Asia markets mostly higher as China marks holiday

A sense of calm returned to Asian trading on Thursday after weeks of China-fuelled volatility as a public holiday on the mainland allowed investors to focus on upbeat US data, helping push riskier assets higher. A healthy run-up on Wall Street provided a perfect start for regional dealers ahead of the release of a crucial jobs report out of Washington on Friday. Shanghai and Hong Kong were closed to mark World War II Victory Day commemorations in China.