century, little focus was paid to the instruction of lifesaving, making drowning a common form of death. Fortunately, William Henry, a renowned swimming champion in the 1880s and 90s, recognized the need to develop and teach lifesaving programs and started a movement that would be felt across the ocean. In 1894, Arthur Lewis Cochrane was named a Royal Lifesaving Society's Honorary Representative in Canada and brought home the lifesaving skills he had learned in England. Through his efforts, the Ontario Branch of the Society was established on Dec. 10, 1908. Little did Cochrane suspect that the 18 Upper Canada College students who earned the first Bronze Medallions in Canada were the vanguard of over 7 million Canadians who would come to hold the Society's award.

Designer Derwin Goodall wanted to create an "inviting" stamp.The cool crisp white frame mixes with an airy outdoor scene and projects the Lifesaving Society's goal of encouraging water safety and swimming skills. The action photographs in the background illustrate two kinds of water rescue while the lifeguard on the forefront represents the more than 500,000 Canadians who train in Lifesaving Society programs each year. "I wanted a fresh and lively look to convey some of the energy and responsiveness involved in lifeguarding as well as the confidence you need to really take care of people," said Goodall.

In the stamp collecting world, it's the equivalent of a mystery treasure find.

An Australian auction house is predicting a recently discovered Australian Kangaroo stamp could attract global bidders and fetch as much as $25,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The 1913 ten shilling stamp was deemed so valuable was because of a printing error which left it with a doubling of the frame, auctioneer Charles Leski said.

The previously unrecorded stamp might have struggled to sell for $1,000 but because of the "philatelic faux pas", interest would be high, he said.

"Australian Kangaroo stamps are collected all over the world," Mr Leski said.

"This stamp is not recorded in any of the philatelic literature, so for serious collectors it is like stumbling across a hitherto unknown find.

"Interest will be high and the bidding is likely to be intense."

Tonga Post will release a commemorative stamp issue for the Coronation of King George Tupou V, featuring the king in his full coronation regalia.

Matangi Tonga reports that two stamps of one and five pa’anga will go on sale on the day of the Coronation which August the 1st.

The stamps were designed by Denise Durkin of Wellington in New Zealand, and will be available from the Tonga Philatelic Bureau.

The Cayman Islands Postal Service is releasing a new set of stamps featuring the Islands’ biodiversity.

The stamps, titled ‘Darwin Initiative’, will be released Wednesday, 9 July at all post offices.
This issue is a collaboration between the Postal Service and the Department of Environment and introduces a range of Cayman’s indigenous creatures.

The Darwin Initiative is funded and administered by the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It provides small financial grants to promote the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of global resources.

There are five stamps in this issue: 20¢ (Land Crab); 25¢ (Needle Case); 75¢ (Little Cayman Green Anole); 80¢ (Brac Ground Boa), and $1 (White-shouldered Bat). The Soldier Crab will be on the first day cover and the Caribbean Reef Squid is featured on the souvenir sheet.

“We believe that this stamp issue is educational because it highlights some of our endemic species and their essential habitats. It also features some common species, those which we might take for granted, but which nonetheless do their bit to make the Cayman Islands a little bit different,” noted Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow.

A distinguishing feature of this stamp issue is the inclusion of habitats. While they are not on the stamps themselves, they comprise an important part of the issue since habitats are essential for the species to survive. The habitats are on the stamp selvage and an explanation of where each creature can be found is included on the leaflet. Another unique aspect of these stamps is that all images were supplied by local photographers Nimer Alvarado, Andrew Hope, Jennifer Godfrey, Fred Burton and Courtney Platt.

“Our department is extremely pleased to have been able to showcase in this way, the spectacular diversity of animals found in the Cayman Islands,” said Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie. “We extend sincere thanks to the Cayman Islands Post Office and the Philatelic Bureau for providing this wonderful opportunity.”

Minister of Communications, Hon Arden McLean, also endorsed the stamp issue, saying:

OTTAWA - VANOC and Canada Post announced Thursday that Canada Post has been named an Official Supplier for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

From iconic sports imagery to the beloved Vancouver 2010 mascots - Sumi, Miga, and Quatchi - 2010 Winter Games-themed stamps will grace Canada's mail starting in December 2008 according to a news release.

