Spain is considering freezing pensions and speeding up a planned rise in the retirement age as it races to cut spending and meet conditions of an expected international sovereign aid package, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The measures would save at least 4 billion euros a year as well as fulfil recommendations in a European Union document released in May which senior euro zone sources said was being used as a blueprint for the terms of a sovereign aid program. The acceleration of the raising of retirement age to 67 from 65, currently scheduled to take place over 15 years, is a done deal, the sources ... (full story)