PRESS DIGEST-New Zealand newspapers - April 20

WELLINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Following are some of the lead stories from New Zealand metropolitan newspapers on Monday.

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)

First homes kick-start: Interest-free loans for first-home buyers are among a second wave of job-creation measures being worked on by the Government as its job summit gets mixed reviews nearly two months on.

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NZ should not join boycott - Greens: The Green Party is urging the Government to attend next week's UN conference on racism and says a boycott would be ironic just as Helen Clark takes up an important position at the world body.

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Afghan tour next for SAS: New Zealand's elite Special Air Force soldiers could be back in Afghanistan within months.

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Tourism firms batten down: Tourism industry profits are estimated to be down 14 per cent for the first half of 2009 but businesses feel they are coming to grips with the shrinking tourist market.

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

Floating rates on a high: Lower interest rates are prompting Kiwis to abandon their preference for fixed over floating-rate home loan terms.

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Fonterra's dairy exports to China set to treble: Fonterra has put the tainted milk affair at its former Sanlu joint venture behind it and is on track to treble its dairy exports to China to about 160,000 tonnes this financial year.