SWEDEN - The SEK196bn (€21.1bn) AP3 has introduced fundamental indexing in a bid to enhance its asset management operations, with an initial SEK2bn (€215m) portfolio to be managed internally using the FTSE Global Wealth Allocation (GWA) Europe Index....

UK - The £1.9bn Leicestershire County Council Pension Fund, run by the county council, is seeking a manager for a £100m targeted or absolute return mandate.

METAL BOX Pension Trustees UK pensions manager Philip Read is set to take over as trustee chairman of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in May next year.

US - Jerry Baudin has be re-elected to the board of the US$14bn Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) board of trustees, and will serve another four-year term beginning January 1, 2007.

Ministers will face "critical pension issues" during the next parliamentary session with debates on White Paper reforms and compensation for wind-up victims, MPs claim.

GLOBAL - Only 23% of pension schemes are satisfied with funds of hedge funds (FOHF) investments, a global survey by Mercer Investment Consulting has found.

US - Kathy Harrell has been named to fill the vacant position on the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) board of trustees.

ALEXANDER Forbes Financial Services has boosted its employee benefits service with the addition of a tax-free life insurance cover option of up to £1m.

LCP has made Lucy Hughes and Andrew Cox partners and promoted Nick Phizackerley to the role of principal consultant.

Interest rates on the up; Record amount of City property on sale; Euronext still seeking NYSE deal; Credit Suisse closes fourth buy-out fund