MPs in Northern Ireland have voted to allow same-sex marriage and access to abortion, bringing the region’s laws into line with the rest of the UK on the two social issues. 

The changes came via amendments to a separate bill and were approved through a conscience vote, with the changes to marriage law passing by 383 votes to 73 and the extension of abortion rights passing by 332 votes to 99. 

Victoria is working to become the first Australian state or territory to undertake treaty negotiations with its Indigenous people.

The treaty aims to recognise elements of historical significance to the Indigenous people such as sacred sites and place names as well as apologies for historical wrongs and how these relationships can be managed in the future.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Natalie Hutchins said when the process started last year that “it is a historic moment in history for our state and country.”
 

Indonesia's Customs agency has seized 210 tonnes of "toxic" garbage at the port in Surabaya and is preparing to ship eight containers of material back to Australia.

The containers were shipped to Indonesia from Brisbane on June 12, and were supposed to contain paper for recycling, but also contained mixed plastic waste and other contaminants. 

The head of Customs at Tanjung Perak port, Basuki Suryanto, says his officials found electronic waste, remote controls, soft drink cans, cables, styrofoam and other materials in the containers.
 

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced facial recognition could be banned in Brisbane following a presentation regarding the technology at this year’s Asian Pacfic Cities Summit.

The speech delivered by Former Amazon chief scientist Andreas Weigend has sparked the conversation about the technology in Brisbane, where the scientist discussed the technology’s capabilities to not only identify faces, but detect emotion in citizens.

A large wind farm project, worth up to $350 million has been proposed for Central Queensland, potentially delivering 150 jobs to the region.

The project, dubbed ‘The Banana Range Wind Farm’ will consist of up to 51 wind turbines with a power output of approximately 180MW. 

The planned site for the project is about 20km west of Biloela and construction is due to begin late 2020. 

The acting Queensland Transport Minister, Steven Miles, has announced the government's decision to change the law concerning power-assisted bicycles.

Illegal high-powered bicycles are commonly leased or sold to unassuming tourists in the Gold Coast and present a safety concern for pedestrians on the footpath.

Mr Miles said bicycles on the footpath must have pedals as their main source of power and new laws make it clear the motor cannot operate without the rider pedalling at speeds greater than 6km/h.

International students are being exploited by landlords in Sydney’s tight housing market a new report found.

The students are falling victim to financial exploitation by landlords who are overcharging bonds, refusing to maintain legal paperwork and suddenly increasing rent.

A University of New South Wales Human Rights Clinic report found a lack of student housing and a tight market allows landlords to exploit a lack of knowledge of legal rights. 

The Australian Federal Police has revealed it accessed the metadata of journalists 58 times in the 2017 to 2018 financial year.

Agencies like the AFP require a warrant to access journalist metadata, however the journalist is never informed.

The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security is now examining the impact of the use of national security laws such as the mandatory data retention legislation on freedom of the press.