BP froze activity on two key projects yesterday which were meant to choke off the flow of oil billowing from its broken well in the Gulf of Mexico, after days of moving confidently toward controlling the crisis.

WITH each new look by scientists, the oil spill just keeps looking worse.

The Gulf of Mexico oil blow-out may have been leaking twice as much as previously thought, scientists fear.

THE Gulf oil spill has surpassed the Exxon Valdez soill as the worst in US history, according to new estimates released yesterday, but the Coast Guard and BP said an untested procedure to stop it seemed to be working.