South Korea's KOSPI lost 0.3 percent.A broad MSCI index of automobile and auto components firms was down 0.9 percent. "I think we probably would have seen a decent day in Asian markets were it not for these ongoing geopolitical worries because the minutes from the Fed's last meeting were relatively benign. "With Trump's unpredictable behaviour leaving investors on edge, the Japanese yen has scope to appreciate further in the short term," said Lukman Otunuga, an analyst at FXTM. "However, a strengthening dollar on the back of heightened U.S. rate hike expectations could limit the yen's upside gains. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was 0.7 percent higher.Gold was slightly higher.

Source: The Star May 24, 2018 04:07 UTC