US - Northern Trust posted strong earnings and dividends compared to 2006 despite global unease stemming from the sub-prime crisis and the credit crunch, its Q4 2007 financial results revealed.

GLOBAL - Millennium Global Investments has appointed Claire Dissaux as global economist and strategist.

Unions bewildered by Hain campaign; FSA in new chairman setback; There is a silver lining to the credit crisis; Barclays puts up £5m to back ethical investment fund

NETHERLANDS - PME, the Dutch metal and electro-technical engineering sector fund, has announced its funding ratio has increased 5.2% over the past year.

Scheme sponsors must question whether they should increase discount rates automatically in line with corporate bond yields, a consultant warns.

NETHERLANDS - ABP improved its funding ratio by 6.8% in 2007, despite the impact of the credit crunch.

Scheme wind-ups will be delayed if new criteria on guaranteed minimum pension equalisation are adopted by the Pension Protection Fund, an independent trustee warns.

Brown adds to Hains woes; More Norwich Union endowments falling short; Men healthier, women longer-living

CANADA - Alberta has become the first province to allow its pension funds the permanent right to use letters of credit (LOC) to fund solvency deficiencies.

AUSTRALIA - JPMorgan has been selected to provide private equity fund administration and reporting services to AustralianSuper, its first private equity outsourcing agreement with a superannuation fund in Australia.