Brexit fear factor sends stocks spinning

London: Fears that Britain may be on the verge of voting to leave the European Union next week coursed through global financial markets on Monday, sending Asian and European shares sharply lower and the pound to an eight-week low.

With growth looking shaky, worries that the "Brexit" vote could tip Europe back into recession have moved to the head of a list of concerns for investors which includes banks' problems with negative interest rates and dangerous imbalances in China.