Author: Press Room

Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favourite Iceman in Top Gun, donned a voluminous cape as Batman in Batman Forever and portrayed Jim Morrison in The Doors, has died. He was 65.Kilmer died today in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said in an email to The Associated Press.Val Kilmer died from pneumonia. He had recovered after a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies.”I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost…

Police are not searching for anyone else in relation to the deaths of a couple in the Wellington suburb of Roseneath.A concerned family member asked officers to do a welfare check on the occupants of the Palliser Rd property about 10.25pm on Monday.Police forced their way in and found two people dead.Post-mortems were completed today and the case will be referred to the coroner.”Police will continue to have a presence in the area as we work to understand the reasoning behind this tragic incident,” Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said.”We would like to hear from anyone who may have information that…

Germany is anticipating a trade war as President Donald Trump prepares a raft of punitive tariffs. How will the country’s car manufacturers be affected? ADVERTISEMENTUS President Donald Trump is expected to announce further tariffs on imports this week, in addition to the 25% tariffs on imported cars and car parts he has already ordered. But while governments and exporters the world over have been preparing for his next move, predicting what it will be or what impact it will have has proven difficult. Trump has also repeatedly flip-flopped between announcing tariffs and then pausing them. Markets are in a volatile…

KiwiRail’s $8 million spend on management consulting is unacceptable, says Minister for Rail Winston Peters. KiwiRail contracted McKinsey and Company on December 6, 2023, for a strategic review on how to lift performance for rail freight and the ferries, less than a week before the government’s announcement it was scrapping the Interislander replacement project iReX. Finance Minister Nicola Willis had said the fee was “excessive and not justifiable”. KiwiRail had refused to make the cost public, citing commercial sensitivities. After complaints from the NZ Herald, the Ombudsman investigated whether the payment amount should be released under the Official Information Act, and…

An Auckland restaurant operated by prominent restaurateurs Sid and Chand Sahrawat will close in May.KOL was first opened on Ponsonby Road in 2022 and would host its last dinner service on Mother’s Day, 11 May.”Although KOL was initially a very busy, viable business, the past few months have been tough, and while we’ve made the decision to close, we’re glad we tried,” Sid Sahrawat said in a statement announcing the closure.”You never know if an idea will succeed unless you try.”However he clarified they would not be selling the property, instead treating the restaurant as an “incubator” for future talent.”KOL/LAB…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  Markets may be volatile, as United States President Donald Trump continues to make waves, but investors are being told they shouldn’t let it put them off making sound decisions. More upheaval is likely around the nation’s ‘Liberation Day’ as Trump prepares to announce tariffs on Tuesday (US time). KiwiSaver members are frequently told to stay the course, when the markets are volatile, and not panic and move their investments to more conservative assets, but one fund manager says advice to stick it out might stop some people from making decisions when they actually need to. Koura…

Hollywood studio executives are making their case for theatre going with a little help from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — along with the newly announced stars set to play them.Sony Pictures kicked off the annual CinemaCon convention and trade show in Las Vegas on Monday by touting their four upcoming biopics told from the perspective of each member of The Beatles.At their presentation on the main stage at Caesars Palace, the studio confirmed and brought out the long-rumoured leads for each film — Paul Mescal as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Starr…

Thirteen people have been injured – two seriously – following a crash involving a car and a van in southern Taranaki this morning.Police said the two-vehicle crash occurred on Hastings Rd in Matapu at around 9.55am.The van was from Te Kura o Nga Ruahine Rangi, a te reo Māori immersion school based in Eltham Rd.In a statement, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Ruahinerangi chairperson Renee Wright this afternoon said 11 students and one teacher from the kura were injured in the collision.”The details of the accident and extent of injuries sustained are yet to be fully determined. Our immediate…

Health New Zealand has accepted the findings of a rapid review into an incident where an 11-year-old girl was misidentified as a woman in her 20s, taken to the hospital by police, and given anti-psychotic drugs. Health NZ released the findings of that review today, which confirmed that “several failings” had contributed to the “distress and trauma” experienced by the girl. “Once again, and on behalf of Health NZ, I offer our deepest apologies,” Health New Zealand Chief Clinical Officer Dr Richard Sullivan said. “Our staff endeavour to provide high standards of care and we want to ensure what happened…

The Body Shop New Zealand has been placed into liquidation, with all stores closed and the loss of about 70 jobs. A notice in the New Zealand Gazette confirmed liquidation of the company began on Thursday last week. Neale Jackson and Daniel Stoneman of Calibre Partners were appointed as liquidators. A message on the beauty retailer’s website confirmed all retail locations were now permanently shut, and the online store was no longer processing orders. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers for your unwavering support throughout the years,” a statement said. “Your passion for our products and ethical values has…