UK - Members of the airline pilots association are to hold a two day strike following the break down of pension negotiations between the GMB union and the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA).

AUSTRALIA - Treasury secretary Ken Henry has launched a discussion paper on Australia's Future Tax System (AFTS), as part of a review which will also examine the adequacy of pensions and retirement incomes.

IRELAND - Irish pension managed funds for the first seven months of this year have dropped an average of 17.2%, latest figures reveal.

NETHERLANDS - The €205bn (US$317bn) ABP fund has called on Fortis to alter its governance structure to make the organisation more efficient.

The GMB suspended industrial action against the British Airline Pilots' Association this afternoon following talks.

UK - FTSE 100 companies' pension schemes had a net deficit of £41bn (US$80.1bn) at mid July this year compared to a £12bn (US$23.4bn) surplus in July 2007, a report by Lane Clark & Peacock LLP (LCP) has shown.

UK - Standard Life Investments' (SLI) third party funds under management (FUM) remained constant at £47.5bn (US$92.8bn) during the first half of 2008 and now represent 36% of total FUM.

FTSE100 company pension schemes have a net deficit of £41bn compared to a £12bn surplus in July last year, Lane Clark & Peacock figures show.

US - Northern Trust has launched a solution aimed at helping institutional clients adapt to new accounting standards.

UK - Mercer appointments; NAPF launches FD PensionsConnection; Davenport appoints BlueBay