Europe

UK - Global growth and rising inflation should not deter pension schemes from investing in bonds, Baring Asset Management claims.

UK - Pension compulsion is "a step too far" but opt-out rules should change to encourage more employees to join schemes, insurers and the Conservative Party claim.

UK - Brighton & Hove City Council has introduced a voucher scheme to save employees money on childcare costs.

UK - Insight Investment - the fund management arm of HBOS - is to target the $200bn (£111.5bn) money market fund sector.

UK - The Premier League has introduced a series of measures to ensure clubs meet the highest standards of corporate governance.

UK - Watson Wyatt has appointed Richard Boardman, formerly of ISIS Asset Management, as a senior investment consultant in its investment strategy team.

UK - A further 5500 staff have signed up for Royal Mail's home computing scheme.

UK - UK-based pension fund investment in infrastructure projects are set to increase rapidly following the National Grid Transco deal, Macquarie Bank predicts.

UK - Schemes have echoed union concerns that pensions for executives are outstripping benefits for other staff.

UK - Prime minister Tony Blair is making pensions a top priority in the run up to the next general election.