Rising petrol prices have pushed New Zealand's headline inflation higher ahead of the Reserve Bank's next policy review. Economists widely expect the central bank to raise the official cash rate by 25 basis points next week, even though the latest price pressure stems mainly from fuel costs rather than broader demand.

Singapore's core inflation eased to 2 percent in September. Headline inflation also slipped to 2.2 percent from 2.3 percent in August, pointing to cooling price pressures in the city-state.

U.S. Treasury yields posted their sharpest one-day drop since the 2023 banking crisis as investors rushed into government bonds amid a broader tech-stock sell-off. Analysts described the move as a flight to safety rather than a signal of imminent recession.