From Israel Post, October 9th:
Israel–USA Joint Issue – Happy Hanukkah
[Issue date: October 16, 2018, same as the U.S. version. Details on the U.S. version are here.]
Just 11 minutes after Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, American President Harry S. Truman recognized the new State. This action marked the beginning of a relationship based on common values and characterized by a deep friendship and mutual respect.
The special relationship between Israel and the United States is a key element in Israel’s political strength and power. This relationship also has strategic significance for the State of Israel.
In the early 1980’s, Israel was considered to be a strategic asset for the United States and was noted as such (1987) in legislation passed a year earlier as its main non-NATO ally.
The friendship between Israel and the United States is bolstered by the supportive American Jewish community and large portions of the American people.
The Hanukkah festival marks the Maccabean victory over their enemies – the Hellenistic monarchy of the House of Seleucus, as well as the miracle that took place in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It is customary to light candles on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, setting them near the entrance to the home in order to make the miracle known.
In the year 167 BCE the Hellenistic king Antiochus IV forbade the Jewish residents of Eretz Israel to study the Torah and to perform the Jewish mitzvahs. Mattathias the Hasmonean and his sons led the people’s revolt against the cruel regime, and after harsh battles successfully freed Jerusalem and the Temple.
The Babylonian Talmud (tractate Shabbat 21:2) describes how the Maccabees found only one small cruse of pure oil, enough to light the Temple menorah for just one day. But a miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight days, until more pure oil could be prepared. In honor of that miracle, it was determined that the festival would last eight days. For the Jewish people, the Hanukkah candles symbolize the victory of good over evil and of justice over injustice.
According to the USPS, the Israeli cancellation measures 1.25″x1.27″. —VSC
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said this is the final issue in a five-year program commemorating World War I, with each issue looking back 100 years on war efforts at home and abroad.
Gen. Sir John Monash:
The Harry Potter series remains to be one of the most beloved and enduring franchises with fans worldwide. The new stamps feature some of the most iconic characters from the films including: Harry; Hermione; Ron; Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom.
Set of ten Special Stamps AS4123 £6.70 16th October
Miniature Sheet First Day Envelope ME129 £0.30 16th October
Retail Stamp Book UB418 £4.02 16th October
Please note that the Miniature Sheet will be self adhesive rather than gummed (our Miniature Sheets are normally gummed). (The reverse of the minisheet:) 
Australia Post has released a special edition Drought Relief stamp to help raise funds for Rural Aid, the charity behind the Buy a Bale campaign, with the aim of raising $200,000.
This month Australia Post continues its humorous commemorative stamp series, Fair Dinkum Aussie Alphabet, which takes a light-hearted look at Australia through cultural icons, places, characters, flora, fauna and more. In part four of the series, Gavin Ryan illustrates five stamps for the letters E, O, X, Y and Z.
recreation and even fashion to take a snapshot of things that are iconic to our country,” Mr Zsolt said.
$1 O is for Oilskin, opal opera house, oar and …
The autumn stamps feature ten types of mushrooms that we may encounter in our country. The photographs used are ‘portraits’ of these mushrooms in their natural environment. Most images run almost imperceptibly through onto the adjacent stamp. This creates natural contact between the mushrooms, as if they appear next to each other in the same wood, which would not be the case in reality.
The Hague, 17 September 2018 – PostNL’s newest set of architecture stamps celebrates the ‘New Construction’ construction style, also known as functionalism. This architectural style was characterised by its functionality, lack of unnecessary decoration and use of modern techniques, as well as the incorporation of modern building materials such as concrete, steel and glass.
The ten stamps on the New Construction Architecture stamp sheetlet feature black and white pictures of five buildings that are characteristic of this style: the Coöperatie De Volharding office building in The Hague (1928), the Zonnestraal (“Sunbeam”) sanatorium in Hilversum (1928), the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam (1931), the houses on Erasmuslaan in Utrecht designed by Gerrit Rietveld (1931) and the Schunck Glaspaleis (“Glass Palace”) department store in Heerlen (1933).
