Sydney Thunder have added international players Lauren Bell and Nadine de Klerk, along with Nicola Hancock and Jemma Barsby, to address weaknesses that cost them a finals spot last season. The club finished seventh in WBBL|11 after missing fourth place by two points. Captain Phoebe Litchfield says the squad now has depth and selection options. Heather Knight returns after retiring from international cricket and will support the young local batters. The bowling attack, which lacked punch last season, has been strengthened with Bell, a senior England quick, and de Klerk, an allrounder.
Illabo RFS volunteer Tom Norman has completed a 226 km Ironman in Port Macquarie with no prior training. He said he wanted to show that anyone can join the Rural Fire Service. His family has volunteered for the service since 1909, and his grandparents were still responding to callouts until recently. Norman said the race took him over 16 hours, with the bike leg proving the hardest. He hopes his effort will encourage more young people to volunteer.
Newcastle Knights centre Bradman Best has criticised former recruitment boss Peter O'Sullivan, who has moved to the Broncos. Best said some Knights players were upset with O'Sullivan over contracts, but that he hopes his own deal can now be settled. The off-contract star is set to test the open market on November 1, despite reportedly being offered a deal worth upwards of $4 million to stay. Best said he needs to put his family first in his decision. His international debut against Fiji is on Sunday night in Brisbane.
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Jackson Bury has signed with Deer Park for next season in the Essendon District Football League premier division. The Maroochydore vice-captain, who earned an Anzac Day medal in the Queensland state league, is described as an attacking half back with polished skills by hand and foot. Deer Park says he will add to a defence already rich in talent. The club also highlighted that his cousins, club champions Trent and Jake McKenzie, play there, and that he is the second new recruit after Liam Podhajski.
Caroline Springs has signed key forward Jack Tessari from Wyndhamvale for next year's Western Football League division 1 season. The club described him as fearless in the contest and able to play other roles around the ground. Tessari has multiple best and fairest awards, three WFNL team of the year mentions, and was best on ground in the 2025 grand final. The division 1 premiers have also signed Jake Galea, Josh Klaromenos and Macedon ruck Charlie Rossetti during the off season.
The WA State Government has launched a recruitment pathway to help newly qualified Aboriginal nurses and midwives gain places in transition-to-practice programs. The Aboriginal Application Pathway gives eligible applicants a fixed-term annual contract as an entry-level registered nurse or midwife, with support towards permanent work. Applicants receive one-on-one help, a six-month application period and access to a cultural support partner. Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the program will strengthen a culturally responsive health workforce. Applications close on 1 February 2027.
Williamstown has signed two new players for next year's Victorian Football League season. Nelson Beikoff-Smart, a 20-year-old half-back from Queensland, joins from Tasmania after developing through the Gold Coast Suns Academy. He made his VFL debut for Gold Coast in 2024 and played nine matches for the Devils this year. Oskar Ainsworth, a forward from the Western Jets, also joins the club. He kicked 35 goals in 28 Talent League games and played two VFL matches for St Kilda this year.
Southern Grampians Shire Council is recruiting summer casual lifeguards for outdoor pools in Hamilton, Balmoral, Coleraine, Dunkeld and Penshurst. Applicants aged 18 and over are especially sought for Balmoral, Penshurst and Dunkeld. Applicants do not need qualifications before interviewing, and training costs will be reimbursed for those who work consistently through the season. Younger applicants can apply for the Hamilton and Coleraine pools. Applications are open for the pool season running from December to March.
An all-male singing group in Penrith is calling for new members. Penrith Harmony, established in 1989, performs a cappella barbershop-style music and focuses on friendship and community. Member Paul Ryan says all-male choirs can support men's mental health. The chorus has around a dozen singers, down from 18 to 20, and does much of its work for charity. It practises on Monday nights and is seeking younger and multicultural singers.
Up to 100 Papua New Guineans will be able to join the Australian Defence Force over the next two years under a newly finalised pilot program. Applications open next month for citizens aged 18 to 25 who are students or recent graduates of major universities. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the program in Port Moresby, saying it reflects the close ties between the two nations. Recruits will first serve on temporary visas and must apply for Australian citizenship once eligible.
