More than 400 schools in the Malaysian state of Johor have been closed after 75 students experienced breathing difficulties and vomiting. 

Johor’s Chief Minister Dr Sahruddin Jamal says the exact cause of the ailments are not clear but it may be linked to a previous pollution case in March which left over 100 schools closed and thousands ill after inhaling toxic fumes from an illegal chemical waste river dump. 

Transport Minister Mark Bailey has announced Queensland Rail will add 430 services and 200,000 seats across the network from July 29.

A Queensland public transport crisis began in October 2016 following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line, which caused the sudden cancellation of train services and an unsustainable reliance on overtime due to a shortage of drivers. 

The Indigenous community of Yulga Jinna in Western Australia is using music and song to engage at-risk youth and prevent suicide, with the self-managed community recording zero suicides since it was established in 1992.  

Youth Focus coordinator Robert Binsiar, who helps run the program, says art and music are foundations of Aboriginal culture which can help young people express themselves and address issues relating to intergenerational trauma. 

India’s Government has rejected a US State Department report which shows religious intolerance and violence against minorities have spiked since right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.

The annual report on international religious freedom says Hindu groups used "violence, intimidation, and harassment" against Muslims and low-caste Dalits in 2017 to force a religion-based national identity.

Unauthorised drone flights in the airspace of Singapore’s Changi Airport are continuing to cause issues for the world transit hub, with drone sightings in the last week suspending a runway and delaying dozens of flights. 

Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority has been battling security concerns associated with increased popularity of drones, stating offenders are at risk of up to a $14,780 AUD fine or 12 months’ imprisonment. 

A new study finds half of all adults and a third of children who are asthma patients are skipping or decreasing doses of preventative medication due to out of pocket costs. 

Co-author of the study, Professor Helen Reddel, says although there is a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, there is still patient contribution which means about 40 percent of asthma patients can pay up to $40 a month for treatment. 

Queensland Health director-general Michael Walsh has announced his resignation over ongoing issues with the department’s $1.5 billion rollout of an integrated electronic medical record system.

The ieMR system is a single state-wide database for patient records, but the project has faced cost blowouts, delays and caused concern among clinicians over the software’s safety.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles thanked Mr Walsh for his work, and says a search for his replacement is currently underway. 

An extra 250 electric scooters will soon be operating on Brisbane streets after the council awarded tenders to Lime and Singaporean company Neuron Mobility. 

Neuron Mobility will operate 600 generation-two scooters in the city, with improved safety features and ‘geo-fencing,’ which prevents them being ridden in areas such as South Bank. 

Lime spokesman Nelson Savanh says the company recorded more than 1 million rides on its scooters in their first six months in Brisbane, with 46 per cent of trips replacing a private car, taxi or ride-share.