Asian markets rise as UK braces for double dip

A rally in tech shares led to Asian markets climbing overnight, after Apple's revealed it doubled last quarter's earnings.

Shares in the East snapped four days of losses, as key suppliers to Apple based in Asia posted gains after Apple's results. The Shanghai index was up 0.68% to 2,4065 points while the Nikkei 225 gained nearly 1% to close at 9,561. This followed the S&P 500 closing up 0.37% at 1,372. However, UK and US markets await key data today which could set the pace for indices in the following weeks. The Office for National Statistics is set to publish its preliminary estimate for GDP growth in Q1 - if the economy has contracted, the UK will be in recession. Meanwhile the Federal Reserve...