Asian stocks powered higher on Thursday after a surprise increase in
U.S. retail sales and unexpectedly strong growth in Japan's economy
helped eased fears about a sharp global slowdown.




Asian bonds slid as investors saw less need for safe-haven
investments, while the dollar held around a one-month high against the
yen.




Platinum hit a record high as power supply problems afflict major
producer South Africa, but oil prices steadied after climbing a day
earlier on the intensifying legal row between Venezuela and Exxon Mobil




"Buoyant U.S. economic data combined with a perception that (stock)
markets have seen lows are prompting buying interest," said Hwang
Geum-dan, an analyst at Samsung Securities.




MSCI's measure of Asian stocks outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 2.7 percent by 10:31 p.m. ET, its biggest gain in two weeks.




The index had dropped more than 13 percent this year as of Wednesday
as fears of a U.S. recession and the global credit crisis soured many
investors on Asian stocks.




The rise in U.S. retail sales last month lifted hopes that Asia's
top export market might yet skirt recession, buoying shares such as LG
Electronics that depend on U.S. consumers to drive profits.




Shares in South Korea , Singapore .FTSTI and Taiwan rose above 2 percent each, while Hong Kong's benchmark index [url="http://www.reuters.com/finance/markets/index?symbol=hk%21hsi">.HSI gained some 3 percent. Shanghai