Cru Investment Management has launched a fund investing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Outsourced investment platform provider Parmenion Capital Partners is linking up with Premier Pension Services to launch a consolidation small self-administered scheme.

Submissions for this year's UK Pensions Awards will be going out to the judging panels during the next few days.

NETHERLANDS - PGGM, renamed Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, suffered losses through equities and alpha strategies but still finished 2007 some €7.2bn (US$11bn) up on the previous year.

Czech mothers with only one child will lose early retirement benefit rights if proposed pension system reforms are approved.

GLOBAL - By 2009 nearly 70% of all pension plans may be using customised benchmarks, to create more sophisticated investments, according to Tabb Group.

The Pensions Bill fails to safeguard good occupational sche­mes and could be boycotted by its target market, the Association of British Insurers warns.

The Hedge Fund Working Group has published a best practice standards for hedge fund managers.

UK - The Northern Rock is considering a buyout of its £355m pension scheme and has received quotes from a number of buyout providers.

ASIA - Standard Chartered Bank has appointed Hari Chaitanya as head of sales (custody and cash management) for South East Asia.