Asian shares at four-month highs

Asian stocks rose to their highest levels in more than four months on Thursday and regional currencies weakened led by the Singapore dollar as hopes grew that more central banks will join the city state in easing monetary policy in the comiing months. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.3 percent, reaching its highest level since Dec. 2. Singapore's central bank on Thursday surprised markets by setting the rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar policy band at