New Delhi  - Three communist-ruled states in India shut down Thursday to protest the federal government's decision to hike the prices of petrol, diesel fuel and cooking gas, officials said.

Vienna  - The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) dropped by more than 3 dollars on Wednesday, OPEC said on Thursday.

Ljubljana  - The shutdown of the Slovenian nuclear power plant at Krsko following a coolant leak was standard procedure and "nothing unusual," plant director Stane Rozman said Thursday.

Manila  -

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysia has lifted a ban on the sale of fuel to foreign cars following a massive 40 per cent hike in the price of gasoline, reports said Thursday.