Jay-Z will headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show; he has decided.

The 56-year-old’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, has produced the show since 2020, but now the billionaire rapper, businessman, and record executive is set to step into the spotlight during the NFL’s season decider.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him.”

One
The number of games the Milwaukee Brewers need to win to claim the franchise’s first-ever World Series title. The World Series is the season-decider of Major League Baseball, North America’s top professional baseball league. The Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 in Game 3 on Thursday (AEDT) to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Rays will now hope to make history and become the first-ever team to overturn a 3-0 deficit to win the World Series. Game 4 will be played tomorrow at 11am (AEDT).

“Right now I’m on top of the world... literally”.
Australian surfer and Olympian Molly Picklum after her win in Portugal, returning to the top of the World Surf League standings. The world No.1 defeated long-time rival and U.S. surfer Caitlin Simmers, who had won six of their previous eight matchups. “It was literally a dream of mine, and dreams come true,” Picklum added.

The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were the first Games hosted by a country outside of Europe or the United States.

🏀 The Golden State Valkyries won Game 5 of the WNBA Finals 64-55 to take a 3-2 series lead over the Atlanta Dream. Kiah Stokes starred for the Valkyries with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. The Valkyries are chasing their first WNBA championship since joining the league in 2023. Game 6 of the best-of-seven series will be played in Atlanta early on Friday morning (AEDT).

🏉 Sydney Roosters star Sam Walker could be playing for another NRL team as soon as next season after a breakdown in contract negotiations with the reigning premiers. The Roosters announced on Monday evening that it had withdrawn its “offer for a contract extension beyond the 2027 season…after the parties were unable to reach an agreement.” Hours earlier, the Canberra Raiders withdrew its contract extension offer for star forward Hudson Young, meaning both State of Origin stars could be set to hit the open market on 1 November.

🏅 The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has officially encouraged kids to play multiple sports before specialising as they get older. In a statement announcing its new guidelines for childhood sport, the AIS said: “Young athletes benefit from a range of sporting and physical activity experiences”. Its updated recommendations call for decisions based on each athlete’s readiness, goals and circumstances, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The guidance also highlights training loads, “wellbeing” and long-term development, and includes considerations for Para athletes. It is designed to help athletes, parents, coaches and sporting organisations make informed decisions.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi and George Finlayson.

Nobody has ever been glad to find their water bottle open at the bottom of their gym bag.

After close to 12 years making reusable drinkware, frank green is fixing that with Edition II, its new generation of bottles and cups. Lockable lids and secure seals keep your drink where it belongs. Four-wall insulation keeps it hot or cold for longer, and every piece is dishwasher safe.

International football’s top honours have been handed out at the annual Ballon d’Or awards.

The ceremony celebrated the 70th anniversary of the first Ballon d’Or, which went to England’s Stanley Matthews. In honour of Matthews, the awards were held in London rather than Paris.

Here’s what went down.

Striker Harry Kane received the men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane scored 73 goals last season for Bayern Munich and England.

Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d’Or, joining Aitana Bonmatí as the only women to win the award three times. The Spain and London City Lionesses star previously won in 2021 and 2022, making her and Bonmatí the only two winners of the women’s Ballon d’Or since 2020. On winning, Putellas said: “All the boys and girls around the world, if you love football and if you want to play football, play football. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or if you’re a girl”.

Vicky López and Lamine Yamal won Young Talent of the Year, Cata Coll and Unai Simón Goalkeeper of the Year, and Barcelona’s Pere Romeu and Spain’s Luis De La Fuente Coach of the Year.

Barcelona (women) and Paris Saint-Germain (men) won Club of the Year.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.

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Australia’s men’s Test team will play at Cape Town’s Newlands for the first time since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that became known as Sandpapergate.

Eight years on, here is how it unfolded.

On day three of the third Test in March 2018, opener Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using a foreign object to tamper with the ball. When challenged by the umpires, he hid it in his trousers.

Bancroft initially told the media the object was sticky tape. But a Cricket Australia investigation found it was sandpaper and that vice-captain David Warner had planned the scheme over lunch. Captain Steve Smith knew about the plan and directed that the evidence be concealed.

Cricket rules allow players to shine the ball with sweat or saliva, but prohibit using abrasive objects to rough up its surface. Altering the ball can affect how it swings through the air, potentially giving the bowling side an unfair advantage.

South Africa went on to win the third Test by 322 runs and the fourth Test in Johannesburg by 492 runs, securing their first home Test series victory over Australia since 1970.

Cricket Australia suspended Smith and Warner from domestic and international cricket for a year over their role in the cover-up, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months for carrying out their instructions. Warner also lost any future leadership eligibility because of his role in conceiving the plan.

Upon returning to Australia, Smith broke down while speaking to the media at Sydney airport. He apologised to his teammates, cricket fans and all Australians “who are disappointed and angry”.

“As captain of the Australian cricket team, I take full responsibility. It was a failure of leadership…I’m absolutely gutted,” he said at the time.

The scandal even drew a response from then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who described it as a “disgrace” and “a shocking affront to Australia.”

After serving their bans, Smith, Warner and Bancroft all returned to the Test team in 2019 for the Ashes against England.

Smith was named man of the match in his first Test back with scores of 144 and 142 across the two innings. Bancroft and Warner both struggled to make runs, with the former being dropped after two Tests and Warner averaging 9.5 runs across 10 innings, the lowest ever by an opening batter across five Tests.

Warner remained a regular fixture in the Test team until his retirement in 2024. However, Bancroft, who is still active in domestic cricket, has not been called up to the team since. Smith remains one of the country’s best batters and is vice-captain of the team under Pat Cummins.

This year’s series is tied 1-1, with Australia winning the first Test in Durban by 214 runs before South Africa bounced back to win the second by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha. The third and final Test in Cape Town will decide the series. Smith is in the squad but remains in doubt due to a neck injury.

Eight years after Newlands made headlines for the wrong reasons, Australia has a chance to make headlines there for the right ones.