The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 124 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 16,929 in opening trade, today, in tandem with rising regional markets.After gaining as much as 190 points at one stage, the Sensex pared its gains, but still stood a good 136 points, or 0.8 percent in positive territory, at 16,941 in afternoon deals, a short while ago.Other Asian markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were up by between 0.2 percent and 1.7 percent, today.Stocks rose on hopes that European leaders meeting in Brussels, tomorrow, will agree on steps to ease the EU debt crisis. The US Dow Jones Industrial average had ended 0.4 per cent higher, overnight.