Asian markets surge; Nikkei up 221pts

Asian markets have rallied smartly on the back of smart gains in the US markets.

The Hang Seng has surged 642 points to 24,840. The Nikkei has rallied 221 points to 13,698.

The Taiwan Weighted index has gained 33 points at 9,107. The Straits Times index has advanced 71 points to 3,195, and the Seoul Composite index has added 30 points to 1,801.

The Shanghai Composite index has gained 79 points at 3,174.