Europe

UK - Local government pensions administration solutions specialist Heywood will be sponsoring a diploma in Local Government Pensions Management for 2004 and 2005.

UK - Firms will be pushed towards money purchase provision unless the government treats index-linked annuities equally, consultants warn.

UK - Bond investors are ignoring the risk of a rise in interest rates this year, Investec Asset Management warns.

NORWAY - The Norwegian government has said that new proposals aimed at providing work-related pensions for more than 900,000 workers will be included in a White Paper on pension reform to be presented to parliament in autumn.

UK - Scheme and fund managers urged the government to resist using legislation to enforce the Myners principles at Whitehall talks on Tuesday.

UK - Private equity fund manager Arcis has closed its third fund, the ESD Fund III, to new investors after raising e175m (£117m) from institutional investors.

UK - Societe Generale Asset Management UK has appointed Richard Tettenborn (pictured) as a special adviser for the development of the pension fund business with local authorities.

UK - Goldman Sachs Asset Management has launched a cash management trading platform that will give financial institutions access to a range of third-party cash funds.

FRANCE - The giant e16bn French Pensions Reserve fund (FRR) has appointed KPMG SA and Constantin & Associés as its auditors.

UK - Two retired men are making a renewed attempt to win greater employment protection for employees over the state pension age.