Eight years later John Hanley was set to retire early from Monsanto at the age of 61.

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In 2005 he was forced to retire from the game at the age of 30, when he was suffering from dizzy spells and headaches - an illness which was initially diagnosed as an ear infection.

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At an age when many people retire from their daily jobs, taking on a new job cooking the food known for its subtle flavour and mild use of spices comes naturally to Santosh.

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One worry is that, in practice, many workers may still choose to retire at the earliest possible age, requiring further support from the state to keep body and soul together.

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Lately, speculation has swirled that Chan, 59, will retire by year's end, an invitation from Tung to stay beyond retirement age not forthcoming.

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From next year, the baby-boomers start to retire (60 being the minimum mandatory retirement age for now).

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Instead of simply raising the retirement age from 60 to 65, the union called for workers to be allowed to retire at any time of their choosing between the ages of 60 and 70.

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Although Italian men must wait until 65 before they officially qualify for an old-age pension from the state, those who have got 35 years of contributions under their belts can retire and draw state pensions when they are 57.

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