Asian markets rally; Nikkei up 413pts

Asian markets have rallied smartly this morning following a firm close on the Wall Street.

The Hang Seng has surged 1,101 points to 24,641. The Nikkei has gained 413 points at 13,506.

The Taiwan Weighted index has advanced 175 points to 7,692. The Straits Times index has moved up 77 points to 3,127, and the Seoul Composite index has added 19 points to 1,682.

The Shanghai Composite index, however, is down 11 points at 4,706.