MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after U.S. stocks rose to near their records. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices advanced. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.7% to 50,705.76 on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week, even while traders speculate over whether the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates this month. Technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group Corp.'s shares jumped 8.8%. The government’s 10-