In turn, Canada Post receives sponsorship rights for the Canadian Olympic team for the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games. Stamps will be issued to celebrate all three Games.

He added that the issuing of stamps represented a milestone for the development of relations between the two countries, in addition to its impact on stamp collectors worldwide. Al-Osaimi noted that Kuwait was honored to perceive the stamps’-issuance initiative and agreed to the Romanian side to document Romanian contribution in extinguishing oil wells fire back in the early 1990s among other Romanian positive inputs. For his part, Romanian Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Kostantin referred in his speech to the depth of the Romanian-Kuwaiti relations at all levels, especially political, popular, cultural and tourism. He said that the issuance ceremony coincided with the passage of 45 years on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Romania, which witnessed during this period a “remarkably sophisticated and distinguished ties” between the two countries at the bilateral level and in international forums and organizations.

For his part, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Romania Yaqoub Youssif Al-Ateeqi said that one of the stamps highlighted the role of Romania firefighting crews in extinguishing the Kuwaiti oil wells, while the other two were explaining the history of Kuwaiti handicrafts, which was a part of the old folklore.
Al-Ateeqi said that relations between the two countries witnessed in recent years a “qualitative leap” at the political, economic, trade, cultural and tourism levels, particularly after the visit by His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to the Romanian capital on Sept 15, 2006, during which the Kuwaiti Embassy headquarters was opened in Bucharest, giving impetus and momentum to the development of relations between the two countries at all levels.

Books by DKP, including Light On A Hill and Mapping Memory: Former Prisoners Tell Their Stories, will be available from the David Krut Bookstore at the Constitutional Court. Number Four: The Making Of Constitution Hill is also available from the store.

AUSTRALIA'S working dogs, including labradors from Guide Dogs Victoria in Kew , are now earning their keep more than ever.

The german shepherd, Australian cattle dog, beagle, border collie and labrador all feature in a special Australia Post stamp series launched last week.

The clever canines' respective workplaces, including a sheep station and airport, feature in the background of the 50c stamps as a tribute to their importance within the community.

Australia Post group manager of philatelic Noel Leahy said he expected the series to be especially popular among animal lovers and children.

"Dogs have asserted themselves as invaluable contributors to society and it is wonderful to give them such recognition," Mr Leahy said.

The 2008 Working Dog stamps are available from participating Australia Post stores.

Canada Post today issued a domestic rate (52 cents) stamp celebrating the centennial of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). The CNA is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial nurses' associations and colleges representing more than 133,700 registered nurses and nurse practitioners. They are the national professional voice of registered nurses, supporting them in their practice and advocating for healthy public policy and a quality, publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.

"We stand today upon attainments of our predecessors, and our gathering here is proof that we realize how much yet remains to be accomplished. We are living not for the present only."

Mary Agnes Snively, first president of the CNA (1895).

The nursing history in Canada is vast. Official records date back to 1737 with The Sisters of Charity of the Hopital General de Montreal (Grey Nuns). In 1897, Lady Aberdeen, wife of Governor General Lord Aberdeen, set up the national, non-profit organization called The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) wanting to close the gap between the nursing care of the rich and poor. Nursing programs were established in the early twentieth century with disease prevention and public health education as their focus. But it was in 1908 that representatives from all the organized nursing bodies in Canada were invited to meet in Ottawa to discuss uniting as a national association. Several associations attended and formed the provisional society of the Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses, now called the CNA.

The war years showed the world what it meant to be a nurse. By serving in a professional capacity in a typically male environment, nurses demonstrated their ability to solve complex problems under pressure. Over 3,000 nurses served in World War I.

"Nurses are often the first person to see to a patient and, at the end of the day, the last one to check in on them", says Liz Wong, Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post, "and portraying that warmth and caring characteristic was our inspiration."

Designed by Doreen Colonello of Gottschalk+Ash International, this stamp draws its design concept from the torch and light logo of the Canadian Nurses Association. "I kept thinking about how I would like to be treated when I am sick and I kept coming back to the warmth and light, the comfort that nurses offer." Because of the wide range of duties performed by nurses as well as the various domains in which nurses work including, clinical, research, administration, research and education, the choice of image for the stamp was also a challenge for Colonello. "I tried different images and representations of nurses at work but finally decided that a nurse with a medical tray would be most recognizable because over 50 per cent of the nursing profession works in hospitals," said Ms. Colonello.

