Thursday's headlines: 82-year-old bus driver helped by teenagers sunburn after he suddenly became ill; dead pensioner lay in council flat for up to 14 months; held responsible for killing millions of whitebait eggs.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald leads with news that teenagers helped a schoolbus driver aged 82 bring his swerving bus - loaded with children - to a stop after he suddenly became ill. The paper says police are investigating the incident near Greymouth, while a parent says allowing an 82-year-old bus driver on the road is ''insane''.
And the paper reports cigarillo-smoking Sir Robert Jones has rebuffed a complaint from a neighbouring lawyer about smoke wafting into his Wellington office by pinning the blame on wine-swilling, chain-smoking mice.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post devotes most of its front page to the news a dead pensioner lay in a council flat for up to 14 months without his neighbours or Wellington City Council knowing.
The body of Michael Clarke, 88, was found by chance when council workers visited to make arrangements to shift tenants because the block of flats is due to be demolished.
The paper also reports that two out of three New Zealanders are backing the All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup.
The Press
The Press says Christchurch City Council could appoint a new chief executive next week. Incumbent Tony Marryatt and Southland Regional Council chief executive Ciaran Keogh, are now the only contenders for the position after the former Vbase head Bryan Pearson quit the race.
Canterbury University researchers have found that sunburn is responsible for killing millions of whitebait eggs.
ODT
The Otago Daily Times reports that three of the four Rugby World Cup matches in Dunedin are likely to sell out, with 74,000 tickets already bought by fans.
In other front page news: grave fears are held for a German man missing after going kayaking on Lake Hawea on Monday.
And the paper features photo of a stack of large haybales that have been erected in Kurow, depicting one the town's favourite sons, All Black captain Richie McCaw.
