Asian shares have started in a muted mood while investors braced for US inflation data and a corporate reporting season where good results are needed to justify high stock valuations. Geopolitical tensions were also on the radar as disruptions in the Red Sea raised oil prices and shipping costs in Europe, and the Israeli conflict with Hamas threatened to spread to Lebanon. There was more promising news from Washington where US congressional leaders agreed on a $1.6 trillion spending deal aimed at averting a partial government shutdown. The early action was cautious with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan…