As Austria and Switzerland prepared for the start of Euro 2008 on Saturday, Austria Post launched a unique postage stamp, a world first, using the latest sophisticated, motionstamp technology.

The state of the art technology for this amazing, self-adhesive €5.45 stamp was developed by Outer Aspect, the world leader in motionstamp production. The company, founded by Jonathan Moon in 1997, is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

The film incorporated into the actual stamp shows the goal scored by Andreas Herzog, the Austrian No 10, on September 6, 1997, when Austria beat Sweden 1-0. About 48,000 fans packed into the Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium on that memorable night to see the goal that helped Austria to qualify for the 1998 World Cup finals played in France.

Erich Haas, director of the philatelic department at Austrian Post , emphasised: “We issued this special stamp to bring back the spirit of 1997 and encourage our national team in Euro 2008.”

The Andreas Herzog stamp is the largest single motionstamp that has yet been produced. The stamp uses three seconds of video footage, which is the highest number of images to be put within a motionstamp stamp.

Preparation for the € 5.45 stamp, the highest face value of any stamp issued by Austria Post, required a large amount of video editing. The number of stamps printed was 350,000.

The stamp launch in May, at the House of Sport in Vienna, captured the drama and excitement of the historic goal. Andreas Herzog, the Austrian record holder with 103 games for the national team, propelled the ball with his left foot 20 metres into the back of the net.

Mr Moon explained: “This single unit is made completely of microlenticular material and therefore cannot be dissected into separate parts. It incorporates security features both overt and covert making it almost impossible to duplicate.” He added: “Outer Aspect developed a special resin that works with most ink cancellation systems around the world.”

Outer Aspect has now produced a motionstamp for six countries: Austria Post, Australia Post, Irish Post, TNT in the Netherlands, Finland Post, and the United Emirates. The company is in discussion with several other postal administrations throughout the world about exciting new stamp projects.

A 22-year-old Danbury man has been charged in the case, and police have obtained an arrest warrant for an accomplice, Det. George Bryce Jr. said.

Both suspects worked in the shipping department of Nutmeg Stamp Sales, a nationally known dealer of high-end philatelic material located in Bethel's industrial park.

"People would purchase stamps, and as they prepared them for shipment, some would end up missing," Bryce said. "Some of the shipments were big, so they figured, 'Who would know?'"

Police identified the suspect who was taken into custody last Friday as Andrew Mastrianni, of Advocate Place, Danbury.

He was charged with first-degree larceny and conspiracy and was released on $50,000 bond pending a June 20 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

The arrest of the second suspect, whose name wasn't released, is pending.

Bryce said the investigation began in January, after Nutmeg president David Coogle and chief operating officer Lawrence Gibson reported some stamps shipped to customers hadn't made it to their destinations.

Attempts to contact Coogle and Gibson on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Among the missing items was a $2.60 face value 1930 U.S. airmail stamp specifically issued to carry letters on the Graf Zeppelin, a famous German dirigible that made round trips between Europe, South America and North America in the early 1930s.

About 1 million of the stamps were initially printed, but after some were sold for actual postal use and others were bought by collectors, the unsold balance was destroyed.

The issue is highly desired by collectors, who often try to assemble sets that include the 65 cent, $1.30 and $2.60 denominations.

The Zeppelin stamp was originally purchased from Nutmeg in November by a Michigan collector who bid $6,000 at auction. The collector asked Nutmeg to ship the stamp to Professional Stamp Experts, a company in California that would grade and encapsulate it in plastic, before Nutmeg sent it to him.

But when Nutmeg went to ship the then-encapsulated stamp to the collector in December, it couldn't be found, Coogle and Gibson told police, and they refunded the collector his money.

In January, a Florida stamp dealer contacted Nutmeg and said he had received a telephone call from a dealer in North Carolina who wanted to sell a 1930 Zeppelin.

