United Kingdom

UK - Several BBC newsreaders are to be allowed to draw their pensions at age 50 following a concession from the Inland Revenue.

UK - Pension fund investments plummeted by 11.3% in 2002, Russell/Mellon CAPS estimates.

UK - Two pensions professionals received awards in the New Year's Honour's List.

UK - Charities are closing their pension schemes in a bid to ease their financial burdens, the Charity Fund Partnership claims.

UK - State Street Corporation has been appointed by the £600m Tate & Lyle Group Pension Scheme to provide global custody and investment accounting services.

UK - Britannic Group has warned it may defer annual bonuses to with-profit policyholders in a bid to maintain its financial strength.

UK - Industrial giant Lonrho Africa has been denied access to a subsidiary's pension scheme surplus after the High Court ruled trustees had sole power to increase benefits.

UK - Merrill Lynch Property Fund has sold its largest asset, the Strand Island office block in Central London, for £66m to clients of Baring, Houston & Saunders.

UK - Frank Russell Company has chosen Threadneedle Investments to run £100m of UK equities for its multi-manager product.

UK - Towers Perrin is to hold trustee training courses in central London on March 20, June 19 and October 23.