Friday's headlines: Muesli bars, frozen yoghurt and honey added to weight list of foods; International Arts Festival ticket sales 10,000 ahead; hint by NZRU that Otago Rugby Union board may be asked to step aside.
NZ Herald
Muesli bars, whole milk, frozen yoghurt and honey are all foods that weight conscious people should avoid, according to The New Zealand Herald. They are included in a list of 49 foods identified by researchers at the University of Otago as foods that can do more harm than good. The researchers say that while many imagine muesli bars to be a health snack, they're really just another form of biscuit.
The Herald also reports on a fatal crash between a camper van and a truck near Waitomo.
Waikato Times
That crash leads The Waikato Times, with police telling the newspaper that foreign tourists should be sure to learn the road rules before getting behind the wheel. The crash happened at an intersection and the paper has been told that alterations to make it safer, made it more confusing.
A wet summer that's been good for farmers, if not holidaymakers, will end on a drier note this weekend but MetService predicts a topsy turvy March.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post reports that a member of the jury that acquitted David Bain of the murder of his family wrote to the Minister of Justice urging him not to pay Mr Bain compensation for his previous wrongful conviction and imprisonment. The paper says the law prevents it from publishing details of the letter but the juror was concerned that the jury did not have access to suppressed evidence.
Sales for the International Arts Festival are 10,000 ahead of the same time in 2010 when the festival was last held. The festival begins on Friday.
The Press
The Press says a central city hotel is racing against time to get special access through the red zone cordon so it can house Ellerslie Flower Show guests in a fortnight. If successful, the Rendezvous Hotel will be the first hotel within the cordon to reopen.
Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder says he's well aware of Cantabrians' expectations for the Super 15 season, which begins on Friday night when the team play the Blues in Auckland.
ODT
Heavy rainfall leads The Otago Daily Times with the paper noting that more rain fell on Thursday than usually falls in the whole of February. Two residents are pictured knee deep in water outside their garage. Some 60mm fell at Dunedin airport in the 24 hours to 5pm.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew has given the first hint the Otago Rugby Union board may be asked to step aside in the wake of the union's financial troubles. Mr Tew calls the troubles serious.
