Mossam CHasina Pooku

Japan's Nikkei share average rose to a fresh five-week high on Friday as a weak yen lifted risk appetites following better-than-expected US jobless claims and the European Central Bank's decision to keep its rates unchanged. The Nikkei ended 0.9 percent higher at 15,274.07, the highest closing level since January 29.
For the week, the index rose 2.9 percent. But volume was subdued ahead of the release of widely anticipated U.S. job data later in the day. The Topix rose 0.7 percent to 1,236.97. The JPX-Nikkei Index 400, an index launched this year comprising firms with high return on equity and strong corporate governance, advanced 0.7 percent to 11,196.54.