Several Asian stock markets open higher in 2009

Hong Kong: Several Asian stock markets opened 2009 mostly higher on Friday, with Hong Kong's benchmark up more than 2 per cent.

With most investors away for the holidays and more than half the region's markets still closed, trading volumes were extremely light.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.3 per cent to 14,712.70, while South Korea's Kospi added 1.5 per cent to 1,140.89.

Singapore's Straits Times benchmark climbed 2 per cent. Markets in Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines were closed.

Among the top gainers were Chinese telecom firms after Beijing said Wednesday it had approved licenses for next-generation mobile phone services.

China Mobile, the world's biggest phone carrier by subscribers, gained 2.7 per cent.