Stocks in the Asia-Pacific region are experiencing a mixed start of trading on Monday (15/05), while safe haven assets (Japan's yen, US treasuries and gold) continue their gains. Investors are concerned about the size of the ransomware attack, a new missile test that is conducted by North Korea over the weekend, while Asia still needs to digest weaker-than-expected economic data from the USA that was released late last week.

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After Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech late last week, markets are increasingly expecting to see a US interest rate hike this month. In her speech in Chicago on Friday (03/03), Yellen said the Fed will adjust its monetary policy (specifically the fed funds rate) in case US employment and inflation continue to evolve in line with the Fed's expectations. The next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is scheduled for 14-15 March 2017 and therefore it is believed only disastrous US labor market data can block an interest rate hike this month.

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The second woman that was arrested in Kim Jong Nam's murder case is an Indonesian citizen named Siti Aishah, who originates from Banten in the western part of Java. Malaysian authorities announced the arrest of the Indonesian citizen. This was later confirmed by Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry. Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of the North Korean leader, was poisoned on Tuesday (14/02) at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Indonesian authorities requested consular access in order to provide legal assistance to the Indonesian citizen.

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In line with the performance of most stocks in Asia, Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index plunged 1.66 percent to 5,281.92 points on Friday (09/09). Several matters brought negative market sentiments to Asia: the European Central Bank (ECB) seems unwilling to boost asset purchases, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test, while Indonesia's central bank announced that the nation's retail sales expanded at a slower pace in July 2016. Meanwhile, the Indonesian rupiah depreciated 0.34 percent to IDR 13,108 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index).

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