HONG KONG (AFP) - Asian markets mostly enjoyed more gains on Wednesday (Dec 30) following the previous day's advances, with vaccine and economic recovery optimism helping investors look past a frightening surge in virus cases around the world.

As a rollercoaster year draws to a close, two major weights on sentiment - US stimulus and the Brexit trade deal - have been navigated reasonably positively, leaving traders a little more upbeat about the next few months.