North America

CANADA - The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) and Aéroports de Paris (ADP) are to present a joint bid for Prague airport when it is privatised later this year.

CANADA - Canadian pension funds have increased their exposure to foreign assets, but left themselves open to currency risks, a report from Greenwich Associates has revealed.

CANADA - The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has joined a consortium which plans to bid for the chance to start a new wireless company.

CANADA - Quebec Superior Court has ruled the proposed take over of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) by a consortium led by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) can go ahead.

GLOBAL - Knight Vinke Asset Management and its institutional shareholder supporters have renewed calls for HSBC to dispose of its Household International (HFC) business, responsible for some of its $17.2bn losses over 2007.

US/CANADA - Pension plans have begun to extend shareholder action beyond the US by using Canadian courts in their bid to protect the rights of beneficiaries.

CANADA - Older workers have been the focus of Budget measures, with a proposal that life income fund holders (LIFs) be given the ability to withdraw funds in certain circumstances.

CANADA - The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) has called on the government to give pension funds more investment freedom, claiming restrictions were hurting its ability to provide stable, long term cash returns.

CANADA - The union oversight committee of Canada's Prince Edward Island (PEI) government employee pension fund has been reduced from three members to one by the province's government.

CANADA - Nova Scotia's pension benefits are to be reviewed, following establishment of a committee.