By Virginia Harrison, MarketWatch SYDNEY (MarketWatch) — The euro fell during Asian trading hours Wednesday, after the Slovak parliament rejected a plan to expand Europe’s bailout funds, the latest frustration in attempts to resolve the region’s debt crisis. The euro EURUSD -0.08% fell to $1.3614, down from $1.3570 in North American trade late Tuesday. The Slovak parliament rejected a plan to expand a €440 billion ($600 billion) bailout fund, after the U.S. market closed Tuesday. While not unexpected, the rejection disrupts the euro zone’s attempts to contain its simmering debt crisis. Read more about the Slovak vote Slovakia, the poorest country in the euro zone, is the only one of the 17 member-nations yet to approve the bailout plan. The slide in the euro ended a recent rally for the single currency, after French and German leaders pledged to support Europe’s beleaguered banks. The dollar index DXY +0.08% , which measures the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, rose to 77.751, from 77.549 in North American trade late Tuesday. Strategists at Capital Economics said the dollar is “likely to benefit further from safe-haven demand.” “This support has weakened a little in recent weeks, as expectations of some form of euro rescue package have grown,” the strategists said. “Even if a credible deal can be struck, Greece and many other euro members would still face a long and painful road to rebuild public finances and restore competitiveness.” The dollar USDJPY +0.11% bought 76.68 yen, little changed from ¥76.67 in late trading Tuesday, after data showed Japan’s core machinery orders rose sharply in August. Read more about Japan’s machinery orders. The British pound GBPUSD -0.01% slid to $1.5573, from $1.5602 late Tuesday. Virginia Harrison is a MarketWatch reporter based in Sydney.

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