Friday 13 November 2026Three Australian stories first, then the biggest headlines from around the world.
Featured image: Photo by BalticServers.com (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of a data centre.
Featured in depth: Global Microsoft Outage Disrupts Outlook, Teams and Copilot Across Australia
Pat Cummins Responds to Claims in Usman Khawaja’s Memoir About 2018 Ball Tampering
In brief
- Microsoft outage disrupts Australians and businesses worldwide
- Pat Cummins to face media over ball-tampering claims
- Mahli Beardman takes five wickets on ODI debut in Perth
- Europe set to join Ukraine peace talks, says Zelensky
- Trump pulls Vance from Iran talks as oil rises
- Nvidia chief Jensen Huang resigns
- Indonesian Vice President Gibran resigns
- Xi reaffirms Taiwan unification goal; Taipei rejects it
- Dutch coalition at risk over investment tax
- Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills at least six
Australia
1. Microsoft outage disrupts Australians and businesses worldwide
Australians woke on Friday to find their inboxes affected by a worldwide Microsoft outage that disrupted Outlook, Teams and Copilot. Microsoft said it was reverting a recent network configuration change and that there was no indication of a cyber attack. The Australian Federal Police and ASIO confirmed they were affected, and long-distance schools and telehealth services were hit, according to the ABC.
Because so many workplaces rely on Microsoft for email, meetings and file sharing, the disruption spread well beyond the office. ABC coverage reported expert estimates that the cost to Australian businesses could run into the billions, although no official total has been published. By Saturday morning Microsoft said email queues were approaching normal levels. Affected businesses may want to check their continuity plans and follow Microsoft’s service status page for updates.
2. Pat Cummins to face media over ball-tampering claims
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins was due to speak to the media at Cricket NSW headquarters after Usman Khawaja made fresh claims about ball tampering during the 2018 series. ABC News ran live coverage of the press conference.
The 2018 Test series in South Africa is remembered for a ball-tampering scandal that led to suspensions for three Australian players. ABC also reports that David Warner, who was banned for 12 months over the incident, has criticised Cummins over his denial. What Cummins says matters because he leads the Test team and the story touches the reputation of the sport.
3. Mahli Beardman takes five wickets on ODI debut in Perth
Fast bowler Mahli Beardman took five wickets on his ODI debut in Perth, only the second Australian to do so. England were dismissed cheaply and Australia won the first ODI of the series.
The performance gives Australia a strong start against England and a promising option in the fast-bowling department. Taking five wickets on debut is rare, so Beardman has joined a very small group of Australian bowlers. His next outings will show whether he can repeat the effort against stronger batting line-ups.
Around the World
4. Europe set to join Ukraine peace talks, says Zelensky
After meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner asked Russia to include European representatives in negotiations over Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe would join the next round of talks.
The Kremlin has not confirmed this, and Putin still opposes European peacekeepers in Ukraine. Any settlement would affect European security directly, which is why a seat at the table matters to European governments. The next round will show whether Moscow accepts a wider group of negotiators.
5. Trump pulls Vance from Iran talks as oil rises
President Donald Trump removed Vice President JD Vance from the Iran negotiations and said the US does not need a deal. He claimed the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, although shipping disruption continues, and Iranian forces reported two tankers hit mines nearby. Brent crude rose about 3.3% to around $96 a barrel.
The move follows Republican losses in the midterm elections. Israeli media also reported a heated call between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, with Netanyahu favouring renewed strikes and Trump preferring diplomacy. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the call but denied it was confrontational. Israel’s security cabinet reportedly ordered the military to raise its readiness, and Iran warned of retaliation against US bases. Several of these details come from media reports and are not officially confirmed.
6. Nvidia chief Jensen Huang resigns
Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia CEO. Reports say the board was investigating a personal relationship, and ABC News headlines the story as involving an alleged Chinese spy. Details are still emerging and should be treated with care.
Nvidia shares fell about 5%, and ABC’s markets coverage expected the Australian share market to fall in response. Chief financial officer Colette Kress is acting CEO while the board searches for a successor, and shareholder litigation has followed. Donald Trump said Tim Cook should take the job, though he has no formal say in the appointment.
7. Indonesian Vice President Gibran resigns
Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned as Indonesia’s vice president after the country’s highest courts ruled that documents supporting his overseas education did not meet election requirements. President Prabowo Subianto accepted the resignation.
Parliament now has 60 days to choose a replacement. Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, and reports say the rift between the two men and Prabowo’s camp deepened amid wiretapping allegations. The rupiah fell to a record low, a sign of how closely investors are watching the political uncertainty.
8. Xi reaffirms Taiwan unification goal; Taipei rejects it
Xi Jinping said at a Sun Yat-sen anniversary ceremony that reunification with Taiwan must be achieved. He offered talks on Beijing’s terms under the “one country, two systems” framework, and Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council rejected the offer.
Taiwan reported 29 Chinese military aircraft taking part in a joint readiness patrol with warships. The remarks come ahead of an expected meeting between Donald Trump and Xi at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, where Taiwan is likely to be one of the sensitive topics.
9. Dutch coalition at risk over investment tax
Two partners in the Dutch coalition backed an opposition amendment to tax investment returns above EUR 60,000 at 38.5%. The VVD says it will vote against the 2027 tax plan if the amendment passes.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s three-party government holds 66 of the 150 seats in parliament, so losing the VVD’s support would leave it without a majority. If the dispute is not resolved, the coalition could break down and trigger an early election.
10. Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills at least six
An Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed at least six people, including a surgeon, and injured about 40. Medical staff said they had no warning.
The Israeli military said it targeted the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade and other militants inside the hospital. The strike came despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Accounts of who was hit and why come from the Israeli military and medical staff, and have not been independently verified.
