Asian markets end higher today

Asian markets ended higher today, as investors remained focused on the global vaccination program and shook off worries about a hedge fund default in the US that hit international banking stocks overnight. So, Japan's Nikkei-225 index gained 0.2 percent; China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.6 percent; Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 0.8 percent; South Korea's Kospi index advanced 1.1 percent and Singapore's Straits Times index added 0.7 percent...