PRESS DIGEST-New Zealand newspapers - March 25

WELLINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - Following are some of the lead stories from New Zealand metropolitan newspapers on Wednesday.

Stories may be taken from either the paper or Internet editions of the papers.

Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

DOMINION POST(www.stuff.co.nz)

Govt set to restrict migrants: The Government is poised to cut the number of migrants entering New Zealand on temporary work permits as it comes under pressure to save Kiwi jobs during the recession.

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Auckland on brink of being a supercity: Supercity Auckland is coming as 'judgment day' looms, mayor John Banks says. A Royal Commission into Auckland Governance will deliver its four-volume report to the Government today.

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Scandal brings a boost for Fonterra: The melamine in the milk scandal has had a silver lining for Fonterra in the form of a big jump in revenue from Asia. In its half-year result, revenue from Asia, Africa and the Middle East was up 53 per cent to $1.2 billion.

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Recession cuts power demand: National energy demand is down about 3 per cent, excluding the impact of the closure of a potline at the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter, Transpower says.

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NEW ZEALAND HERALD (www.nzherald.co.nz)

Air NZ AIR.NZ scrambling to avoid strike chaos: Air New Zealand is working to minimise disruption for tens of thousands of travellers over Easter after some international cabin crew announced a four-day strike.

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Black cloud, with some silver for NZ: New Zealand's economy looks likely to be given a relatively clean bill of health in an annual report by the International Monetary Fund.

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Rainbow Warrior bombing agent dies in French plane crash: A member of the French Secret Service team that carried out the Rainbow Warrior bombing in 1985 has been killed in a plane crash in the French Alps.

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Aussie learning centre collapse affects NZ: Despite the New Zealand arm of ABC Learning Centres surviving the group's collapse in Australia, the failure has forced the liquidation of at least three companies on this side of the Tasman.

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Tower issue raises NZ$81.7m: Fund manager and insurer Tower has raised $81.7 million in a potential NZ$100 million bond issue which opened more than a month ago amid rising competition from other issuers.

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NZ Post offering notes: New Zealand Post is raising NZ$200 million through the issue of unsecured notes, including oversubscriptions of NZ$50 million. NZ Post, through its NZ Post Group Finance subsidiary, has set the initial interest rate at 7.50 per cent.

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