Microsoft’s global outage; Vidya Balan’s call to put child safety first

Dear Reader,

The race to find Jensen Huang’s successor at Nvidia is gathering pace, marking a potentially significant leadership shift in the tech industry. After 33 years under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia is beginning the search for a permanent CEO. AMD’s Lisa Su, Arm’s Rene Haas and Nvidia CFO Colette Kress are among the names emerging in succession discussions. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has floated an unexpected candidate: Apple’s Tim Cook. 

From leadership changes in global tech to regulatory developments closer home, Paytm has received an in-principle nod from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to revive its wallet business through a new subsidiary. The approval marks an important step in the fintech major’s efforts to rebuild its payments business, though it still needs final authorisation to resume operations.

Meanwhile, as satellite communications gain strategic importance, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has cautioned India against relying on a single company for critical satellite infrastructure. He believes the country must retain control of the satellite communications 'kill switch' to safeguard national security and strategic autonomy.

In other news, Razorpay and Sembcorp Green Infra have received SEBI’s observations on their IPO papers, bringing them a step closer to the public markets. While Razorpay is reportedly eyeing a $500–600 million issue, Sembcorp Green Infra plans to raise Rs 3,750 crore.  

In the crypto world, the US Department of Justice has secured court approval to seize or restrain over $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from Binance in a $6.3 billion hack attributed to North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor. The move adds to more than $2.7 billion in funds frozen by US authorities and private-sector partners as efforts to recover the stolen assets continue. 

In today’s newsletter:  

• One outage, millions affected. What went wrong at Microsoft? 
• We have to stop linking child sexual abuse to family honour: Vidya Balan  

Here’s your trivia for today: Which country introduced the world's first public 5G mobile network? (Scroll down for the answer)

Explainers

One outage, millions affected. What went wrong at Microsoft? 

A disruption in Microsoft’s Exchange Online service triggered a global outage on November 12, affecting millions of users and businesses that rely on Microsoft 365. The disruption spread to Outlook, Copilot, Teams calendars and several connected workplace tools, with its impact extending to companies and government institutions worldwide. We break down what went wrong, why the outage affected so many services, and what it reveals about the risks of depending on shared cloud infrastructure. 

Key takeaways: 

• Several servers unexpectedly became unavailable, overloading the remaining infrastructure. A process responsible for establishing secure connections was overwhelmed, while Microsoft also rolled back a recent network configuration change.
• The disruption affected Microsoft 365 services, including Copilot, Teams calendars, Planner and Power BI. Businesses such as IndiGo and Akasa Air also reported issues with their email-support services.
• When multiple workplace tools rely on the same underlying infrastructure, a single failure can disrupt entire business operations. Companies need backup communication channels and alternative ways to access critical information.

Social Impact

We have to stop linking child sexual abuse to family honour: Vidya Balan

Actor Vidya Balan is using her voice to challenge the silence and stigma surrounding child sexual abuse in India. As Goodwill Ambassador for NGO ARPAN, she is leading its eighth Child Safety Week campaign, #RukJaoVarnaPOCSOPakadLega, to raise awareness about abuse and the legal consequences for perpetrators. In a conversation with SocialStory, she discusses why family honour must never come before a child's safety, the importance of breaking the silence, and the role adults must play in protecting children. 

Key takeaways: 

• Child sexual abuse must not be linked to family honour. Such stigma often results in victims being blamed and families choosing silence over accountability. 
• Abuse goes beyond physical assault. Inappropriate touching, sexual remarks, gestures and online exploitation are also offences under the POCSO Act. 
• Parents and teachers must build trust, educate children about personal safety, recognise grooming and respond with belief and support when a child speaks up.

News & updates

• Energy Markets: The global oil market is set to return to a surplus in the fourth quarter of 2026 for the first time since the Iran war began, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Recovering Gulf exports are outpacing demand, with supply expected to exceed consumption by 1.7 million barrels per day, although continued attacks on shipping and infrastructure remain a risk to the recovery.

• Space Tech: SpaceX is gearing up for the 15th test flight of its Starship rocket, with an ambitious plan to attempt the first land-based recovery of its upper-stage spacecraft at its Starbase facility in Texas. The mission will also attempt to bring back the Super Heavy booster using the launch tower’s mechanical arms, marking a major step towards developing a fully reusable rocket system. 

Which country introduced the world's first public 5G mobile network?

Answer: South Korea

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