ROMANIA - Romania's Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the government's pension law, introduced to help the country qualify for emergency IMF funding.

HUNGARY - Hungary's Stabilitas Fund Association has written to the European Commission requesting "immediate help" in fighting the government's pension reform plans.

US - The combined funding status of the 100 largest US corporate defined benefit pension plans fell $22bn in November, latest figures show.

US - The Department of Labor has obtained a court order against an investment management firm to return more than $1m to the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Plan.

CANADA - Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's second biggest pension-fund manager, plans to boost staff at its private-equity unit by about 25% next year as it looks to increase investments in its home province.

CANADA - Employer-sponsored pension funds recorded their first decline in assets in more than a year in Q2, research shows.

AUSTRALIA - The superannuation industry rose by A$93.2bn to a total of A$1.28trn ($1.26trn)in assets under management in the year to October, latest figures show.

GLOBAL - Have you missed the biggest stories in pensions this week? Find out below, as we list the top 10 most popular stories on www.globalpensions.com over the past seven days.

NEW ZEALAND - The Retirement Commission's recommendations for New Zealand retirement income policy do not go far enough, a politician has warned.

IRELAND - The Irish government has agreed to issue new bonds and sovereign annuities in line with proposals put forward by the Irish Association of Pension Funds and the Society of Actuaries in Ireland.