Australia shares to open lower as global markets buckle

SYDNEY, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Australian shares look set to fall at the open as an endless slide in oil prices and steep losses across equity markets globally keep risk assets out of favour. The local share price index futures were trading at 4,815 to be at a 26-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 1.3 percent on Wednesday to hit a fresh 2-1/2 year trough as slumping commodity prices dragged on resource companies. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 5