* Yen, franc gain on renewed Brexit jitters
* Currencies quiet before ECB, Scandinavian central bank
meetings
* Sterling below $1.29 after latest parliamentary defeat
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
By Tommy Wilkes
LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Japanese yen rose to a
one-week high and the Swiss franc gained on Wednesday as
investors sought safer assets after British lawmakers forced a
delay in the UK government's Brexit plans.
Foreign exchange markets were generally quiet with Brexit
uncertainty hanging over the market and central bank meetings
due on Thursday in Sweden, Norway and the euro zone.
On Tuesday, British lawmakers opposed Johnson's timetable
for pushing the Brexit legislation through parliament -- three
days. Johnson now looks set to push for a general election before
Christmas to break the impasse. It is up to the EU to decide
whether to extend Britain's Oct. 31 deadline for its departure.
Adam Cole, a strategist at RBC Capital Markets, said Brexit
was driving a "general risk-off tone".
"Things could change very quickly today, depending on the EU
response," he said. He added that he did not see "much downside"
risk now that a no-deal Brexit was off the table.
Morten Lund, a senior strategist at Nordea, said that
markets were reacting to the likelihood of a UK election.
The Japanese yen rose to 108.25 per dollar JPY=EBS , its
strongest since Oct. 15, before settling at 108.380, up 0.1% on
the day. Versus the Australian dollar, the yen strengthened as
much as 0.5% AUDJPY=EBS .
The Swiss franc, which investors also tend to buy when they
feel nervous, rose 0.1% to 1.1006 francs per euro EURCHF=EBS .
The euro edged lower to $1.1120 EUR=EBS before Thursday's
European Central Bank meeting, outgoing president Mario Draghi's
final policy meeting.
The dollar index was flat at 97.547 .DXY .
Sterling slipped as low as $1.2842 GBP=D3 in Asia, then
recovered to $1.2877 as London opened. That left the pound more
than one cent off Monday's five-and-a-half-month high.
The Swedish crown was little changed against the euro at
10.737 crowns per euro EURSEK=D3 and the Norwegian crown
continued the losses that saw it reach a record low against the
euro last week EURNOK=D3 . The euro added 0.3% against the
Norwegian currency to 10.2075 crowns.
Australia's dollar dropped 0.2% to $0.6841 AUD=D3 as risk
aversion knocked a currency considered a barometer for
investors' moods.
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U.S. dollar vs Japanese yen https://tmsnrt.rs/2P8EElj
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