Tokyo — Asian shares tumbled to seven-week lows and the dollar was on the defensive on Wednesday as investors were rattled by signs the US presidential election race was tightening just days before the November 8 vote. Markets were beginning to rethink their long-held bets of a victory for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton amid signs her Republican rival Donald Trump could be closing the gap, forcing money out of riskier assets and into safe-havens such as the Japanese yen and gold. Heavy selling also knocked the Mexican peso, seen as the most vulnerable to a Trump presidency due to his pledge to build a wall along the US border with Mexico to prevent entry of illegal immigrants. The peso, which posted its biggest fall in two months on Tuesday, extended losses to 19.308 to the dollar, its lowest level since early October. Investor anxiety has deepened in recent session over a possible Trump victory given uncertainty on the Republican candidate’s stance on several issues including...
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