The North Carolina dealer included a picture of the stamp, and the Florida dealer, who'd also done business with the Michigan collector, recognized it as belonging to Nutmeg because of the unique serial number on the capsule, Bryce said.

The North Carolina dealer told Gibson he'd been offered the stamp by a Connecticut man, who turned out to be an employee in Nutmeg's shipping department, police said.

Police then arranged to have the North Carolina dealer purchase the stamp through Paypal, an Internet payment service, establishing a financial trail for the transaction.

Meanwhile, Nutmeg officials began checking their records, and in February Coogle told Bryce they had discovered more stamps missing. Some of those stamps, it turned out, were ones Mastrianni was supposed to send back to the grading service to have errors on the plastic slabs corrected.

Instead, they wound up in the inventory of a California dealer who told police he'd previously purchased many stamps from Mastrianni.

Of the missing $140,000 in stamps, police have recovered about $50,000.

Thirteen stamps from the Queen's private collection sold for more than £170,000 yesterday - double their expected sale value.

One - a design entered in an 1839 competition for the world's first adhesive postage stamp - went for £50,700.

And one of two mint Penny Blacks fetched almost £10,000 at the London sale.

Emily Johnston, of auctioneers Spink, said: "It was a great honour for us to sell items from the Royal Philatelic Collection and we were excited to have bidders from all around the world."

When the post office announced its 2009 stamp program last month, it said the popular series will be relaunched with a Year of the Ox stamp next January.

The first stamp in the original series, issued in 1997, was a salute to the Year of the Ox and sported the Chinese character "fu," which means good fortune. The series has certainly had more than its share of that.

"Although demand varies from year to year, these stamps remain the most popular product we've ever had," says Jim Phillips, director of stamp services for Canada Post. "They are sought after by collectors and mailers alike, and there's a constant large demand from overseas collectors."

That enthusiasm has continued for a dozen years, making the Lunar New Year stamps one of the post office's greatest philatelic success stories.

The other big news is that two New Brunswick-born singers will be honoured on stamps next year. Stompin' Tom Connors and Acadian singer-songwriter Edith Butler will be among four Canadian recording artists to be featured on a stamp set to be issued in June of 2009. The other two will be rock singer and celebrity photographer Bryan Adams and Quebec's Robert Charlebois.

Here is the 2009 stamp program, listed according to month of issue:

January: The Year of the Ox stamps will begin a new 12-year Lunar New Year series. There will also be a Celebration stamp.

February: In honour of Black History Month, two stamps will feature Abraham Doras Shadd and Rosemary Brown. Another stamp will mark the 100th anniversary of the first flight of the Silver Dart.

March: The popular flower series will feature rhododendrons. The Art Canada series will show the work of abstract expressionist Jack Bush. There will also be a stamp dealing with climate change.

April: There will be an astronomy stamp issue as well as a stamp saluting Arctic explorer Captain Robert Bartlett.

May: Stamps will depict the Canadian horse and the Newfoundland pony.

June: In addition to the set featuring Canadian recording artists there will be a stamp paying tribute to Canadian diplomacy.

July: A new series will start showcasing quirky tourist attractions.

August: A Boundary Waters Treaty stamp will highlight this agreement between Canada and the United States.

September: Four stamps will celebrate Canadian inventions in sports.

October: A stamp will honour the sacrifice of Canadian war heroes.

Morales, Vice President Alvaro Garcia, Public Works Minister Oscar Coca and the president of the Philatelic Federation Eugenio Bombec attended the event.

“I want to congratulate Ecobol (postal department) for presenting this stamp as a proof of the fight for the universality of soccer,” Morales said.

"On the battlefront and at home, mail helps sustain vital connections between military service members, their families and friends," said National Postal Museum Director Allen Kane. "Now, with this very generous gift from Lockheed Martin, National Postal Museum visitors can explore 'Mail Call' to learn about the extraordinary efforts to move mail to and within war zones and view poignant letters of military personnel and their loved ones."

Since opening in 1993, the National Postal Museum has consistently devoted exhibition space to highlight the dramatic history of mail communications during America's conflicts. "Mail Call" will offer a first-hand look at the American experience - from the Colonial era to current events - as seen through vivid personal letters and mail operations in times of conflict.

