The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange opened 172 points, or 0.8 percent higher, to once again cross the psychological 18,000 point level, at 18,040, amid firm Asian bourses on morning. Climbing further, the Sensex stood 193 points, or 1.1 percent in the green, at 18,061, a short while ago.Stocks markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were up by between 0.3 percent and 2 percent, after South Korea's exports in July grew faster than expected.