TOKYO Asian shares held near eight-month high on Thursday as investors bet the Bank of England will cut rates in a pre-emptive strike to ward off a recession following the country's decision to leave the European Union. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS were down 0.1 percent in early trade but stood near its eight-month peak hit on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei .N225 was flat