Author: Press Room

Pharmac has confirmed it will fund another brand of ADHD medication from December 1 following positive public consultation. In September, Pharmac proposed funding a new modified-release brand of methylphenidate – called Methylphenidate Sandoz XR – to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment and offset global supply challenges. From December 1, the drug buying agency said the additional medication would be available in the same strengths as Concerta – 18mg, 27mg, 36mg, and 54mg.It would be funded alongside existing brands, under current eligibility criteria and was expected to benefit around 3800 people in the first year. Pharmac’s chief…

Friends and family have paid tribute to a US couple killed in a Waikato crash earlier this month, describing them as “incredible people” whose “legacy will last a lifetime”.Josh Greenway, 35, and Amber Stephens, 34, from Phoenix Valley in Arizona, died in a two-vehicle crash in Piarere near the intersection of State Highway 1 and Horahora Rd on the evening of October 15. A Gofundme appeal – In Memory of Josh and Amber: Support Their Families – was set up to help meet funeral expenses and other costs. A friend paid tribute to the couple via the page, describing them…

Nelson City Council’s transition away from clear-fell pine forestry is well underway with around 74,000 trees planted in the Maitai and Marsden Valleys this winter.”We’re systematically moving through the whole of the commercial forestry estate at the moment and prioritising our work,” said the council’s new forest systems manager Dr James Griffiths.Griffiths, a scientist with 20 years of experience in pest management for the Department of Conservation, has been in his role for two months after the council initially struggled to fill the position.The council decided to transition away from clear-fell commercial forestry to create a well-managed continuous canopy amenity…

Police have seized a motorbike, brand new power tools and more than $9000 in cash during a search warrant executed in Christchurch.The operation was a joint effort between Canterbury Rural and Christchurch Tactical Crime Units, following investigations into a series of commercial burglaries.Senior Sergeant Rachel Walker said officers were pleased to recover stolen tools linked to the burglaries.“We also found other items of interest including drug utensils, rifle ammunition, firearm parts and multiple new retail items,” she said.The occupant of the house was found to have unpaid fines, despite the large amount of cash discovered in the garage. Rifle ammunition…

Unions and Māori have united in solidarity against government policy, coming together for Rā Whakamana – a nationwide day of action calling to reaffirm the tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua and protect the rights and wellbeing of all workers.The mobilisation coincided with the 190th anniversary of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand) and the first Labour Day demonstrations in 1890.Despite the harsh weather which cancelled events in South Auckland and Tauranga, hundreds gathered in central Tāmaki Makaurau, braving the rain and heavy winds.Crowds, including representatives from iwi,…

What would a Labour-style capital gains tax mean for the average person? And what would happen if prices went backwards?Here are seven questions you might be asking about Labour’s tax policy.What’s proposed?Labour’s proposal for a capital gains tax (CGT) focused simply on residential investment property is largely in line with a minority view of the 2018 Tax Working Group – which said it would be a pragmatic approach to raise revenue without adding additional costs.It was revealed on Tuesday that Labour is planning to take the CGT policy into the next election, not its earlier wealth tax plans.The revenue raised…

Defending the Eastern flank is now an existential question for Europe, Lithuania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kęstutis Budrys has told Euronews in an interview after a series of air incursions put member states from the Baltics to Poland on high alert. Disruptions in the European airspace by drones and flying objects like air balloons have been denounced by several countries as a deliberate effort to provoke and destabilise the region. Over the weekend, Lithuania intercepted large air balloons flying into its airspace, which forced it to shut down the Vilnius airport. Poland, Denmark, Romania and Estonia have also recorded drone incursions…

An embattled South Dunedin pub has landed in hot water once again due to a new owner’s run-ins with the law. The latest on-licence and off-licence applications for the St Kilda Tavern have been opposed by police, the medical officer of health delegate and the Dunedin City Council’s chief licensing inspector. Police opposed the applications by JV Bars Ltd for reasons including the suitability of the applicant. “One of the shareholders failed to disclose convictions and previous involvement with the police,” a report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee said. The inspector raised concerns that a 50% shareholder in the company,…

Actor Prunella Scales, best known as acid-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers, has died, her children said. She was 93 and had lived with dementia for many years.Scales’ sons, Samuel and Joseph West, said she died “peacefully at home in London”.“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home,” her sons said. “She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.”Scales’ career included early roles in a 1952 television version of Pride and Prejudice and the 1954 film comedy Hobson’s Choice, followed by her…

Health New Zealand this afternoon is reporting one new case of measles in the Wellington region. This brings the total number of known cases nationwide to 11, with the latest cluster surrounding Wellington College and Wellington Girls’ College.Parents and caregivers of Wellington high school students are worried by an outbreak of measles, with thousands of close contacts identified and students in isolation.One case is linked to overseas travel, and seven are linked to a Bluebridge Ferry crossing on October 3.There are four cases in Wellington, one in Northland, two in Auckland, one in Taranaki, two in Manawatū and one in…