Asian markets firm; Nikkei ends up 264pts

Asian markets were firmly up today.

The Nikkei ended with a gain of 264 points at 17,628. The Hang Seng has rallied 279 points to 20,620, and the Shanghai Composite index has surged 64 points to 3852.

The Straits Times index has rallied 33 points to 3407. The Jakarta index has advanced 19 points to 1960, and the Seoul Composite index has added 11 points to 1532.