Papua New Guinean citizens will soon be able to apply to join the Australian Defence Force under a new pilot program. Up to 100 people living in Papua New Guinea can apply from mid-November, with two cohorts of up to 50 over two years. The change followed ministerial talks in Port Moresby and comes after the Pukpuk Treaty defence alliance was signed in October 2025. Applicants must be aged 18 to 25, be students or recent graduates from selected universities, and have no current or past service in the Papua New Guinea military.
Sixteen new correctional officers have been formally welcomed into the Corrective Services NSW workforce at Junee Correctional Centre. The attestation ceremony was held earlier this month. The intake follows 14 officers who started duties in late September, with recruitment continuing. The prison's inmate population is expected to reach an operational capacity of 944 this month after transfers from Goulburn and other NSW facilities. The centre returned to public management in 2025.
Former Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom has signed with Wonthaggi Power for the 2027 season, the club has announced. The 2010 premiership teammate of Jarryd Blair joins after an 18-season AFL career in which he played more than 370 games for Collingwood. The Power said his decision was driven mainly by friendship and family, with the chance to play alongside Blair the key factor. Sidebottom has also been involved with the club's junior development since 2014. Power president Darren Brown said the signing would be a major drawcard for members, fans and players.
Balonne Shire Council has appointed Pauline Jacob as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ms Jacob was chosen from 51 applicants and has more than 25 years of experience in executive roles across government and other sectors. Her most recent role was Deputy Director-General of Fisheries and Forestry Queensland. She will start on 23 November 2026 and will work alongside interim chief executive David Burges, who leaves on 27 November. Mayor Samantha O'Toole said Ms Jacob's experience would help secure ongoing council funding and deliver services efficiently.
Nick Politis has marked 33 years as chairman of the Sydney Roosters, a period that has brought five NRL premierships and nine grand final appearances. The club has reached the finals 24 times under his leadership, including the past ten seasons in a row. When he took over in 1993, the Roosters had missed the finals ten times in 11 seasons. Politis made bold signings, including Brad Fittler, who captained the club to the 2002 NRL Premiership.
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Two LinkedIn accounts linked to suspected Chinese spies approached dozens of Australians in government, policing and trade with paid consultancy offers, an ABC investigation has found. The Australian Federal Police allege China's Ministry of State Security ran the operation, which targeted more than 100 people between 2016 and 2025. The former Queensland premier Steven Miles was connected with one of the accounts in 2021, but the ABC has seen no messages between them. China's embassy rejected the allegations as groundless. The operation is linked to the case of businessman Alexander Csergo, the first person convicted of reckless foreign interference.
Bacchus Marsh has signed midcourter Jess Pane on a permanent basis for the 2027 Ballarat Football Netball League season. Pane played one game for the Cobras this season. Coach Nichole Gleeson said she would fit in quickly and could play wing attack, centre or wing defence. The club is now looking to recruit another goal shooter, as Chloe Eyre has moved on. Gleeson said the aim is a return to finals netball, despite the arrival of Gisborne in the competition.
Caroline Springs coach Ian Shattock says the Falcons have no fears about moving up to division 2 in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association McNamara Shield this summer. The club won last season's division 3 premiership and has signed Ashen Abeykoon and Ishan Peiris, both with experience in higher grades. Shattock said the squad was confident in its ability, while the club replaces captain Roshan Laksiri and Akeem Springer. Rukshan Fernando has been named first XI captain.
A journalist attempted to attend a Boeing careers evening at a golf club in Alice Springs, which was later revealed to be restricted to Australian citizens with government security clearances. The event is linked to a 10-year Boeing program in the town, with recruitment handled by Shadowgate Partners. The company specialises in placing cleared professionals in intelligence, defence, and space programs, hinting at a connection to Pine Gap, a secretive joint Australian-US defence facility.
Spotswood has signed former Northcote paceman Michael Edwards, one of the bigger signings of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket off-season. Edwards will open the bowling alongside Dan Schuppan, who took 40 wickets last summer. Captain Jakson Knight described Edwards as a huge inclusion. The club, which won its first VSDCA flag in 2022-23, also recruited left-arm off-spinner Jacob Pawlowicz and regained Taylor Tatterson. Martignago is fit again after a knee injury, and Knight and Martignago starred in a seven-run win over Strathmore on Saturday.
