Asian Stocks Finish Higher

Updated from 12:52 a.m. EST

Stocks in Asia closed higher Friday on light volume buoyed by gains on Wall Street that have stretched to four straight days.

U.S. markets were closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average rose 1.7% to 8512.27. Japan's government reported the country's industrial production fell 3.1% in October from the previous month, as the global slowdown forced companies to cut output. The country's unemployment rate stood at 3.7% in October, down slightly from the month before. ...