US Oil drilling ban

The US administration has banned oil drilling in new areas of the US coast while the cause of the oil spill off Louisiana is investigated.



White House adviser David Axelrod says no additional drilling has been authorised and none will be until the cause of the spill has been ascertained.



Last month, President Barack Obama eased a moratorium on new offshore drilling.



Up to 5,000 barrels of oil a day are thought to be spilling into the water after last week\'s rig explosion.



The slick has begun to reach the Louisiana shore, and the US Navy has been sent to help avert an economic and environmental disaster.