Rattan is all the rage in the home decor space. From partitions to wardrobe shutters and seating, it provides a subtle statement that is both organic and elegant. Sourced from over 600 species of palms native to tropical regions of Asia, Africa and Australasia
Tushar, Mannat share lead at AM Green IGPL Invitational CongoTushar, Mannat share lead at AM Green IGPL Invitational Congo Published on: Apr 21, 2026 2:19 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Lubumbashi , Young golfers Tushar Pannu and Mannat Brar turned in a matching six-under 67 to share the lead after
Apple will have been planning this succession for a long time. Rumours were circulating for a while that 65-year-old Tim Cook was thinking about stepping down, and while a few potential replacements popped up, the name which stuck was the firm's vice president of hardware, 51-year-old John Ternus
Apple has announced a major leadership change. On April 20, the company named John Ternus as its next CEO, with Tim Cook set to move into the role of executive chairman from September 1. This marks a big shift, as a long-time insider prepares to take charge during an important phase for the company
A simple shoulder cloth, the melthundu, has a rich history in Tamil Nadu. It began as a gesture of respect, was later used to challenge caste norms, and became a symbol of equality. Dravidian leaders adopted it as part of their identity. Today
The year the cloud went dark: Inside 2025’s biggest tech outages
The year 2025 saw widespread internet disruptions. Major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud experienced significant outages. Cyberattacks also crippled vital systems.
For a world that lives online, 2025 was a reminder of just how fragile the internet's backbone can be.
From payment systems and airlines to messaging apps and multiplayer games, millions of users across the globe were locked out of essential services this year as a wave of cloud outages, configuration failures and cyberattacks rippled through the digital economy. Some disruptions lasted minutes. Others dragged on for days. Together, they exposed a hard truth: even the most advanced cloud infrastructure can fail—often at the worst possible moment.
The year's most consequential outages hit the biggest names in cloud computing. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud—providers that together control nearly two-thirds of the global cloud services market—all suffered incidents that cascaded across dependent platforms. Add to that outages at Cloudflare, Salesforce-owned Slack, Zoom, cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, a ransomware attack on Ingram Micro, and late-year gaming disruptions at Epic Games, and 2025 begins to look like a stress test the internet barely passed.
When one failure breaks everything else
Cloud services today are deeply interconnected. A single glitch at the infrastructure or authentication level can knock out thousands of companies—or millions of users—at once. That pattern played out repeatedly in 2025, particularly when “critical dependencies” such as DNS systems, content delivery networks and login services failed.Downdetector data from the year shows that cloud and platform-level outages were the most disruptive incidents of 2025, dwarfing even major failures in social media or streaming. In many cases, services didn't go down because their own systems failed, but because something they depended on did.
AWS' October outage: the biggest of them all
The largest global tech outage of 2025 came in October, when AWS—by far the world's biggest cloud provider—went down for nearly 15 hours.The outage, traced to a Domain Name System (DNS) error in AWS' US-East-1 region in northern Virginia, triggered a cascading failure across services that rely on DynamoDB, AWS' core cloud database. Applications were suddenly unable to locate the data they needed to function.
The impact was enormous. More than four million users reported issues on Downdetector, while over 1,000 companies—from financial trading platforms and payment services to social media apps and e-commerce websites—were affected. Downdetector logged over 17 million reports globally across AWS and impacted services, making it the single largest outage of the year.
The episode underscored a recurring risk in cloud computing: concentration. When too much of the internet depends on a single region—or a single automated system—failure can spread at internet speed.
A ransomware attack that froze supply chains
Not all outages in 2025 were accidental.In July, IT distributor Ingram Micro was hit by a ransomware attack that knocked its systems offline for days, disrupting online ordering, billing quotes and license management for thousands of customers worldwide. Core platforms, including its AI-powered distribution system Xvantage and cloud licensing platform Impulse, were taken offline.
The attack was linked to the SafePay cybercrime group, which gained access using leaked VPN credentials. It took nearly six days to fully restore services, highlighting how cyberattacks can trigger outages just as damaging as technical failures—especially when they hit companies embedded deep in global tech supply chains.
Microsoft, Google and the cost of small mistakes
Several of the year's most disruptive outages were triggered not by hackers, but by configuration errors.Microsoft Azure suffered a global outage on October 29 after what the company described as an “inadvertent tenant configuration change” in Azure Front Door. The issue caused latency and errors across Entra, Defender, Purview and a wide range of Microsoft 365 and Azure services.
