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Industry figures are rushing to lobby the government on crucial pensions issues ahead of tomorrow's emergency Budget.

BP spill will be a watershed; Chancellor's big tent faces stability test; BP oil spill: Tony Hayward will get £10.8m pension if he steps down as chief executive; Large majority opposed to forced retirement at age of 65; Call to increase pension age to...

US - The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has paid £106m (US$155m) to acquire a 12.7% stake in London Gatwick Airport from Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

UK - Former work and pensions secretary John Hutton has been appointed to lead an independent pensions commission to look at ways of reducing the costs of public sector pensions.

The government has established an independent commission to look at ways of reducing the costs of public sector pensions.

US - The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) has reported record investment returns of 35% for the full financial year.

Netherlands - Dutch pension funds returned to pre-crisis levels over the first quarter of 2010 after realising €32bn (US$39.5bn) in price and exchange rate gains on their investment portfolios, research shows.

Pressure for reform of public sector pensions has increased after an independent report concluded workers receive better pay, hours and pensions than their private sector counterparts.

France - The French government faces a wave of strikes and protests from next week after proposing that the country's retirement age should be raised from 60 to 62 by 2018.

The government risks "compounding one unfairness with another" if it singles out public sector pensions alone for substantial reform, the Association of Consulting Actuaries warns.