"We understand the tremendous effort both the U.S. Postal Service and our armed forces undertake to keep American service members connected with their loved ones, and we are honored to help the National Postal Museum share that with the public," said Lockheed Martin Global Delivery Services Vice President Carla Powe. "From logistics and technology to timeliness and security, delivering mail during times of conflict is an intricate and challenging process."

Lockheed Martin is also a sponsor of the "Systems At Work" exhibit, another one of the seven new exhibits planned by the museum to showcase the history and future of the postal museum. "Systems At Work" will showcase technological advances from the colonial past to the present day and explain the workings of a complex network of mail processing and distribution.

Tam said that the associated stamp products will also be on sale from June 12.

This set of stamps, depicting six different species of jellyfish, is for the first time in Hong Kong philatelic history printed with the glow-in-the-dark effect which juxtaposes the gorgeous jellyfish against a contrasting dark background.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An extra penny for your thoughts.

Mailing a letter costs a penny more this week, with the price of a first-class stamp rising to 42 cents Monday.

But folks who planned ahead and bought Forever stamps for 41 cents each can still use them without extra postage.

Sorry, Forever stamps also went up to 42 cents. But buyers may want to stock up anyway, looking ahead to next May when prices are expected to be adjusted again.

The cost to mail a post card will also went up a penny, to 27 cents.

Other new rates:

_Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.

_Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.

_First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.

_First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

_Priority mail flat-rate envelope, $4.80, up 20 cents.

_Express mail flat-rate envelope, $16.50, up 25 cents.

Postage rates last went up in May 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to 41 cents.

• U.S. Postal Service: http://www.usps.com

The modern world of communication has become a frantic place: E-mails, phone texts, Skyping, "crackberrys" pinning each other. The sheer volume of messages flitting around the world in microseconds can overwhelm you with a digital downpour.

Sometimes it helps to find solace in a quieter era, as a group of British enthusiasts did recently, celebrating an anniversary with their Canadian cousins. The Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain is the quintessential British club: Quirky, eccentric and unique. They are interested in Canadian stamps and Canadian stamps only.

Unveiled to a burgeoning populace mid-way through the 19th century, when Canada was still 16 years away from becoming a country, three stamps saw the light of day: The 3p Beaver, the 6p Prince Albert and a 12p Queen Victoria. The 3p Beaver, it turns out, is one of the first "thematic" stamps in the world.

Club President Graham Searle says this group of collectors, formed in the 1930s in a Glasgow coffee shop, has been getting together pretty continuously since not long after the Second World War. "Boys of a certain age look for things to collect and stamps were cheap and fairly plentiful," he points out. "You must remember a lot of Canada was settled by Scots, so many of us had family over there that were sending us letters. They seemed fairly exotic."

Some of the members use their collections as a social history of Canada, Searle says. "Stamps and of course letters perfectly illustrate immigration and district history in Canada."

The number of members has been in decline over the last decade. "Kids just have more things to do these days, like computers," Searle wryly observes.

New Zealand imaging company, Outer Aspect, has utilised pioneering MotionPrint imaging technology to produce a commemorative mini-sheet stamp, celebrating Year of The Surf Lifesaver in Australia.

Outer Aspect’s marketing executive, Sharmila Patel says close liaison with Australia Post and its designers was required to ensure the correct movements, wave sequences and overall look were achieved.

“The video footage provided was converted into a series of small clips and output onto specially-formatted lithographic plates then printed onto the reverse side of clear optical plastic lens,” says Ms Patel.

“A specialised coating was then put on the back to make it reflective rather than a translucent image. This was followed by the application of a specialised adhesive produced especially for the philatelic market.”

“The work was finished by adding unique security features that make a bona fide stamp and die cutting to enable the stamp to be removed from the sheetlet.”

The job, which marked the centenary of surf lifesaving in Australia, was also the first MotionPrint mini-sheet to be produced for Australia Post.

Despite Outer Aspect having established itself as the world-leader in this technology throughout the philatelic community, Ms Patel says this job was the “most technically difficult” mini-sheet yet undertaken by Outer Aspect.

“We were required to provide motion across the whole mini-sheet, whereas prior to this we had only done MotionPrint at individual stamp size.”

