The service providers of the year were presented their awards at a celebration at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, last night - entertained by the dynamic speaker Gyles Brandreth. The winners are…

US - The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois (Illinois TRS) has terminated BlackRock from a US$643.5m domestic enhanced equity mandate for poor performance and hired a slew of other managers.

NORWAY - The Ministry of Finance has finalised rules allowing the Government Pension Fund Global to invest up to 5% of its NOK2.6trn (US$435.8bn) portfolio in real estate.

SWEDEN/NORWAY - Swedish company Skanska Infrastructure Development has sold its 50% stake in a Norwegian road operated as a public private partnership to its two parent company pension funds for SEK170m (US$23.5m).

SWITZERLAND - The Swiss Post Pension Fund has allocated an additional CHF60m (US$55.5m) to TOBAM's so-called anti-benchmark fund, the French asset manager said.

US - A federal judge has approved a US$150m settlement between Bank of America and the Securities and Exchange Commission settling charges that the bank failed to disclose material information about its acquisition of Merrill Lynch.

INDIA/US - Indian investment bank Religare Enterprises has announced a US$1bn commitment to make "strategic investments" in asset management businesses worldwide and has started by acquiring a stake in a US private equity firm.

GLOBAL - Global pension assets totalled US$29.5trn at year end 2009, up 14% from the previous year, according to a report by the International Financial Services London.

US - Heavily-indebted US tyre firm Goodyear has warned that its global pension plans are "significantly underfunded" and increasing pension costs to plug the gap could put the 110-year-old business at risk.

SWEDEN - AP funds 1-4 all broke records in 2009 with their strong returns on investments.