Nikkei slips 80pts; other Asian markets steady

Japan's Nikkei slipped towards the close to end down 80 points at 16,765. The index had touched a high of 16,988 in the opening trades.

The Hang Seng has gained 141 points at 19,200, and the Shanghai index has moved up 46 points to 2886.

The KLSE Compisite index has rallied 3% to 1165. The Straits Times index has moved up 1.5% to 3082.