Europe

UK - Trade unions are calling for a one-day national strike over pensions.

UK - Clerical Medical has launched a dedicated money laundering information area on its website for IFAs.

UK - The £18bn Universities Superannuation Scheme has enlisted 20 schemes to help it develop long-term mandates.

UK - Only a third of schemes seek the best annuity quotes and half do not offer enhanced or impaired life annuities, a new survey shows.

EUROPE - Aon Consulting is planning rapid expansion in the Nordic countries, with the aim of becoming market leader in Sweden by 2007.

UK - Graham Kitchen (pictured) has joined Threadneedle Investments as head of UK equities. Kitchen joins from Invesco Perpetual where he was co-head of investment.

EUROPE - Institutional investment services provider Russell/Mellon has upgraded its asset manager database, AMI, to provide access to 15 new European and 11 new global product groups.

UK - Eleven out of 13 hedge funds fell short of their long-term performance targets in July, latest performance figures from the Edhec hedge fund indices reveal.

UK - Winners of the first Compliance Register Annual Awards will be announced next week.

UK - Scheme wind-ups are soaring with over 10,000 currently being axed, figures from the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority show.