"Asia Stocks Surge to 2-Week High on Dovish Fed Talk"

Asian stock markets rose as stimulus hopes in China and strong earnings in South Korea boosted investor sentiment. The dovish shift in tone from Federal Reserve officials led to a retreat in the dollar as traders scaled back their expectations of U.S. interest rate hikes. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index reached its highest level in 2-1/2 months, with South Korea's Kospi recording its best day since January. Bond markets remained stable, and oil prices steadied after concerns of a wider conflict in the Middle East. European gas prices surged on reports of a sabotaged gas pipe in Finland.