By Anna Kirk, an intern in the Lowy Institute's Melanesia program.
- Solomon Islanders head to the polls on 19 November. The new biometric voter registration process has seen 280,000 voters register and 160,000 invalid names removed from the register. The SSGM program at ANU has released a report on prospects for the 2014 elections in Solomon Islands.
- Stephen Howes, at Devpolicy, writes about the challenges PNG faces with the upcoming 2015 budget despite the hype surrounding the LNG project.
- The Pacific Climate Warriors are protesting against Australia's stance on climate change by blockading the Newcastle wharf on Friday. For more on the threat to security in the Pacific posed by climate change, read Nic Maclellan's piece on The Interpreter.
- Newly elected Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has defended his 2006 coup in his maiden speech in Fiji's parliament. Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa put the cost of all Fiji's coups at FJ$10 billion.
- The Lowy Institute's Aus-PNG Network is hosting the second Australia-PNG Emerging Leaders Dialogue in December and is calling for applications and nominations.
- Pacific Island countries have secured a US$90 million tuna deal with the US, the world's most lucrative fishing access agreement. But Kiribati has since reached a separate agreement with China and Taiwan. Palau has talked of completely banning commercial fishing in their waters. Watch the Foreign Correspondent video here.