• The dollar inched up from a seven-month low hit after U.S. jobs growth in May missed expectations, while sterling fell after the attacks in London that killed at least seven people and wounded 48, just days before Thursday's national election.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major peers, was up almost 0.1 percent at 96.78 after sinking on Friday to its lowest level since the U.S. presidential election in November.
Sterling GBP=D3 fell as much as 0.3 percent before paring the losses to trade down 0.2 percent at $1.2864 on Monday.
• The investigation into alleged ties between President Donald Trump’s election campaign and Russia is threatening to dampen already flagging momentum for the president’s legislative agenda of rolling back Obamacare and overhauling the tax code.
• Former FBI Director James Comey will be grilled on whether President Donald Trump tried to get him to back off an investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, key U.S. senators said on Sunday ahead of Comey's testimony this week on Capitol Hill.
• Activity in Japan's services sector expanded at the fastest pace in almost two years in May, a private survey showed on Monday, further evidence that demand in the world's third-largest economy is picking up.
The Markit/Nikkei Japan Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 53.0 from 52.2 in April on a seasonally adjusted basis.
• Activity in China's services sector expanded at the fastest pace in fourth months in May thanks to a surge in new orders, a private business survey showed, helping to offset worries about unexpected weakness in manufacturing.
The Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 52.8 in May from April's 51.5, breaking a four-month decline and marking the highest reading since January. There was no breakdown by business segment in the survey.
The index remained above the 50 threshold, which separates expansion from contraction, for the eighth consecutive month and reached the highest level since August 2015.
• British Prime Minister Theresa May's once formidable lead has been eroded though her Conservative Party could still be on course to win a majority of seats in parliament, an opinion poll and an electoral model showed on Friday.
With less than a week before polling day on Thursday, May's Conservatives now lead the opposition Labour Party by just five percentage points, down from 15 just over two weeks ago, according to the survey from Ipsos MORI.
The Ipsos MORI poll put the Conservatives on 45 percent, down four points from a comparable survey on May 18, with Labour up 6 points to 40 percent.
• A lack of clarity about the size of an expected U.S. fiscal stimulus and China's rapid domestic credit growth are among risks that cloud Asia's economic outlook, a senior International Monetary Fund official said on Monday.
"Asia continues to be the world leader in growth helped by stronger demand and accommodative policies," IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa said in a speech at a seminar in Tokyo on the region's fiscal policy and demographics.
"Nonetheless, the near-term outlook is clouded with significant uncertainties and risks," he said.
• Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism, in an unprecedented breach between the most powerful members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The coordinated move dramatically escalates a dispute over Qatar's support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world's oldest Islamist movement, and adds accusations that Doha even backs the agenda of regional arch-rival Iran.
The three Gulf states announced the closure of transport ties with Qatar and gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries. Qatar was also expelled from a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.
• Oil markets rose around 1 percent on Monday, pushed up by tensions in the Middle East where top crude exporter Saudi Arabia and other Arab states cut off ties with Qatar.
Still, Brent crude oil futures had risen 48 cents, or 1 percent, to $50.43 per barrel by 0713 GMT.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were at $48.14 a barrel, up 48 cents, or 1 percent.
Reference: Reuters
Thai
Eng