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Speaker 1: This is Emma Whiteman with your News 24 update. Microsoft users are reporting outages affecting Microsoft 365 services. The outage is impacting Word, Outlook, Teams and Copilot. Microsoft said a problem is causing servers to fail automated health checks and become unavailable after it experienced elevated loads. The company confirming it's working to mitigate the problem. Tony Burke is preparing changes to his backpacker's visa crackdown after farming, tourism and hospitality bodies declared the initial plan would damage their industries. The Home Affairs Minister told The Australian he was consulting on amendments to the policy outlined in a National Press Club speech in September. His proposed ballot system has been delayed until next year. The changes would also raise a cap on third-year visas by 20,000, and regional stay requirements would increase from 88 days to between four and six months. The Albanese government has reportedly spent nearly $ 7. 9 million in taxpayer-funded travel expenses in just three months. The latest official parliamentary expenditure records show the cost accumulated by 42 Labor Ministers and Assistant Ministers. Anthony Albanese spent the most, totalling a $ 746, 000 $ 743 bill, which doesn't include the cost of operating his RAAF private jet. Defence Minister Pat Conroy had the second largest bill, spending $ 330, 000 in travel expenses. The Albanese government has defended its multi-million dollar COP31 summit cost. 193 officials have been flown to the climate summit in Turkey, costing taxpayers $ 2. 26 million for flights and hotels. The Australian delegation reports 835 participants at the summit, which includes a $ 3 million documentary about sea levels in the Pacific. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended the costs after criticism from One Nation's Barnaby Joyce. US special envoys have met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner brokered talks between the delegations in Abu Dhabi but yielded no major breakthroughs. Vladimir Putin warns Moscow would consider any foreign forces deployed in Ukraine legitimate targets. Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky said at the European summit that talks between Russia and the US are a bit strange.
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Speaker 2: And here Europe really needs to pay attention. When the Americans and Russians talk about this, it's not just about security guarantees for Ukraine. In fact, it's more about some kind of new security framework between Europe and Russia. And we find this approach a bit strange.
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Speaker 1: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet the Ukraine leader today. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has awarded a medal to the Army Sentinel who reprimanded him and his guests for their behavior at a Veterans Day service this week. Specialist Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That's where the Army Sentinel admonished the Pentagon chief and his group. All visitors will maintain atmosphere of silence In a post to social media showing the medal presentation, Defence Secretary Hegseth wrote, We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, specialist. You can now subscribe to stream News24 channels and shows anytime for $ 5 per month. Visit news24. com. au forward slash subscribe.