DHAKA: Asian shares are trading higher for a second day after Wednesday’s strong rally across the region.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up by 0.9% to 16,897.19 points, extending the previous day’s jump of more than 4%, reports the BBC.

Electronics giant Toshiba rose by almost 10% on reports it had secured a further $2.2bn in bank loans for its restructuring efforts.

The Japanese company is in the process of a major overhaul on the heels of its massive accounting scandal.

In China, the mainland Shanghai Composite rose by 0.3% to 2,859.31 points while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.2% to 20,043.27.

In Australia, the benchmark ASX/200 index rose by 0.8% to 5,062.30 points in morning trade.

Commodity firms saw strong gains for a second day, with Rio Tinto and Fortescue rising 2.2% and 8% respectively.

Investors reacted positively to the settlement between Brazil and Samarco over the 2015 mudslide when a mine breached a dam setting off a deadly mudslide, causing widespread environmental damage.

Samarco is partly owned by Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton which saw its shares rise as much as 4% in early trade.

In South Korea, the Kospi index saw a 0.3% rise to 1,951.44 points.

BDST: 1221 HRS, MAR 03, 2016
RR