Europe

UK - Ill-health and early retirement benefit costs could soar when new disability discrimination laws come into effect, lawyers warn.

UK - Stock market falls have forced a growing number of workers to delay their retirement plans, a survey by Watson Wyatt shows.

UK - Schemes are being urged to increase their allocations to the telecommunications sector ahead of an imminent upturn.

UK - Schemes will look increasingly to fund managers to provide asset allocation services instead of consultants, Credit Suisse Asset Management predicts.

UK - Chris Phillips, former chief executive of Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) is to join Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) as CEO.

FRANCE/CHINA - French investment house BNP Paribas Asset Management is the latest player to enter into a joint venture in China as the race to cash in on the country's potentially lucrative fund marketplace continues.

UK - Accounting firm Deloitte & Touche has taken the unusual step of establishing a UK team to raise cash for private equity firms.

UK - Entegria - the benefits consulting division of Hogg Robinson - will host a series of introductory training courses for pension scheme trustees at venues in London and Wakefield.

EUROPE/UK - Law firm CMS Cameron McKenna has developed a toolkit for pan-European employers wanting to know the specific pensions tax regimes of member states.

UK - International Financial Data Services has appointed Daniel Carpenter as head of sales for the UK.