World stocks welcome start of new year
Asia markets finish mostly higher, with Hong Kong up nearly 5%. Europe starts session with gains.
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Asian and Pacific stock exchanges were mostly higher on the first trading day of the new year, with Hong Kong and South Korean markets showing strong gains Friday while Australia was nearly flat.
The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong shot up 4.6% in Friday's trading, while Seoul's KOSPI climbed 2.9%. The All Ordinaries index in Sydney dipped about 0.1%.
Tokyo's stock exchange remained closed for the holiday Friday. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index closed Tuesday down 42.1% for the year.
European markets opened higher. London's FT-100 gained 0.6%, Frankfurt's DAX was up 1.3% and Paris' CAC rose 1.1% in morning trading.
Analysts expect 2009 to bring another bumpy ride for the global economy, with the world's major economies - the United States, Japan and the European Union "eurozone" countries - now officially in recession. 
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