IRELAND - Up to a quarter of the country's €24bn ($34.2bn) National Pension Reserve Fund should be used to create jobs and invest in infrastructure, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said.

NORWAY - The Government Pension Fund Global has made its first investment in real estate since it received the okay to invest in property in March.

FRANCE - Alcatel-Lucent's deficit for its pension and other post employment benefits (OPEB) dropped by nearly 22% to €1.41bn ($1.92bn) over the third quarter.

SPAIN - A Spanish pension bill will go to parliament for approval next year, later than expected, and the government is "open" to modifying its proposal that includes raising the retirement age, Labor Minister Valeriano Gomez said.

US - The state of Oregon is suing the former Bear Stearns for allegedly misleading investors, including the state's pension fund, in mortgage-backed securities.

NORWAY - Norges Bank Governor Svein Gjedrem signaled his opposition to removing Norway's $520bn oil fund from the central bank after a Cabinet minister suggested the fund's size may require putting it under new management in future.

GLOBAL - Bank of Ireland Asset Management's strength in fundamental equity and fixed income strategies help State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) plug a hole in their product offering and meet the needs of clients looking for more holistic solutions.

US - The California State Teachers' Retirement System, the second-largest U.S. public pension, will consider cutting its expected earnings rate on investments to 7.5%, increasing the need for higher contributions as it recovers from market losses.

US - The Illinois Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) doled out over $1bn in assets to new domestic equity, private equity and fixed income managers, and hired three new consultants.

US - The California State Teachers' Retirement System will discuss implementing an ‘almost radical' new asset allocation that will divide assets into risk buckets, instead of traditional asset classes.