New BP cap 'could contain Gulf leak by Monday'

The BP oil leak could be completely contained as early as Monday if a new, tighter cap can be fitted over the blown-out well, the US government official in charge of the crisis said.

In some of the most encouraging news to come out of the Gulf in the two and a half months since the disaster struck, crews using remote-controlled submarines planned to swap out the cap over the weekend, taking advantage of a window of good weather following weeks of delays caused by choppy seas.