Friday 13 November 2026 | Three Australian stories first, then the biggest headlines from around the world.
Australia
1. Microsoft outage disrupts Australians and businesses worldwide
Australians woke on Friday to find their inboxes empty as a worldwide Microsoft outage knocked out Outlook and Teams. ABC News reports cancelled appointments, grounded flights and a closed School of the Air, which teaches remote students online. Microsoft says it is “aggressively pursuing” a fix.
Because so many workplaces rely on Microsoft for email, meetings and file sharing, the disruption spread well beyond the office. ABC coverage says the cost to businesses is expected to run into the billions and could last for weeks. Affected businesses may want to check their continuity plans and follow Microsoft’s service status page for updates.
Source: ABC News (live coverage)
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.
Source: ABC News
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.
Source: ABC News
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.
Source: The Washington Post
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.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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.
Source: ABC News
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.
Source: NPR
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.
Source: Al Jazeera
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.
Source: DutchNews.nl
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.
Source: CNN