Regions

EUROPE - The European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) voted yesterday to agree the text of the Solvency II Directive, paving the way for the separation of the IORP and Solvency II legislative frameworks.

INCLUDING: US - Liability Solutions and MIT merge; UK - New advisory business launches; NETHERLANDS - New director of Mn Services UK appointed; UK - PPF rescues another four pension schemes; UK - North Yorkshire PF awards mandate to Fidelity

ASIA-PACIFIC - The governance and investment policies of pension reserve funds across the region have entered into a period of transition which would likely have a profound impact on global financial markets, Allianz Global Investors has said.

GLOBAL - The messy collapse of Lehman Brothers has led pension funds to look again at the use of derivatives in their portfolio, the results of the latest Global Pensions 100 Panel have shown.

Including: GLOBAL - Private equity inflows lowest since 2005; US - GAO says SWF data 'limited'; UK - Hermes appoints new head of performance analysis & risk reporting; UK - Somerset CC hires Standard Life for fixed interest

GLOBAL - Pension funds upping exposure to emerging markets are not then reducing the emerging markets exposure inherent in their global equities mandates, this month's Global Pensions 100 Panel has found.

UK/SOUTH AFRICA - JSE, the South African stock exchange and the FTSE Group have announced the launch of the All Africa 40 Index and the All Africa ex-South Africa 30 Index.

GLOBAL - High level pension fund professionals from across the globe have urged the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to take action to strengthen pension fund governance.

INCLUDING: EUROPE - Pan-European pension for EU researchers; US - Natixis launches HF replicator; NIM acquires pension fund administrator; US - Class action on ERISA breach

EUROPE - Proposals to suspend fair value accounting, aimed at improving market stability, have triggered a mixed reaction from the pension fund and asset management industry.