Regions

GLOBAL - MSCI Barra has launched a new series of benchmark indices for 19 frontier market countries and the MSCI Asia APEX 50 Index, a tradable Asian index.

CANADA - The government has enacted the Special Economic Measures Act on Burma, which has banned all Canadian people and financial institutions from investing in the region, also known as Myanmar.

EUROPE - The European Portability Directive which lost its commitment to cross-border transfer rights in October has hit another obstacle, with member states unable to agree on a common vesting period.

AUSTRALASIA - Mercer has brought its Australian, New Zealand and Asian businesses under one umbrella, combining its capabilities in the areas of retirement and benefits outsourcing.

Including: FRANCE - Unions call off strikes; SWEDEN - AP4 chooses BlackRock; UK - Watson Wyatt expands strategy group; AUSTRALIA - Future Fund appoints director of FI and alternatives; ITALY - Banco Popolare and Citi expand custody relationship

INCLUDING - UK - Paternoster secures Lasmo Pension Plan; UK - Grayling urges PM to activate pensions package; DFSA issues hedge fund code of practice; UK - Pension funds look east; UK - Actuary leaves Aon

INCLUDING: NETHERLANDS - Appointments at PGGM; GLOBAL - Sinopia names global chief executive officer; UK - DB schemes hit in November; US - CalSTRS announces real estate consultant

GLOBAL - Risk aversion among banks and a weighty legal burden caused by the global credit crisis has severely hampered pension schemes abilities to use derivatives-based liability hedging, according to Watson Wyatt.

The government of US town, Milford, is considering pulling out from the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) because of its funding level.

European pension funds have given African pension funds advice on how to use beta effectively in a pension fund portfolio.