Stocks from Japan to Australia rally on U.S. deal

Asian and Pacific stocks rallied on Thursday after a debt limit deadlock ended yesterday when the U.S. President Barack Obama and House Republicans agreed on a new federal debt ceiling avoiding the country's default. The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index outside Japan advanced to the highest level in a five-month period and was traded 0.4% up, while Japan's Nikkei added 1.2% to a 3-week high.