France

FRANCE - French President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed to modify his bill to overhaul the pension system in response to strikes and demonstrations by workers, though he won't retreat on raising the retirement age.

KOREA/FRANCE - Hammerson has agreed to sell 51% of its interest in a Paris shopping centre to the National Pension Service of Korea (NPS) for €217m ($278m).

FRANCE - The Fonds de Réserve Pour les Retraites was down 4.2% in the second quarter, reversing gains in the first three months of the year.

FRANCE - The Funds De Reserve Pour Les Retraites (FRR) has terminated a mandate run by Nicholas Applegate Capital Management (NACM) following poor investment performance.

FRANCE - France's plan to lift its retirement age is a signal to investors about the seriousness of President Nicolas Sarkozy's intention to cut the budget deficit, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said.

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.

FRANCE - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's government said it will raise the retirement age to 62 and increase taxes on capital, seeking to stem losses in the pension system and safeguard the nation's top credit rating.

FRANCE - President Nicolas Sarkozy's party Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) confirmed its plans to increase retirement age and the years of contribution needed to qualify for a pension in France.

FRANCE - France's Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said the government may raise the country's retirement age beyond 60 as part of a plan to stem the deficit in the nation's pay-as-you-go pension system.

US - The French government is studying a combination of a longer working life and new taxes on high earners to stem losses in the country's pension system.