Reuters

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee

Investors in Europe will begin the week mired in uncertainty over the global interest rate outlook and the region's political landscape.

French President Emmanuel Macron rolled the dice on his political future on Sunday, calling snap legislative elections for later this month after he was trounced in the European Union vote by Marine Le Pen's far-right party.

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that China's Premier Li Qiang would visit the country this week, in the first trip to the nation in seven years by a Chinese premier.

Luxon said in a statement that he looked forward to warmly welcoming Premier Li in New Zealand and that the visit would be a valuable opportunity for exchanges on areas of cooperation between the two countries.

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi damaged two commercial vessels in missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden in the last 24 hours as part of the militia group's ongoing campaign against international ocean shipping, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.

The Iran-backed Houthis hit the Tavvishi, a Liberian-flagged and Swiss-owned container ship with an anti-ship ballistic missile, CENTCOM said. The vessel was... (continue reading...)

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States were set to hold talks on Monday in Seoul on better coordinating an allied nuclear response during a war with North Korea, amid anxiety over Pyongyang's growing arsenal, Seoul officials said.

The third meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) is designed to follow up on last year's summit, during which the United States promised to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning for a... (continue reading...)

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minster Anthony Albanese on Monday condemned vandalism of the U.S. consulate in Sydney after the building was defaced in what local media said appeared to be a pro-Palestinian protest.

The building in the northern suburbs of Australia's largest city was attacked and sprayed with paint by a person carrying a small sledgehammer at around 3 a.m. local time on Monday.

"I would just say that people should have... (continue reading...)