Asian shares stutter on Ukraine tension, event risk

Asian shares began the week under a cloud on Monday, after a dismal week on Wall Street and against the backdrop of increasing tension in Ukraine. Pro-Russian rebels paraded European monitors they are holding in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, freeing one but saying they had no plans to release another seven as the United States and Europe prepared new sanctions against Moscow. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.1 percent in early trade. Japan's Nikkei stock average (NIK:^9452) opened down 0.9 percent, despite data released before the market opened showing retail sales rose in March at their fastest pace in 17 years ahead of a sales tax hike.

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