Before then, the European Central Bank is widely expected to hold rates steady later in the day but a fraught trade and political outlook means it will likely keep alive the prospect of further easing. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei gained 0.8% to hit a record as tech and energy firms as well as utilities jumped. Taiwanese shares rose 1% to also set a record as leading chipmaker SoftBank rose almost 9% after Stargate Project partner Live Events Nasdaq futures rose 0.2% and S&P 500 futures inched up 0.1%. MSC ...