 Costa Concordia fuel removal operation begins 
 
 There have been fears of a fuel leak from the stricken liner 
 
 Pumping to remove more than 2,300 tonnes of fuel from the grounded Costa Concordia cruise ship has started, Italian officials have said. The Pontiff has called on the Syrian leadership... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this photo released by the Italian Presidency, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, right, greets some relatives of the victims of the cruise ship that ran aground last month off Tuscany, in Rome,... (Associated Press) 
 
 After nearly two weeks of delays because of rough seas and bad weather, the pumping got under way on the first of 15 tanks that are believed to hold around 84 percent of the fuel on board, Italy's civil protection department said. Crane barge 
 
 Dutch salvage company Smit is conducting the operation to pump out the fuel, which is expected to take about four weeks to complete. Hoses are attached to the valves and as the oil _ which must be warmed to make it less gooey _ is sucked out of the upper hose, sea water is pumped in to fill the vacuum via the lower hose. Ever since the Concordia ran aground Jan. 13, fears have swirled about fuel leaks and resulting contamination of the pristine waters off the tiny island of Giglio, which form part of a protected sanctuary for dolphins, whales and porpoises. About 4,200 passengers and crew escaped, but 17 bodies have been found and another 15 people remain missing and presumed dead. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all the passengers had been evacuated.
– Italian officials have begun operations to salvage some 500,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil from the stricken Costa Concordia cruise ship, reports the BBC. Dutch salvage company Smit is performing the operation, which has been delayed by bad weather and the search for survivors; the salvage is expected to take 28 days. "We expect the next five days to be good weather, and we will work 24 hours a day to pump out the fuel," says Smit's salvage master. "Hopefully by the end of the week we will have the majority out." Some 15 tanks are believed to hold 84% of the fuel aboard, notes the AP.