United Kingdom

UK - Trustees from Sainsbury's pension fund have quoted estimates that fund deficits could be as high as £3bn, whilst competition hots up for the supermarket giant's imminent sale to private equity investors.

UK - Pensions experts have dismissed chancellor Gordon Brown's decision to top up the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) to £8m in yesterdays budget as an admission of failure.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds has voiced its disappointment at a £4.1bn cut in gilt sales following last week's speech by MP Ed Balls assuring fund managers of the increased issuance of long-dated bonds.

EUROPE - Ajay Gambhir is set to leave JPMorgan to launch a new European hedge fund aimed at institutional investors at MPC Investors .

UK - The majority of UK equity managers are missing their targets according to a study by Mellon.

UK - Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced a £6bn cash boost for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS).

UK - The East London borough of Barking and Dagenham's council is tendering for the provision of pension fund investment and actuarial advice services.

UK - Standard life and the Investment Manager Association (IMA) have come out in support of the government white paper on personal accounts.

UK - Mercer Investment Consulting worldwide partner and European director of consulting policy, Andy Green, is quitting Mercer. It is rumored that Green will join Deloitte.

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has appointed five new fund managers and announced its investment returns are "likely" to match its levy income within five years' time.