Stock market today: Asia shares mostly rise after Trump talks with Putin about ending war in Ukraine

Asian shares are mostly higher after U.S. President Donald Trump agreed with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to start talks about ending the war in Ukraine. The possibility that Trump may pause some of the tariffs he has announced was also a cause for optimism in Asian markets. Benchmarks rose in early Thursday trading in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Hong Kong, while falling in Shanghai. Most U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after a report said inflation is unexpectedly worsening for Americans. The S&P 500 dropped 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, while the Nasdaq composite edged higher by less than 0.1%.