Asian markets rally; Nikkei up 279pts

Asian markets have surged smartly on the back of a sharp rally in the US markets.

The Nikkei has gained 279 points at 15,405. The Hang Seng has zoomed 980 points to 28,783.

The Taiwan Weighted index has soared 255 points to 8982. The Straits Times index has advanced 46 points to 3521, and the Seoul Composite index has added 37 points to 1970.

The Shanghai Composite index is up 24 points at 5183.