NZ Herald
The paper says the number of heart operations in Auckland has collapsed by a fifth since the nation's leading cardiac hospital shifted premises. The New Zealand Herald says Singapore and South Korea have advised their citizens against traveling to Thailand amidst ongoing violent anti-government protests. The front page also covers a New York Times report that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was only considered as a Republican vice-presidential option about four days before she was asked.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post says teachers want more pay for staff who work in problem schools, and also want colleges to be secretly classified by the number of violent, disruptive or anti-social pupils on their rolls. The paper reports families are borrowing money at interest rates of up to 8% a week to make ends meet between paydays. The paper also devotes much of its front page to the death at the age of about 60 of Nippy the gibbon at Wellington Zoo. Nippy - who was said to like a party and had several girlfriends - was thought to be the oldest gibbon in captivity.
The Press
The paper says New Zealand First will try to correct its 2005 electoral return after admitting it broke the law by not declaring $50,000 it put through a secret trust to avoid the donations being made public. The Press also features Christchurch truck driver Sam Woods who caught a teenage bag thief after a 2km chase on foot in his steel-capped boots . The paper also says rest homes will be rated in league tables, have surprise audits and have minimum staffing levels under radical changes proposed by Health Minister David Cunliffe.
Otago Daily Times
The ODT says 24 prisoners from Napier arrived at Dunedin International Airport on Tuesday, bound for the Otago Corrections Facility, following a health scare that prompted an evacuation of the Hawkes Bay Prison. The Otago Daily Times also features the results of an extensive survey about Dunedin City Council which, among other things, showed most locals thought the city parking wardens were fair folk with good attitudes.
