Global markets today, July 17 -- Asian markets largely declined on Thursday as investors weighed Japan's export decline for a second straight month and U.S. President Donald Trump's denial of plans to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.6 per cent, and the broader Topix edged down 0.11 per cent.

In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.26 per cent, while the Kosdaq remained mostly unchanged. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index bucked the trend, gaining 0.35 per cent.

The U.S. President on Wednesday dismissed the likelihood of taking such action, just hours after telling a group of Republican lawmakers that he intended to dismiss Powell.

Trump also said that Japanese imports would face a 25 pe...