Sydney — Asian shares drifted lower on Wednesday as a risk-off mood settled on markets, while a frazzled pound awaited its fate ahead of yet another make-or-break parliamentary vote on Brexit. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.45% in slow trade. Japan’s Nikkei led the retreat with a fall of 1.2% as data showed domestic machinery orders fell in January at the fastest pace in four months. Shanghai blue chips slipped 0.5% following two days of gains. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 were off 0.2% and spread-betters pointed to opening losses for the main European bourses. Risk appetites had soured after British MPs crushed Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU divorce deal, forcing parliament to decide within days whether to back a no-deal Brexit or seek a last-minute delay. Legislators voted against May’s amended Brexit deal by 391 to 242 as her last-minute talks with EU chiefs on Monday to assuage her critics’ concerns ultimately proved fruitless. Parliament w...
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