UK - Talks between beleaguered bank Northern Rock and the trustees of its pension scheme have broken down amid "fundamentally different" views of how the scheme should be invested.

NEWTON Investment Management has won two local authority global equity mandates totalling £371m.

UK - "Fictitious surpluses" to boost government funds from two of the UK's largest pension funds were calculated by a heavily criticised government actuary, an independent consultant claims.

Some 40pc of senior executives enjoy a 1/45th accrual rate, Xafinity Consulting research shows.

TALKS between Northern Rock and the trustees of its pension scheme have stalled after "fundamental differences" on investment strategy failed to be resolved.

Tories urge review into pension fund "siphoning"; Former Gartmore chief to chair Hermes; Leading mandarins build £144m pension nests

Lucida Re - the Bermudan-based sister company of Lucida plc - has appointed Gary Crofts as managing director.

US - Michigan governor Jennifer M. Granholm plans to invest US$300m of Michigan's state pension fund in Michigan-based companies, it was announced last week.

GLOBAL - A clear majority - 70% - of respondents to a recent Global Pensions survey said they considered the increasing homogenisation of the global pensions industry to be "a good thing".

Top civil servants have pension pots worth almost £150m funded entirely by taxpayers, the Liberal Democrats claim.