CANADA - The C$41bn Ontario Municipal Employees' Retirement System (OMERS) has bolstered both its real estate and infrastructure portfolios with the purchase of seven hotels and laboratory services firm MDS Diagnostic Services.

THE DEPARTMENT for Work and Pensions has launched a consultation on amendments to the pension aspects of the age discrimination regulations.

UK - The news yesterday that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had announced a 10-day consultation period on the new age discrimination regulations has sparked an outcry among industry players.

ITALY - The Italian government's efforts to stimulate the defined contribution (DC) sector by encouraging workers to transfer their final indemnity payments to pension funds could grind to a halt as employees remain unconvinced by the proposed system....

UK - British Airways has agreed to increase the £500m lump sum pension payment and improve annual contributions in a bid to resolve the ongoing pensions dispute with staff.

AUSTRALIA - INVESCO in Australia is launching a multi-strategy fund that will combine a variety of portable alpha strategies within one overall strategy which has a return target of eight to 10% over a cash-based benchmark.

US - The Illinois Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) said none of its assets were used to pay fees in a scandal involving millions of dollars in kickbacks from government deals.

Consultants have been woefully inadequate in preparing workforces for defined contribution provision, a leading scheme manager claims.

SELF-INVESTED personal pension plan providers are being urged to "join forces" to create a comprehensive database to track market growth.

GERMANY - Dexia Asset Management has opened an office in Germany, describing it as "one of the most attractive markets in Europe".