Australia beat Samoa 44-12 in a Rugby League World Cup semi-final on 8 Nov, reaching the final against New Zealand in Brisbane next Sunday. Australia led 26-2 at halftime and scored eight tries in total, with Reece Walsh scoring a hat-trick. Samoa's points came from a penalty by Stephen Crichton and a try by Izack Tago. The Sydney Football Stadium crowd was 41,529. The earlier semi-final saw New Zealand beat Tonga 34-10 in Newcastle on Saturday, so New Zealand will meet Australia for the title.
Sydney
3 stories since 3 November 2026, newest first
8 November 2026
7 November 2026
Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland was dubbed La Stupenda following her 1960 rendition of Handel's Alcina at Venice's Teatro La Fenice. The moniker reflects her vocal agility and purity, qualities that later helped revive bel canto works by Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. Her 1959 Lucia di Lammermoor performance launched her international fame. Critics such as John Longmuir and Ali McGregor continue to cite her as an unmatched benchmark of technical artistry.
3 November 2026
Glenn Maxwell, 38, announced on Tuesday 3 Nov that he is retiring from international cricket, telling The Final Word podcast he will no longer represent Australia in T20 internationals. He had already left one-day cricket in 2025 and will also stop playing 50-over and four-day cricket for Victoria, plus red-ball cricket entirely. He will continue in franchise T20 leagues, including the Melbourne Stars in the upcoming Big Bash League season. His final Australia appearance was against Oman at the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2026.