Europe

ITALY - Italy has been criticised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for not taking its pension reforms far enough.

UK - Thousands of part-time firefighters are preparing to launch a series of lawsuits to try to win backdated pension rights.

UK - HSBC Actuaries and Consultants is holding a series of four free breakfast seminars in Manchester, Solihull, London and Edinburgh.

FINLAND - Finland's huge Local Government Pensions Institution (Kuntien eläkevakuutus or LGPI) has taken part in a study which shows that pensions schemes can cut costs and boost returns by automating their back-office operations.

UK - OPRA has published new guidance on annual declarations and deduction of charges for stakeholder pension schemes.

UK - Pictet Asset Management has appointed Christel Rendu De Lint as fund manager for the firm's fixed income team.

EUROPE - Barclays Global Investors has appointed Lindsay Tomlinson as its new vice chairman, Europe.

UK - Trade unions have blamed "opportunist employers" for the sustained and systematic attack on pension schemes.

UK - Goldman Sachs Asset Management has won a £30m sub-advisory mandate to manage a sterling corporate bond fund for Skandia Investment Management.

UK - A company director who kept seven months of employee pension contributions has been prosecuted by the pensions regulator.