Hong Kong shares close with big gains
Hong Kong stocks surged on Thursday following a strong lead from Wall Street after a bigger-than-expected drop in US inflation raised hopes the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of interest rate hikes. The Hang Seng Index jumped 2.4 percent, or 471 points, to 20,082. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1.6 percent, or 51 points, to 3,281, while the Shenzhen Composite Index added 1.7 percent, or 36 points, to 2,216. (AFP)