Asian markets advance; Nikkei up 181pts

Asian markets have advanced this morning following some stability in the US markets.

The Hang Seng has surged 607 points to 23,529. The Nikkei has rallied 181 points to 13,203.

The Taiwan Weighted index has gained 82 points at 7,635. The Straits Times index has advanced 59 points to 2,985, and the Seoul Composite index has added seven points to 1,650.

The Shanghai Composite index, however, has slipped 54 points to 4,546.