GLOBAL MARKETS BRIEFS

Asian shares decline but rebound from lows
Asian indexes fell Tuesday, although the declines were not as large as Wall Street's overnight. Japan's Nikkei 225 gave up 0.7%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1% and New Zealand's NZX 50 dropped 2.6%. South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.7%, Taiwan's Taiex inched up 0.2% and India's Sensex slid 0.3% by midafternoon. China's Shanghai Composite declined 1.1%, and Singapore's Straits Times slid 1% in late trading. MarketWatch (03 Mar.)

Eurozone banks boost holdings of government bonds
From Nov. 1 to the end of January, eurozone banks increased their holdings of government debt by €115 billion, the largest three-month boost in more than a decade, according to data from the European Central Bank. The move highlights the deteriorating economic environment, which prompted banks to bolster their balance sheets. Financial Times (02 Mar.)

Financial crisis fuels power struggle within Kremlin
The legendary power of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is being called into question by the country's economic turmoil. President Dmitry Medvedev is starting to become comfortable with his power and is increasingly running into conflict with Putin and his supporters among security and military officials, political analysts said. The Guardian (London) (03 Mar.)

Largest doesn't equal greenest for stimulus programs
The amount green businesses get from economic-stimulus programs depends on where they are. South Korea, the EU and China have the highest percentage of their stimulus spending focused on projects with high efficiency and low emissions. Measured by spending, the U.S. has the biggest stimulus, but Germany is putting the greatest amount into green projects. Financial Times (02 Mar.)