The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 131 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 16,169 in early trade today on fresh buying by funds, in line with positive Asian markets. Later, after gaining further ground, the Sensex stood a good 199 points or 1.2 per cent in the positive zone, at 16,237 in afternoon trade, a short while ago.Other Asian markets in Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea were up by between 0.3 percent and 1.1 percent, today, after a drop in Italian and Spanish borrowing costs, and the European Central Bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged boosted sentiment. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 0.2 per cent, overnight.