Earlier in the year, Google Cloud experienced a three-hour outage after a new feature in its Service Control system overloaded infrastructure in large regions. More than 70 services were affected, taking down apps like Spotify and Discord. Cloudflare later said some of its own services failed because they relied on Google Cloud-backed storage.
Both incidents showed how, in complex cloud environments, even routine updates can spiral into global disruptions.
When work—and play—came to a halt
Beyond hyperscalers, outages at widely used platforms disrupted everyday work and communication. Slack went down for parts of two days in February after a maintenance action combined with a latent caching defect. Zoom suffered a two-hour outage in April after a domain registration error shut down zoom.us, preventing users from starting or joining meetings.Gaming, too, emerged as a recurring pressure point.
On Christmas Eve, thousands of Fortnite players across the world found themselves locked out of the game during one of the busiest periods of the year. Login and authentication services failed, leaving users stuck at the sign-in screen across PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch and mobile devices. Epic Games later confirmed the issue lay with Epic Online Services, with knock-on effects hitting other titles such as Rocket League and Fall Guys.
The timing added to the frustration. The outage hit during holiday events and limited-time game modes, when player traffic peaks—mirroring an earlier PlayStation Network outage in February that locked players out for more than 24 hours.
In both cases, the failures weren't about game servers themselves, but about centralized identity and authentication systems—another reminder that modern digital experiences often hinge on invisible backend services.
A fragile but indispensable digital world
As internet performance firm Ookla noted in its 2025 analysis, digital services proved both indispensable and fragile. The year's largest outages were defined by platform-level disruptions across cloud, gaming and communication services, where single points of failure cascaded across industries and regions.From banking platforms in Latin America to telecom networks in Europe, from enterprise software in North America to social media and gaming in Asia-Pacific, the outages of 2025 exposed just how much modern life depends on systems most users never see—and rarely question until they stop working.
Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: RegisterKaro sets the bar as leading service provider for company registration India being a ‘net security provider’ does not override realities of Indian Ocean Adobe to buy software provider Semrush in $1 Major strike in Portugal expected to bring widespread disruption India’s tech sector saw major policy shifts No cloud, no internet Free Xbox Cloud Gaming Tipped To Launch This Year But There’s A Catch Over thousand users complain of issues amid widespread outage IndiGo faces backlash over widespread flight delays Misinformation is widespread among young Indians
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission of India alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on April 18.Over 700 citizens
32 minutes ago
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he considered visits by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow but not Kyiv "disrespectful". The pair visited the Russian capital late last year as ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine gained pace, and again in January
32 minutes ago
'World-class buildings, third-class roads': Mohandas Pai on Bengaluru and Mumbai infrastructureIn a post on X, Mohandas Pai called out glaring gaps between “world-class” private developments and crumbling public spaces in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai. Updated on: Apr 21
32 minutes ago
Artist Nalini Malani to reflect on patriarchal violence of wars at Venice BiennaleArtist Nalini Malani to reflect on patriarchal violence of wars at Venice Biennale Published on: Apr 21, 2026 4:56 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, In her latest body of mixed media work
32 minutes ago
Apple's leadership change is the start of a new phase for the iPhone maker, in which the focus will be on whether its deep hardware heritage can be successfully fused with AI to sustain growth in a fast-evolving tech landscape, Wall Street analysts said
32 minutes ago
Indian opener Shafali Verma has risen to sixth in the ICC Women's T20I Batting Rankings. Her half-century against South Africa boosted her position. Smriti Mandhana has dropped to fourth. Harmanpreet Kaur is now eleventh. Jemimah Rodrigues has fallen to fourteenth
32 minutes ago
In a rare call, China’s President Xi Jinping spoke on the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to urge the restoration of transit through the vital waterway. He also pushed for an end to hostilities in the Middle East.In a rare call
32 minutes ago
A viral post on X revealing a kindergarten fee of more than Rs 2.5 lakh a year has sparked fresh outrage online, with many questioning why parents are being asked to pay such a huge amount for pre-primary education. The post, shared by a user named Sakshi, drew widespread attention after she wrote
32 minutes ago
Eleven persons were injured in a clash in a gurdwara in Germany on Sunday following disagreements about the management and financial affairs of the institution, India Today reported. The dispute involves the election of a new board to manage the institution and the administration of community
