An unusual constitutional kink means people in Australia's territories will have different voting power to the rest of the country in the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament. 

Darwin

The Voice to Parliament referendum will be held on October 14 to determine whether an Indigenous Voice should be enshrined in the country's constitution.

Voice to Parliament

The constitutional quirk that gives ACT, NT referendum power

If you live in the ACT or the Northern Territory, the voting process is not as straightforward as you might think. And the reason for that actually goes back to the Constitution. People may or may not know that to change Australia's Constitution, you need a double majority. Now, this requires a national majority as well as a majority of votes in a majority of states. So at least four of six jurisdictions. But both the Northern Territory and the ACT are only counted in the national majority. Just because they didn't exist when the Constitution was created. Previously, territories couldn't vote on constitutional changes, and only gained a say following the last successful referendum, which was more than 40 years ago in 1977. So it could have a big impact in the Northern Territory, where you could argue the voice vote matters most. Now there are two ways the territories could come in line with Australia's states. Firstly, we hold another referendum and change the Constitution so we're a part of both forms of counting, or the territories become states. Now obviously these are significant undertakings, so it wouldn't be a simple or a fast journey if we did go down this road.

Several European leaders and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have expressed disappointment at the 30% tariffs US President Donald Trump has announced, but maintained openness to reach a negotiated solution.

Washington

Global Tariffs

Leaders of EU and Mexico slam Trump's 30% tariffs

A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel.

Ahmedabad

Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over fuel cutoff

Iran’s foreign minister says his country is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States but will need assurances that there will be no more attacks against it. Abbas Araghchi made the comments on Saturday, during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Tehran.

Tehran

Middle East Conflict

Iran willing to resume nuclear talks with U.S. if given assurances

Australia will not commit troops in advance to any conflict, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Sunday (July 13), responding to a report that the Pentagon has pressed its ally to clarify what role it would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia to 'support status quo' on Taiwan amid U.S. defense push

The Pentagon is urging Japan and Australia to clarify what role they would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan, the Financial Times is reporting. According to the newspaper, the reported request caught Japan and Australia 'off-guard'.

Taipei

Australia caught 'off guard' by U.S demands over Taiwan

A federal judge in California temporarily halted the Trump administration from making indiscriminate arrests based on race and denying detainees access to lawyers.

Los Angeles

Judge orders Trump to stop Californian immigration raids

President Trump issued new threats in his global trade war, aiming at two more of America's biggest trading partners. The E.U. and Mexico responded by calling the tariffs unfair and disruptive.

Trump announces tariffs on European Union, Mexico

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem asked the Israeli government for details following the death of an American citizen in the West Bank. It comes as Israel's defense minister created controversy this week when he announced plans to build a new so-called safe humanitarian city for Gazans.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Palestinian-American dies in West Bank

Palestinians and human rights activists expressed alarm after Israel's defence minister said he plans to move all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp at the southern tip of the war-battered enclave, according to Israeli media.

Rafah

Israel's plan for 'humanitarian city' in Rafah sparks outrage

President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations with the major U.S. trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal.

Mexico City

Trump intensifies trade war, threatens 30% tariffs on EU, Mexico

On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad. All 230 passengers on board, except for one, were killed.

Engine fuel cut off before Air India plane crash, report reveals

A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed, killing 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel.

Air India crash report shows confusion over engine switch movement

An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical center in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, local health authorities said, as ceasefire talks dragged on with no immediate deal expected. This report contains graphic and disturbing images.

Jerusalem

Israeli strike kills children near medical clinic in Gaza

Russian strikes against Ukraine persisted overnight and reportedly injured at least nine people and caused damage to a maternity hospital, according to officials. This comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with European allies in Rome.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia launches more strikes, damages Ukraine maternity hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Israel without a ceasefire deal with Hamas despite optimism from the Trump administration. CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer reports.

Netanyahu returns to Israel without Gaza ceasefire deal

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California turned violent after protesters clashed with agents from the Trump administration carrying out an operation at a Camarillo farm.

Camarillo

Protesters clash with ICE agents over immigration operation

CNN’s Isa Soares explains how a crippling 50% tariff on goods from Brazil may not be all about the economy.

Trump targets Brazil with 50% tariff

Volunteers in Texas are searching for flood victims and combing through debris along a 30 mile stretch of the Guadalupe River. CNN’s Ed Lavandera spoke with Texans who are coming together to bring closure to their community.

Center Point

Urgent search operations for flood victims stretch miles in Texas

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would impose a 35% tariff on imports from Canada next month and planned to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trade partners.

Trump puts 35% tariff on Canada, eyes 15%-20% levies for others

Volunteers in Comfort, Texas, are digging through debris with heavy equipment and cadaver dogs, searching for flood victims. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit Friday, raising questions about his plan to scale back federal disaster relief.

Texas

Volunteers dig through Texas flood wreckage ahead of Trump visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held rare face-to-face talks on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, discussing the war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria.

Kuala Lumpur

Top U.S., Russia diplomats discuss Ukraine on ASEAN sidelines

Russia has intensified its aerial attacks on Ukraine, using upgraded drones designed to cause more damage and evade air defences. In Kyiv, a young woman captured video of the drones overhead — just before explosions echoed through the city.

Russia’s upgraded drone tactics bring intensified attacks across Ukraine

The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd.

Ventura County

Intense standoff in California between protesters, federal agents

A federal judge has green-lit a class action lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order.

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order

A partial tunnel collapse in Los Angeles temporarily buried 31 workers in Los Angeles, California. CBS News' Carter Evans reports on the rescue operation.

31 trapped workers rescued after tunnel collapse

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed “disappointment and frustration” over continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and said new sanctions on Russia are a “real option.” Kylie Atwood has more details from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Rubio: New Russia sanctions a ‘real option’

With Russia again bombarding Ukraine with drones, U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s considering sending another missile defence system to Ukraine.

Trump muses missile defence system for Ukraine

Officials in Texas are promising to address concerns about flood warnings in parts of the state, but say the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts must be complete first.

Texas officials to address flood warnings after search complete

Linda Yaccarino is stepping down as CEO of X after two years leading Elon Musk's social media company. Yaccarino's departure comes one day after the company's Grok chatbot began pushing antisemitic tropes in responses to users.

San Francisco

Yaccarino steps down as CEO of Elon Musk's X

Parts of Ukraine were on fire overnight after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the war unfolded. Just hours earlier, Trump directly called out Vladimir Putin for stalled peace talks.

See The Full Story

Voice to Parliament