Description: Editor’s Note: “Wider Perspective” by Randy Makin from International Section News, June 2003, Issue No. 30.

Description: Calling Gifted Youngsters... by the Royal Gazette | submitted by Mike Gabon from International Section News, October 2003, Issue No. 31.

Description: Brief discussion about the prior years International Section meetings and the upcoming meeting in 2004.

Description: This article is about the 4th China Congress of Actuaries which was attended by over 200 actuaries, insurance professional and industry representatives from China and overseas. The main theme of the conference was 'Actuarial Professionalism.'

Description: An article explaining the conversion of the Israeli financial reporting scheme to a pseudo-GAAP method with acquisition expenses fully deferred and amortized in a straight line over 15 year. DAC was fully written off upon lapse. Initial results were good but then problems developed.

Description: The first preliminary results on international experience studies on mortality and persistency for the pilot countries of Taiwan, Mexico and South Korea are discussed and future expansion of the studies are explained.

Description: Brief discussion about the changing membership of the SOA International Section Council. Also covered were requests for suggestions future initiatives.

Description: A discussion of how health insurance is evolving in Panama from indemnity type plans to managed care plans.

Description: This article provides an update of the intense recent activity around the International Accounting Reporting Standards including the release of IFRS 4, the creation of the European Financial institution advisory group, exposure draft guidance for actuaries involved in financial reporting and the Penrose report focusing on the problems of U.K. Equitable Life.

Description: A brief primer of the euro, its noted lack of impact on the European Life insurance and pension industries and anticipates the expansion of the European Union,