Pope Francis, the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88 following a period of poor health. His death came just one day after he made a brief public appearance during Easter Sunday celebrations in Saint Peter's Square. The pontiff

* Allied Petroleum will support over 14,000 players and 65 clubs across Southland and Otago * The partnership focuses on community, growth and fuelling rugby from grassroots to elite levels * Investment will fund youth development, coaching, refereeing and regional rugby programmes Allied Petroleum has announced a major new partnership with Rugby

An 1900s steam locomotive took flight of a different kind today, as it was lifted by crane into its new permanent display home in Lumsden. The historic D class locomotive, D6, was installed through the roof of a railway shed, completing a project that began in 2013. The locomotive’s

Gary Brecka is a human biologist, biohacker, longevity expert, and host of the "Ultimate Human" podcast theultimatehuman.com * Gary Brecka presents nine health tips combining science and biohacking on Rogan’s podcast * Topics include mental health, recovery, ageing, and the power of nature and community * Episode inspired strong

* Invercargill councillors adopted the reserve management plan for Donovan Park after recent consultation * The move allows the process to begin for removing reserve status from part of the land * Only 26 submissions were received, with mixed views on potential sale and land use change Invercargill City Council has taken another

* A helicopter will fly low over rivers in Southland to collect environmental mapping data * Bathymetric LiDAR technology will help create high-resolution 3D maps of local riverbeds and estuaries * The project supports tsunami modelling, marine research and public access to environmental information A low-flying helicopter will be seen over parts of

The pilot recycling bin inspection across Southland has seen hundreds of properties tagged for either low level or significant contamination. Editors note: The inspections are for the recycling bins, if in doubt put it in the red bin!We have updated the headline and story to avoid confusion. A report

* Government reveals first national long-term plan to upgrade New Zealand’s public health facilities * More than $20 billion to be invested in new hospitals and infrastructure over several stages * Dunedin Hospital’s next construction phase confirmed, with tendering underway for mid-year restart New Zealand has released its first-ever long-term Health