“It required all of our skills and through the process we hit the limits to what the printing press can achieve -- the tolerances required proved to be beyond what a standard printing press can do.

“Our company is always pushing the boundaries of technical development and each job has its own unique requirements that require constant development of market innovation.”

Israel Postal Company director-general Avi Hochman said Sunday that the stamps constituted part of the Israeli experience and that the designs were symbolic. He hoped they would serve as tiny paper ambassadors of goodwill around the world.

The memorial stamp, with a face value of NIS 1.55 and designed by Ronen Goldberg, shows a flaming-red flower representing memory, reddish clouds representing the war and its cost, and white doves and blue skies representing hope and peace.

The "60 Years of Independence" stamp, also NIS 1.55, is based on the official symbol of the event and was designed by Miri Nistor. A sheet of six stamps based on independence anniversary posters from five different years in Israel's history (from 1952 to 2006) costs a total of NIS 13.50 and was designed by Jaimi Kivkovich.

A Hatikva memorial sheet costing NIS 15 and designed by Baruch Na'eh shows Theodor Herzl and David Ben-Gurion, with a Star of David made from perforations.

This set of stamps was done with a "dash of flair" according to Deputy Postmaster General (Administration), Glennamoe McNabb.

Unique series

"The Jamaican Stamp Advisory Committee wanted to introduce an element that would make this series unique, and so a 'se-tenant' pair format was chosen as part of the design," she said.

McNabb said a 'se-tenant' is a philatelic term referring to the fact that stamps are joined: in this case, a set of two stamps (paired) form the se-tenant. The se-tenant consists of the runners in the women's 4x100m final, and both stamps are of the same value.

A full house with 32 people attended the meeting and the newly added "Stamp-Trade" hour.

After the reading of the minutes and dealing with club business, the program turned to planning for the May 3 show at the Knight of Columbus Hall east of Hanover on Highway 4.

Eleven dealers have reserved tables. A lunch counter, with soup, sandwiches, coffee, tea, pop, and desert, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The anniversary cake is to be cut at 2 p.m.

A wide variety of displays will be set up. Full 16 page frames, single sheet frames, single display frames and the newly added students page, made up by the students of Hanover Heights Community School.

Kathy Baumann of Hanover send her collection from way back. Peter Butler of Toronto, a director of the Royal Philatelic Society, and Martin DeKeyzer of London have donated catalogues, tweezers, magnifiers and other supplies that can be handed out to students to help them in this educational hobby of stamp collecting.

Toronto jewellery designer Reena Ahluwalia never dreamed that one day her work would appear on a postage stamp.

But one of her diamond necklaces is being featured by the Belgian postal service to celebrate Antwerp as a world diamond capital.

"This is beyond any aspiration," Ahluwalia remarked from her home/studio in downtown Toronto. "One does not create thinking that one day your work will be on a postage stamp. I feel deeply honoured and really overwhelmed."

The diamond necklace featured on the stamp uses 101.0 carats of diamonds and took five months to make. Created in collaboration with diamond sponsor Diarough N.V, Belgium and jewel sponsor Shrenuj & Co. Ltd., the piece was a finalist in the HRD Awards 2007 design competition, organized by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre.

The theme for the competition was "A Night at the Opera" and the design pays homage to the legendary diva Maria Callas.

The stamp is one of five Antverpia 2010 postage stamps released by the Belgian post office.

Ahluwalia, who's in her 30s and moved to Toronto from India six years ago, is a freelance designer for top-tier jewellery houses and private clients around the world.

Mr Payne led the men back to the base through enemy territory and was later awarded the highest military decoration for valour, the Victoria Cross.

Yesterday, he joined the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, at the Shrine of Remembrance to launch of a series of Anzac Day postage stamps. The Anzac dawn service next Friday would be a time of pride, reflection and personal sorrow, he said.

"I think about all the people that I know that gave their lives and it's a very quiet and hard time," Mr Payne said. "(But) with the turn of the century there seems a lot more young people coming out and trying to find a bridge to what they need to do for our nation."

The five new stamps include images of war veterans marching, a bugler playing the Last Post and young Australians holding up the national flag.

They also depict the "Ode", from For the Fallen, a poem by English poet Laurence Binyon: "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."

SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. (AP) - The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau - a pioneer in tuberculosis research - with a postage stamp.

Trudeau went to the Adirondacks in the late 1800s suffering from tuberculosis and was eventually cured with lots of rest, good food and mountain air.

He dedicated himself to the study of TB, founding a sanitarium in Saranac Lake and the Trudeau laboratory. His mission was later reorganized into the Trudeau Institute, which still researches diseases of the lung today.

The 76-cent first-class stamp that will bear Trudeau's image is the eleventh in the Distinguished American series, honoring influential people in the arts and sciences.

The global interest in a set of rare stamps held by a Wellington man suggests there are quite a few people who probably would.

Part of the deceased estate of philatelist David Jarvis, who died last year having never married and childless, a lifetime's collection of 500 lots of stamps with an estimated value of $400,000 will go under the hammer at an auction in the capital tomorrow.

Among the compilation are all three of the 1855 Full Face Queens - New Zealand's first stamps - and a set of about 40 penny blacks - the world's first postage stamps used in Great Britain in 1840.

And while these stamps were once just a penny, these days you'd be lucky to get a penny black for anything under $300.

"For a penny black in good order that's probably the cheapest you'd pay," said Christopher Burtt of stamp auctioneer John Mowbray International.

Mr Burtt said bidding was likely to be competitive for the "very sought-after" Prussian Blue, which Mr Jarvis also had in his collection.

The stamp commemorates the 1935 silver jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary but because printing was done in the wrong shade of blue all were withdrawn from circulation except for a single sheet.

"We have an estimate of $10,000 on this one and I'd like to think that's fairly conservative," said Mr Burtt.

Also on offer is a Queen Victoria Inland Revenue 1 official, which originally sold for ?1 but is likely to fetch more than $7500.

"Stamps are not a bad investment and it's worth being patient if you've got rare material. You can never go wrong with quality," he said.

Considerable interest had come through postal biddings.

Mr Burtt was unclear where the proceeds of Mr Jarvis' estate were going to as he was a "particularly private person", although the executor is understood to be living in New Zealand.

EXPENSIVE STAMPS

* 1935 2d Prussian Blue Silver Jubilee, error of colour, estimate $10,000.

* 1840 1d Black "VR" Official, estimate $7500.

In major cities across China, like Shanghai and Xi'an the stamps went on sale right after the Olympic torch was lit. Stamp collectors waited in long queues, wanting their share of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A Shanghai resident said, "For all Chinese, lighting the torch is lighting the passion. We've been waiting for the Olympics for over a hundred years."

For the first time since Canada began issuing stamps in 1851, one has been completely redesigned due to an artwork error. After five small first-class letter-rate stamps went on sale Dec. 27, a lighthouse keeper who had operated the Pachena Point lighthouse on Vancouver Island's mid-west coast tipped a Victoria paper that the house shown on its left was in the wrong position.

When the story broke in January, B.C. Senator Pat Carney called for a correction.

Canada Post apologized for the error and said the photo was "flopped" printed backwards from the original negative or digital image supplied by a stock agency. It blamed a firm hired to scan the image onto its website.

With 800,000 stamps featuring the century-old lighthouse already printed and distributed to post offices across Canada, no recall was ordered. Instead, a reprint was announced.

The corrected image appears in the latest edition of a promotional magazine sent to collectors and post offices.

The reprint will start rolling off the security printer's presses in May and likely will be on sale by July.

Only the edge of the house appears, to the right, shadows from the lighthouse now appear on the right instead of the left. A Maple Leaf flag is on the upper left of all such regular-issue stamps, which are sold for 52 cents plus GST.

The lighthouse was built in 1908, two years after 117 people died when the Valencia, an American ship, sank nearby in 1906. It ranks as one of the north Pacific coast's worst ocean-going disasters.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philately belongs to every person who has ever mailed a letter or admired a beautifully crafted postage stamp. I entered the world of stamp collecting as a young boy at the age of twelve, and several decades later my passion burns as bright as ever. The purpose of this article is to describe the reasons why philately should live, grow and expand throughout the world. This message is for those who have not yet experienced the passions of the art of stamp collecting, and to showcase the intellectual and practical benefits of this wonderful activity. Everyone is welcome into the world of philately, and there are no barriers to entry.

