Norges Bank said its committee does not want to unduly restrict the economy but judged a slightly tighter monetary policy stance is needed to bring inflation back to target within a reasonable timeframe.

China shares opened lower on Sept 24 (Thursday): China's Shanghai Composite Index down 11.2 points (-0.28%) at 3,925.32; Shenzhen Composite Index down 61.0 points (-0.45%) at 13,575.07; CSI 300 Index down 17.42 points (-0.39%) at 4,499.86; ChiNext Index down 12.72 points (-0.38%) at 3,366.89; STAR 50 Index down 8.16 points (-0.49%) at 1,652.69.

India’s state-owned refiners have boosted liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production to about 44,000 tonnes per day, roughly 20% above the August average, to meet rising cooking-fuel demand as the Persian Gulf conflict disrupts contracted supplies. Consumption curbs are being eased: rural refill wait times have been cut from 45 days to 25 days and officials say backlogs have fallen. The festival season, running into November’s Diwali, is supporting demand, but LPG consumption is still expected to be about 10% below year-ago levels as industrial demand has yet to fully recover after household supply was prioritised during the conflict.