Oil slick reaches US shores

Small amounts of oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico have reached US shores. Officials said the leak, from an oil rig sunk by a massive explosion last week, was five times worse than previously thought, and could trigger a disaster of "national significance" on the Gulf coast. By sunset on Thursday, the oil had reached the mouth of Mississippi river, lapping at the shoreline in long, thin lines and threatening birds, marine life and some of the country's richest seafood grounds. The massive slick has prompted the southern US state of Louisiana to declare a state of emergency and the White House to step up its response.