1.   Lawmakers in those states thought they needed to take drastic action to drive down historically high electricity prices that had crippled business.

2.   A former prime minister has warned against a growing anti-foreign mood stoked by the planned sales of crippled Thai businesses to outside investors.

3.   The strike by oil and gas workers, now in its fifth week, has almost completely crippled business activities, particularly in the economic capital Lagos.

4.   They were the landladies of ryokans -- traditional Japanese-style inns -- who say the tax has crippled business in recent years.