Microsoft Outlook users experienced a significant service disruption beginning late Wednesday and extending into Thursday, preventing access to email accounts. Microsoft 365 acknowledged the issue on Wednesday evening and initiated a fix, though initial attempts faced delays. The outage peaked late Thursday morning, with over 2,700 global users reporting difficulties such as being unable to load inboxes or sign in, according to Downdetector. By the afternoon, the number of reports had decreased significantly. At approximately 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Microsoft confirmed that a configuration change had been fully applied, resolving the issue for all affected users. The company declared that all systems were "up and running" on its status page. However, Microsoft has yet to disclose the specific cause of the prolonged outage and declined to provide further details when contacted by the Associated Press. (apnews.com)
In other news, Chelsea Football Club has reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, securing substantial prize money along the way. The 2025 edition of the tournament features a total prize pool of $1 billion, with $525 million allocated for participation fees and an additional $475 million distributed based on performance. Chelsea's earnings have been significant:
- Participation Fee: As a European club, Chelsea received a participation fee ranging from $12.81 million to $38.19 million, determined by a ranking based on sporting and commercial criteria. (nbcsports.com)
- Group Stage: In the group stage, teams earn $2 million per win and $1 million per draw. (nbcsports.com)
- Knockout Rounds: Advancing through the knockout stages, Chelsea earned $7.5 million for reaching the Round of 16, $13.125 million for the quarterfinals, and $21 million for the semifinals. (nbcsports.com)
This substantial financial gain underscores the significant rewards associated with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup format, providing clubs with both competitive and economic incentives.
Source: The Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/microsoft-hotmail-down-outlook-live-35530911/