32 minutes ago
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday supplied a quick clarification soon after the BJP went into a complete uproar over his “terrorist" charge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kharge said all he meant is that Prime Minister Modi, who he said “always threatens"
32 minutes ago
The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has released the third round of lottery results for Balvatika and Class 1 admissions for the 2026-27 academic session. Parents who submitted online applications between March 20 and April 2 can now check their child’s selection status on the official KVS
32 minutes ago
Madhav Viradiya has emerged as the Maharashtra topper in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026, securing 100 percentile in both sessions 1 and 2. The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the results late on Monday evening, with 26 students achieving a perfect 100 percentile
32 minutes ago
The Indian Premier League isn’t just cricket, it’s theatre. It’s swagger, strategy, last-over drama, and personalities that feel larger than life. And much like a well-crafted cocktail, every team brings its own blend of intensity, flair, and character to the field
32 minutes ago
Dyson unveils travel-friendly ‘Supersonic’ hair dryer for users on the moveDyson has introduced a new, compact hairdryer designed for travel that claims to offer consistent styling performance in a smaller, lighter design. Published on: Apr 21
32 minutes ago
The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday granted four more weeks to the Assam government and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to respond to petitions seeking action against him for alleged hate speech against Muslims, Live Law reported. During the hearing
32 minutes ago
19 Tamil Nadu fishermen return home following release from Sri LankaThe returnees were greeted with emotional reunions after being caught in the crosshairs of maritime boundary disputes. Updated on: Apr 21, 2026 5:02 PM IST ANI Share via Copy link A group of 19 fishermen from Thangachimadam
32 minutes ago
Are your vitamin D levels low? Experts explain its function beyond bone strength; share why deficiency is commonDespite being a country with ample sunlight, vitamin D deficiency is very common in India. Experts explain why you shouldn't ignore it. Published on: Apr 21
32 minutes ago
'Iran has violated ceasefire': Donald Trump reiterates amid peace talks deadlockDonald Trump has been offering mixed messages about the path ahead for the Iran war as the ceasefire deadline approches. Published on: Apr 21, 2026 5:24 PM IST By Shivam Pratap Singh Share via Copy link US President
32 minutes ago
Apple on Monday (April 20, 2026) named insider John Ternus as its next CEO, tasking the long-time hardware chief to steer the company after Tim Cook as the iPhone maker gears up for an industry change spurred by artificial intelligence. Mr. Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001
32 minutes ago
iPhone-maker Apple has announced a top-deck transition with CEO Tim Cook set to step down and hand over the reins to longtime hardware chief -- a 'reboot' that marks the end of Cook's decade-and-a-half long tenure defined by quiet leadership style and sustained growth
32 minutes ago
US Republican leader Nikki Haley on Tuesday alleged that a vessel recently intercepted by the United States amid a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was en route from China to Iran, carrying chemicals linked to missile development. Taking to X, Haley wrote
32 minutes ago
Daadi Ki Shaadi trailer: Kapil Sharma’s wedding plans go haywire as Neetu Kapoor’s 'savage daadi’ decides to marryKapil Sharma returns with family comedy Daadi Ki Shaadi, featuring Neetu Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Sadia Khateeb. Apr 21, 2026
32 minutes ago
This 43-year-old actor is the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Star 2026’; has a big release aheadA Hollywood star has been named People magazine’s ‘World’s Most Beautiful Star 2026’, with a big upcoming release adding to the excitement around her career. Apr 21, 2026
32 minutes ago
Madonna has offered a reward for the return of the outfit she wore on stage at Coachella last weekend, after several of her vintage costume pieces went missing following the festival. "These aren't just clothes, they are part of my history," the Queen of Pop wrote on Instagram
32 minutes ago
Indian travel plans for the summer are being quietly but decisively redrawn. As tensions in the due to the Iran war disrupt flight routes and raise costs as well as safety concerns, many travellers are stepping back from long-haul trips to Europe and the US. Instead
32 minutes ago
The Skoda Slavia Sportline offers a sportier design with blacked-out styling, sitting between mid and top variants. Priced from Rs 13.49 lakh, it comes with two petrol engine options, strong safety features, and practical space. It balances style, performance
32 minutes ago
Amid the World Athletics’ (WA) decision to designate India as country with “extremely high" risk of doping, the government says it remains firmly committed to the promotion of clean sport and the protection of athlete integrity through a robust and evolving anti-doping framework
32 minutes ago
