Asian shares were mostly higher Friday, AP reported. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.5% to finish at 20,884.71, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose nearly 1.0% to 6,443.90. South Korea's Kospi inched up less than 0.1% to 2,069.38. Chinese markets were closed for a holiday. Benchmark U.S. crude gained 65 cents to $53.24 a barrel. Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 78 cents to $62.45 a barrel. The dollar rose to 108.49 Japanese yen from 108.22 yen on Thursday. The euro strengthened to $1.1262 from $1.1231.
