BANGKOK (AP) Asian stock markets Thursday withstood some of the gloom seeping into other financial markets as the partial shutdown of the U.S. government dragged on for a third day.
Nonessential public services across the U.S. ground to a halt after Congress failed to approve short-term funding for the government after the fiscal year ended Monday. Some 800,000 federal workers have been put on unpaid leave and agencies across the U.S. have been idled.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.1 percent to 14,153.75. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.8 percent to 23,177.19. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7 percent to 5,250.50. Markets in mainland China and South Korea were closed for public holidays.
European Central Bank head Mario Draghi said that the partial U.S. government shutdown was a risk to economic recoveries in the U.S. and globally. Estimates suggest that a shutdown of two weeks could shave 0.3 percentage points off U.S. fourth quarter growth, according to analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong.
"Moreover, the shutdown may interrupt some economic data releases," Credit Agricole's Michael Carey wrote in an email commentary.