Residents of Armenia’s capital have gone to the polls in the first vote since a revolution in April that installed Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister.

Voters are electing 65-members of the Yerevan City Council and it’s mayor, who resigned in July when over corruption allegations.

Observers have called the polls a test for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who faces a parliament composed mostly of members of the former ruling Republican party.

In the midst of one of the largest HIV outbreaks in Indigenous Queenslanders, over $740,000 has been withdrawn from a HIV drug trial by the Queensland Government.

Cairns, Cape York, and the Torres Strait are among the worst affected regions, with 41 cases being recorded since 2014.

A sexual health expert indicated the 1,400 men coming off the trial will put pressure onto clinics in the short time frame with the HIV treatment now requiring a prescription.

Over 10,000 weekly bike trips will be supported through new design plans proposed for the Victoria Bridge for the upcoming Brisbane Metro project.

A separated two-way cycleway on the upstream of the bridge and cycle lanes on Melbourne Street are expected to double the number of trips daily, reducing congestion.

Bicycle Queensland CEO Anne Savage said the upgrade will provide a strong and sustainable investment for Brisbane’s future.

As a response to protests concerning Australia Day on the 26th of January, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stripped the Byron Shire Council of their right to hold citizenship ceremonies.

Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson is proposing their Australia Day Ceremony be held on January 25th in acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history.

While Mr Richardson says January 26th isn't a suitable date, the Prime Minister has labelled moves to change the date as “indulgent self loathing”.

Phone manufacturers will be required to install spyware and remove encryption without the consent of users in a security overhaul proposed by the Federal Government.

Agencies like ASIO and the Australian Federal Police will compel companies to install screen capture software on mobile phones as a way of giving agencies access to encrypted data.

Thousands of Iranians have gathered in the city of Ahvaz to attend the funeral for the victims of an attack on a military parade.

The attack took place on Saturday and killed at least 25 people, including a disabled war veteran, a four-year-old boy and around twelve of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.

Iranian officials have blamed the attacks on an Arab separatist-group and vowed to deliver a crushing response.

Sailor Abhilash Tomy was rescued from the Indian Ocean on Monday by a French fishing vessel, after spending 3 days lost at sea. 

Tomy was left injured after his boat was de-masted during the Golden Globe race, and was found approximately 3,300 km off the coast of Perth.