United Kingdom

UK - The Investment Management Association (IMA) has praised the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) for introducing a manual for the appraisal of its fund managers in a bid to promote responsible investment.

UK - Two local authority schemes are set to follow the £530m Shropshire County Council Pension Fund's lead and make an allocation to hedge funds.

UK - The Government should quit directing cash to war-torn regions and turn its attentions to more pressing matters in the UK such the creaking pensions system, according to Ian Eggleden, partner at Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

UK - More than half of workers will retire in poverty due to a government-induced savings crisis, the pensions advisory service OPAS warns.

UK - The government is facing a "messy" three-year legal battle over the compensation of ASW pension scheme members, lawyers claim.

UK - Standard Life Investments has opted for Citigroup Global Transaction Services as its preferred provider for fund administration, custody and related services.

UK - Key Asset Management (KAM) has appointed James Freeman as senior relationship manager and Phelim Bolger as marketing and sales executive.

UK- Markets Wizards Fund Plus, the flagship fund of the London-based Fortune Group, has celebrated its second anniversary with majority gains.

UK - Specsavers Optical group has selected Investec Asset Management to manage the funds available in its new DC scheme.

UK - Despite growing awareness that pension fund investment is about meeting long-term liabilities, there is little to suggest progress in awarding longer term mandates, according to one leading fund manager.