Asia stocks mostly up, euro struggles on stimulus

Hong Kong - Asian markets mostly rose on Friday following gains in New York, while the euro remained stuck at 11-year lows after the European Central Bank said it would launch its massive stimulus programme next week.

While the euro struggled, the more upbeat mood provided support to the dollar ahead of the release later in the day of US jobs data, with a positive report seen supporting the Federal Reserve's move to raise interest rates.

Tokyo climbed 1.17% thanks to a weaker yen. The Nikkei 225 index rose 219.16 points to close at 18 971.00 while Seoul closed 0.73%, or 14.56 points, higher at 2 012.9.