Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Wednesday as investors were encouraged by news that an experimental COVID-19 vaccine under development by Moderna. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 advanced 1.6% to 22,945.50, while the Kospi in South Korea added 0.9% to 2,201.96, AP reported. Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 10 cents to $40.39 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 19 cents to settle at $40.29 per barrel on Tuesday. Brent oil, the international standard, picked up 13 cents to $43.03 per barrel. In currency dealings, the dollar bought 107.27 Japanese yen, up from 107.23 yen late Tuesday. The euro also was almost unchanged, rising to $1.1406 from $1.1401.