Philately is the perfect word for stamp lovers. Philately was created in 1864 from two words “Philein” meaning “To Love” and “Ateliea” meaning Tax Exemption. Loving stamps is in fact a way of living in a cultural world constantly in motion and with expanding boundaries. Philately is also a way to learn more about the outside world and ourselves, and "as we learn, we also grow," said Alessandra Coderoni the author's wife and philteliste as well.

WHY COLLECT STAMPS?

To the children I would answer that stamps can teach history, geography and culture in an entertaining way. Philately can also stimulate the brain, exercise the memory and improve concentration and focus. These beautiful tiny vignettes can transport collectors into the world’s largest museum where they can discover historical events, lives of famous people and secrets of the arts.

Stamps will teach children the importance of details and research. They are also a catalyst to create great friendships that can last a lifetime. For a child to discover the charm of a stamp and learn his country’s fascinating history is a great experience, and the knowledge gained stays with them throughout adulthood.

To the adults I would suggest that philately can work exceptionally well as a diversion when confronted with the stresses of our professional life. With philately, one can build a historical and financial asset that can appreciate in value over the years. Philately can stimulate creativity, especially concerning vacation places which may otherwise seem to lack interest or excitement.

For the elderly, when the time of retirement approaches there is often an emptiness that philately can fulfill. Philately also provides a way to keep abreast of current events, as well as friends and a reason to socialize, allowing us to keep in touch with the world. To be passionate with something new can be converted to positive energy which strengthens the soul and builds resistance against physical diseases, melancholy or depression.

I shall conclude with the words of two lovers of philately, the first man, compels great admiration because of the dimensions of his work, and thus I refer to the words of Arthur Maury in the conclusion of his text “To Collectors” (Arthur Maury, Timbres-postes album du collectioneur – Published by Maison Arthur Maury, 1904) “Care, Patience and Perseverance”.

The NZ Post design a stamp competition is now open, to school students aged five to 12.

Works from three lucky winners will grace the 50c, $2 and $2.50 stamps, all of which can be used to post mail overseas at Christmas. The children’s designed stamps will complement the traditional Christmas range.

It’ll be the third year NZ Post will have run the competition. The three category winners will each receive $1000, while $3000 goes to their school.

NZ Post stamps general manager Ivor Masters says this year’s competition theme is a Kiwi Christmas.

“We’re asking children to really let their imagination run wild, but at the same time to think about what might look good on a stamp. Since stamps are small, children need to keep their designs simple and use bright, strong colours.”

• Entry forms and tips on what makes a good stamp image can be downloaded from www.nzpost.co.nz/designastamp. Entries close on May 9 and the stamps will be available for sale from October 3.

Entries can be sent to: FreePost Design A Stamp, PO Box 38707, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045.

Nhan Dan- All three collections of Vietnamese stamps sent to the 21st Asia – Pacific Stamp Exhibition held in Taipei have won prizes.

The collection “Golden Hands” by Tran Dinh from Quang Nam won silver and bronze prizes; and “Past and Present Information” by Nguyen Ngoc Tram from Gia Lai and “Flower Festival” by Vo Minh Luong from Can Tho won bronze prizes.

Bahrain issued a set of two commemorative stamps to mark the Arab Productive Families Day.

The two special edition stamps feature the portrait of His Majesty King Hamad and pictures of hands creating a new craft.

They are issued by Bahrain Post and will be available in denominations of 100 and 200 fils.

The Royal Mail is marking the centenary of the SOS distress signal with a set of six stamps highlighting the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which regularly risk their own lives attempting to save those of others.

The Edna Windsor lifeboat from Barra in the Outer Hebrides is the Scottish representation among the six stamps. The nine-year-old Severn-class lifeboat is the largest in the fleet, at 41 tonnes.

The stamps highlight the actions of the crews of the coastguard rescue helicopters working closely with the RNLI, whose headquarters are in Poole, Dorset. The helicopter crews have been called out more than 80 times already this year and 618 times during 2007, undertaking a wide variety of search-and-rescue missions in often hostile environments.