ITALY - Trade unionist Raffaele Bonanni has called on prime minister Romano Prodi to "stop mincing his words" and draw up an organic project to stimulate the complementary pension system.

THE SOCIETY of Pension Consultants has unveiled the programme for its annual conference to be held on November 23.

CANADA - Deputy superintendent Julie Dickson has officially taken over as acting superintendent of Financial Institutions following Nicholas Le Pan's departure.

IMPROVED training and job opportunities for older workers should be a key part of government pension reforms, Alan Pickering says.

KOREA - Rising pension costs will deplete the Korean pension system's assets under the current parameters, International Monetary Fund (IMF) directors have warned.

Pensions fear surrounds GNER parent company bankruptcy; Pension funds need a rapid injection of hedge fund oomph; Benfield weighs up options as staff defect; Balls promises to consult on tax changes

UK - Wholesale swapping into long dated sterling bonds in an effort to plug deficits is not the silver bullet for defined benefits UK pension schemes due to a shortage in supply, according to KMPG research.

THE £1bn Wiltshire County Council Pension Fund is set to embark on its first foray into currency.

CMS CAMERON McKenna has boosted its pensions practice with the arrival of Neil Smith as pensions partner from Taylor Wessing.

Largest companies' pension deficits may be up to £100bn; Regulation killed the pensions industry; Pension fund switch ‘unlikely'; Lloyds TSB tightlipped over Widows bid talk