The stamps feature both a general view and a detail from the architectural drawing or floor plan of each building. Rotterdam-based graphic designer Ariënne Boelens decided to use black and white images to highlight the key role of white plaster in the New Construction style. “I also paid homage to the twenties in the typography by using a font that was very popular at that time,” Boelens explains. “A bit bombastic, with many combinations of bold, fine and double lines.”
The New Construction Architecture stamp sheet is the second sheet in the architecture series issued by PostNL. The first stamps, issued in 2017, were dedicated to the period of reconstruction after World War II. “We want to take this opportunity to showcase the fantastic buildings that were constructed in the last century,” says Stephan van den Eijnden, marketing director for Mail at PostNL. “There’s a good reason why Dutch architects have such a high profile in other countries. Their most important works from the twentieth century can still be admired today across the country – and on our stamps.”
The New Construction Architecture sheetlet consists of 10 stamps with five designs, all marked with Nederland 1, the denomination for mail weighing up to 20g destined for delivery to an address in the Netherlands. The stamps are available as of 17 September 2018 from the post office counter in Bruna stores and online at postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.
The Dance of Death, 1967
King Lear, 2016
Hamlet, 1975
Hedda Gabler, 1970
No Man’s Land, 1975
Carmen Jones, 1991
Romeo and Juliet, 1960
Henry V, 1955
VANCOUVER – One bears our country’s name and migrates in formations that point the way from one passing season to the next. Another, bold and curious, given a name that imitates its song, will perch on your outstretched arm. A third stands as an example of a single population thriving in Canada even though the species is endangered.
cheery “chickadee-dee-dee” call, the black-capped chickadee is found across most of Canada but holds a special place in New Brunswick, where it earned official status after a provincial Federation of Naturalists contest. Campers and hikers know this ever-curious bird will come perch nearby – or on your arm.
a province-wide vote, the brilliant-blue Steller’s jay is a common sight in campgrounds and coniferous forests in western Canada.
The first three birds on the list above are official provincial birds; the three-year series has now celebrated the official bird of each province and territory.
OTTAWA, Sept. 4, 2018 /CNW/ – Over five consecutive days starting Monday, September 10, Canada Post will unveil a stamp issue to pay tribute to five groups of Canada’s emergency responders. One stamp will be unveiled each day at a separate event across the country to honor a different kind of emergency responder.
You can read more on the stamps and emergency responders in the 
These skilled, highly-trained and compassionate front-line emergency responders provide medical care on the scene and en route to hospital. They respond to natural disasters and emergencies in our communities. They attend virtually any situation – from heart attacks, drug overdoses, trauma events, and incidents involving multiple casualties. Once dispatched to an emergency, paramedics have some daunting expectations to meet, including arriving quickly, assessing and treating their patients with urgency, expertise and empathy, and co-ordinating with other emergency responders. Their expertise and professionalism has saved countless lives.
Dedicated members of the CAF, both Regular and Reserve members, are a last line of defence when natural disasters occur. Trained in engineering, health services, aviation, logistics and the use of specialized equipment, they conduct evacuations, deliver aid, provide transportation, execute search and rescue missions, among many other tasks. Following Government of Canada approval to a provincial or territorial government request, the CAF can deploy members and assets – including ships, aircraft and vehicles – from the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy. These missions are known as Operation LENTUS.
Every year, millions of Canadians and visitors explore this country’s forests, mountains, waterways and oceans, while others work daily in remote conditions. Whether in the wilderness for recreation or work, changing weather, human error or other factors can quickly result in these individuals being lost, injured, stranded or otherwise endangered.
[press release]
Few emergencies trigger such an immediate sense of threat as a fire breaking out in our homes or communities, or being injured and trapped in a vehicle after a serious collision. In situations that might make most people panic, firefighters arrive well equipped and trained to intervene as a cohesive team.
The stamp honours our police and the civilians who support them. These highly skilled emergency responders assist in cases of crime and during accidents and disasters. They act with compassion, integrity and professionalism and are respected around the world for their international contributions.
