Press digest

The Times says work on the City Gate project has been postponed by three months to allow more time for the relocation of shops.

The Malta Independent says lawyer Emmy Bezzina was reprimanded by a court for recording sittings. It also reports on the EU poverty index.

In-Nazzjon says the rebuilding of the Zabbar bypass to Marsascala is nearing completion. Work will start shortly on the rebuilding of Valletta Road, Zurrieq. It also reports that MIA expects growth of 2.8 per cent in passenger movements this year.

l-orizzont says that some 20 fishing boats will be retired because of the lower tuna quota. It also reports an EU poverty index which shows that 15 per cent of the people in Malta are at risk of poverty.

The international press:

EU Observer reports that the European Union has promised €400 million in long-term aid for Haiti. So far, EU members have donated €92 million, with an additional €100 million going to non-humanitarian assistance such as restoring government capabilities.

The Washington Times quotes US Defence Secretary Robert Gates denying US forces have taken up a policing role in Haiti but do have the authority to protect "innocent Haitians" and themselves if necessary. His statement follows accusations by France that the US has adopting a policing role I Haiti. The French criticised US relief efforts, claiming that international aid programmes should be about helping the country, not 'occupying' it.

The New York Times says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has returned to New York with the remains of senior UN officials after a tour of the devastated Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. He is to ask the Security Council to send an additional 1,500 police and 2,000 troops to join 9,000 UN peacekeepers already in Haiti

The International Herald Tribune reports the UN World Food Programme expected to boost its operations but says it needs 100 million prepared meals over the next 30 days. Since the earthquake struck a week ago, the number of people killed has risen to around 70,000. The Haitian government says the total death toll could exceed 200,000 and 1.5 million people have been left homeless.

Berliner Zeitung reports the historic meeting between the German and Isreali cabinets in Berlin for a special joint session highlighting the nations' bond 60 years after the Holocaust. High on the agenda was Germany's push to win the release of a captive Israeli soldier held by Hamas militants and its efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed calls for sanctions on Iran, should Tehran continue to reject cooperation.

Meanwhile, Abrar quotes Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warning Iran was "reconsidering" its relationship with Britain, following accusations that together with other Western nations, it fomented the post-election turmoil that has shaken it following the disputed June presidential election.

The Financial Times reports the EU and Iraq have signed a strategic energy partnership, as the bloc seeks to diversify its energy sources. The agreement is intended to strengthen energy cooperation between the EU and Iraq in a number of areas, including energy security, natural gas and renewable energy sources. The new deal could also reduce the EU's dependence on Russia for energy.

Afghan Times leads on the attacks by Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers in Kabul which killed at least 12 people and left more than 70 injured. They attacked buildings in the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul, setting off explosions and sparking gun battles. President Hamid Karzai, who was swearing in new members of his cabinet at the time of the raid, says security has now been restored.

Chumhuriyet reports that Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who tried to kill pope John Paul II in 1981, has been released after almost three decades behind bars. rekindling the mystery over whether he acted alone or had been hired by a Soviet-era secret service. Within hours of being freed, he was examined by doctors who declared him mentally unbalanced and exempt from military service.

China Daily reports rescuers have evacuated thousands of rural residents from north-west China after extreme cold and blizzards killed four people and left half a million snowed under. Storms in China's far western Xinjiang flattened or damaged about 100,000 homes and more than 15,000 livestock were killed.Temperatures in parts of Xinjiang are set to plunge to minus 43C by midweek.

In neighbouring Mongolia, UB Post quotes an official appealed for help from the international community as the country battled the most severe winter it has seen in 30 years.

The Wall Street Journal says two rival pirate gangs had a shootout over the ransom to free a supertanker, prompting one side to call an EU anti-piracy force for help. Helicopters from a warship ended the stand-off that could have caused a catastrophic explosion aboard the Maran Centaurus, carrying about two million barrels of highly flammable crude oil. The ship was seized about 800 miles off the Somali coast with a crew of 28 and its cargo was estimated to be worth roughly €70 million.

Butter should be banned in a bid to save thousands of lives, a leading heart surgeon claimed today. Metro says Shyam Kolvekar, of the University College London Hospital, is leading a campaign to reduce saturated fat in diets after treating patients as young as 33 for heart bypass operations. Mr Kolvekar said reducing intake in line with Government recommendations could prevent at least 3,500 deaths per year.

The Miami Herald reports that as international aid agencies rush food, water and medicine to Haiti's earthquake victims, a US faith-based group was sending Bibles to Haitians in their hour of need. Not just any Bible. These are solar-powered audible Bibles that can broadcast the holy scriptures in Haitian Creole to 300 people at a time. Called the "Proclaimer," the audio Bible delivers "digital quality" and is designed for "poor and illiterate people". The Faith Comes By Hearing group said the Proclaimer was "self-powered and can play the Bible in the jungle, desert or ... even on the moon!"