Regions

Andrew Sheen speaks to Brian Bailey, director of pensions at the UK's West Midlands Pension Fund about how the credit crunch has accelerated changes in the £6.5bn fund's investment strategy and his views on cost-sharing in the Local Government Pension...

Including: AUSTRALIA - UniSuper receives investment accolade; UK - Scheme buy-in launch; GLOBAL - Sovereign wealth funds see 18% increase in AUM

GLOBAL - Institutional investors, including pension funds, should accept some degree of responsibility for the investment practices which have cause the global economic crisis, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) Initiative has said....

GLOBAL - The International Corporate Governance Network has called on companies to ensure they demonstrate that they have appropriate systems in place to detect bribery and corruption.

Including: US - Raytheon contributes $660m to pension scheme; NETHERLANDS - Investment funds fall 5% in fourth quarter of 2008; US - PBGC joins IFPTE union

GLOBAL - As investment volatility continues to play havoc with pension fund values scheme managers are bracing themselves for a deluge of calls from investors wanting more information about their fund's performance.

EUROPE - The parent company of chemical giant ICI, the Dutch Azko Noble, has said the funding status of its pension plans has improved, although it still had a deficit of nearly €1bn (US1.27bn).

GLOBAL - The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) has launched a major transparency initiative in a bid to dispel "myths" surrounding the hedge fund industry.

ASIA - Morgan Stanley has expanded its transition management team as it looks to grow its Asian market presence.

GLOBAL - The rising global need for infrastructure investment could provide an important source of income for pension funds and other institutional investors, as government investments become stretched, according to a report by Morgan Stanley Investment...