China and Samoa signed up to seven new agreements before the China-Pacific Island Economic Cooperation Special Summit in Apia, Samoa.

Beijing is expected to use the China Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum to promote its trillion-dollar “Belt and Road” initiative, a large-scale infrastructure construction project that provides affordable loans to developing countries.

Chile’s government has extended the state of emergency to cities in the north and south, as the number of deaths caused by violent clashes and arson attacks has increased to at least seven.

Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said the decision to expand emergency measures was carried out in the context of “escalation of violence and vandals”.

Mr. Chadwick cited  70 “serious violent incidents” yesterday, including the looting of 40 supermarkets and other businesses, with at least 7 deaths.

Anti-protest laws to prevent people using dangerous devices to lock themselves to roads and train lines appear ready to pass this week in Parliament.

A committee of cross-section MPs have approved the Bill, now ready for parliamentary debate. 

A number of organisations have raised concerns about the Bill’s justifications, with legal groups saying that the claims that protesters have been using dangerous lock-devices have not been substantiated.

Protests against the law are expected outside Parliament today.

A Queensland and Western Australian judge have swapped courtrooms in an experiment to find better ways of doing things through firsthand experience. 

Queensland Justice Walter Sofronoff has helped create the first judge-swap in Australian Courts, by exchanging places with his colleague Michael Buss in Western Australia.

Justice Sofronoff found one thing WA's Appeal Court does better, by filtering cases through the appellant persuading a two-judge panel their argument has merit.

A new survey has revealed what Australians believe to be the key identifier of national spirit, and it’s not what you would expect.

The answer is not our passion for sport, the way we speak, our appreciation of Australia’s natural environment or our sense of justice.

According to more than 50,000 respondents to the Australia Talks National Survey, Australians consider the most important part of being Australian to be: “Respecting our institutions and laws”.

The Royal Australian Mint has unveiled a new range of coins designed to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rat.

The year 2020 begins the next 12-year lunar cycle, and is said to be especially lucky. 

One of the coins will feature a rodent and the other will depict each animal in the calendar. 

The mint’s responsible minister Michael Sukkar said the coins are a traditional gift for those who celebrate Chinese New Year, and also serve as a momento for the start of the next lunar calendar cycle.

More than 40,000 marathon runners are preparing to compete in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Sunday, where air pollution has reached dangerous levels.

This week's city image shows that it is covered with thick yellow smoke, and some buildings barely see fog. Air quality indices ranged from 0 to 500, reaching 227 last Friday and classified as “very unhealthy”.

A school in India has apologised after a photo of a student wearing a cardboard box on the head during an exam to discourage cheating.

According to M.B. Sateesh, the head of school management, the University of Baggot University in Harvey, in the southwestern part of India, conducted a trial run of the new measure last Wednesday. 

A staff member took pictures of students sitting in neat classrooms, and their heads were covered by cardboard boxes.