Microsoft Azure faults knock websites offline

Faults with Microsoft's cloud computing platform have knocked many third-party sites offline, as well as disrupting the US firm's own products.

Microsoft Azure's status page says problems began at 00:52 GMT across the globe. Its European operations are taking the longest to fix.

Access to Microsoft's Office 365 online suite of apps and its Xbox Live gaming facility are among services affected.

The faults could set back the company's efforts to sell Azure.

Microsoft is attempting to make gains on the market leader, Amazon Web Services, as well as IBM, Google and others offering rival products.

Their pitch is that

Microsoft's Nadella sorry for women's pay comments

The boss of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, has apologised for remarks he made advising women not to ask for a pay rise but to have "faith in the system".

At a conference to celebrate women in technology, he suggested that women not asking for a rise was "good karma".

The comments sparked outrage and Mr Nadella has now apologised.

In an email to staff, he said he answered the question "completely wrong" and "wholeheartedly" supported programmes to close the pay gap.

At the conference, called the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, he said:

Microsoft pips Sony to launch Xbox One in China

Microsoft has launched the Xbox One in China - becoming the first major console maker to enter what could be a massively lucrative market.

The first consoles were sold in Shanghai, priced at 4,299 yuan ($699, £430). Sony and Nintendo are yet to launch their respective products.

In January, the Chinese government lifted a 14-year ban on consoles, made because of worries over content.

However, many popular titles, such as Call of Duty, will still be banned.

Only 10 games were available to buy on the Xbox One's release - but Microsoft has said 70 titles are in the pipeline.

Beating its rivals to the market may give Microsoft a much-needed sales boost. Its console is currently being outsold by Sony's PlayStation 4 in all major markets.

But Piers Harding-Rolls, a games analyst from

Microsoft cuts another 2,100 jobs as it nears 18,000 target

Microsoft has confirmed another 2,100 redundancies as part of a plan to cut 18,000 jobs, some 14% of its workforce.

The software giant said 747 jobs will go in the Seattle area, with the rest spread across its global operations.

Microsoft had already cut 13,000 jobs, with the bulk at the Nokia phone division bought by the US company.

In July, chief executive Satya Nadella announced radical plans to move Microsoft away from software to online services, apps and devices.

Microsoft, which has about 127,000 people on its payroll, will take a charge of between

Microsoft set to axe 18,000 jobs

Microsoft is to cut up to 18,000 jobs marking the deepest cuts in the technology firm's 39-year history.

The bulk of the cuts, around 12,500, will be in its phone unit Nokia, which Microsoft bought in April, the firm said.

Microsoft pledged to cut $600m (£350.8m) per year in costs within 18 months of closing the acquisition.

The cuts are much more severe than the 6,000 initially expected.

Chief executive officer Satya Nadella, who took the helm in February, wants