AGP Executive Report

Halloween Pop Culture: Kendall Jenner recreated Nastassja Kinski’s blonde look from Paris, Texas, while Heidi Klum unveiled a severed-hand costume at her 25th annual party. Janhvi Kapoor also paid tribute to her mother, Sridevi, with a Nagina-inspired look. Fashion: Sonam Bajwa brought a traditional touch to a Gucci event in a red saree, while Fabletics is stretching activewear into everyday and golf style. Grooming & Wellness: New York’s The Upper Seat combines barbering, facials and manicures with a more relaxed club atmosphere. In Doha, more than 2,000 people of different ages and abilities joined a community running event. Sustainable Living: Dutch entrepreneurs are bringing vegan alternatives to intimate products, as some consumers extend their animal-free choices beyond food.

Halloween Culture: Stars are marking the holiday with elaborate pop-culture costumes, from Ashley Graham as Ariel to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos in a string of throwback looks. On Screen: Apple TV’s November slate includes the return of Owen Wilson’s golf comedy Stick and a food-travel series with Awkwafina; a new batch of K-dramas is also due to arrive on streaming services. Remembering: Actor Patrick Stewart, celebrated for Star Trek and X-Men as well as his Shakespearean stage career, has died at 86. Bollywood is also mourning filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, whose sudden death prompted tributes from colleagues. Culture Bridge: Thailand’s embassy donated 100 books on Thai arts, history and literature to Kuwait National Library, aiming to deepen cultural understanding between the countries. Mountain Life: In Kyrgyzstan’s Kara-Kuzhur valley, Zhainagul Sharshikova helps her family raise livestock and yaks while raising four children, and hopes to build a tourist base.

Music & Memory: Folk pioneer Rhiannon Giddens says history is inseparable from the music we make as she reflects on her new album, Hope Is The Thing With Feathers. Bollywood: Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for Kaante and Shootout at Lokhandwala, has died at 57. Sanjay Dutt says he will carry out their plan for Kaante 2. Screen Legends: Sir Patrick Stewart is being remembered for iconic roles as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, as well as his work in video games. Pop Culture: Halloween is bringing fans together for celebrity-inspired costumes and bar screenings of Celebrity Traitors. Anime: Garena’s Free Fire: Daybreak will make its world premiere at Brazil’s CCXP26 on December 5, ahead of a planned global release in 2027.

Screen & Stage: Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed Star Trek and X-Men actor, has died at 86; he began on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and is set to appear as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday. Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley is returning to London theatre in Afterbirth, earning the standard company rate of about $186 a day. Music: The Official Charts Company is launching a weekly UK Rap Chart, with BBC Radio 1Xtra airing its first countdown on November 6. Halloween: Celebrity costumes are bringing pop culture into the spooky season: Paris Hilton recreated Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” look, while Lily Allen dressed as Ticketmaster’s seating map. Samhain Celebrations: Ireland’s Púca Festival continues through November 1, with performances by The Coronas and Hothouse Flowers and free events celebrating Halloween’s folklore roots.

Screen Legacy: Patrick Stewart, the Shakespearean actor who became an icon as Captain Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, has died at 86 after living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Halloween Style: India’s party scene is turning Halloween into a pop-culture dress-up parade, with costumes inspired by viral trends, fictional villains and nostalgic icons. Beauty & Celebrity: Jennifer Lawrence’s candid disclosure of a breast lift reflects a wider shift, as stars speak more openly about cosmetic procedures. Travel & Work: Penang tops a new study of affordable cities for digital nomads, with monthly living costs estimated at about €850, including rent. Healthy Living: At 100, Da Nang resident Vuong Nghien still cycles, exercises and cooks for himself, crediting daily activity and familiar routines. Sleep Health: As daylight saving time ends in the US, experts advise shifting bedtime and meals gradually to help the body adjust.

Screen Icons: Sir Patrick Stewart, the Shakespeare-trained actor beloved as Captain Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, has died at 86. His family said he died at home after a brief journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Children’s Wellbeing: An animated series and a cultural nonprofit are developing playful, trauma-informed lessons in empathy, cooperation and resilience for children in Gaza, with an initial rollout planned through the Academies of Hope. Reading Together: The Book Neuk, a volunteer-run book club in Lenzie, pairs themed gatherings with games, cocktails and charity raffles; its events are selling out within a day. Cultural Heritage: A new Reno museum is bringing rescued neon signs from across Nevada back to life, while an upcoming exhibit in Phoenix will explore Bram Stoker’s life through artifacts and immersive Dublin-inspired displays.

Halloween: Costume ideas are leaning on pop culture, from slasher-film killers to Sandra Bullock’s Miss Congeniality look. Keep the candy stash away from pets: chocolate, xylitol and raisins can pose serious risks. Music: Pop artist Underscores says Gen Z isn’t loveless, as her ambitious album and tour with Charli xcx bring her a growing audience. Community Arts: A Michigan yarn shop and movie theater are launching “Knitflix,” pairing crafts and curated films to bring generations together. Campus Life: Some Penn professors are going no-tech in class, using printed readings and handwritten field notes as they rethink teaching in the age of AI. Women’s History: Penn marks 150 years since its first women students enrolled, tracing the long fight for equal representation.

Live & Local: Ipoh’s free ROCK’N RIUH BENOR festival runs Oct. 30–Nov. 1, bringing 40 local brands, creative workshops and performances by Yuna, Ella and more. On Screen: The Miami Film Festival’s GEMS showcase opens Oct. 29 with festival favorites including Julianne Moore’s The Debut and La Bola Negra, Spain’s Oscar submission. Art & Culture: Artist John Cox is building bridges between Caribbean art scenes and the wider art world as the region gains attention at major exhibitions and biennials. Wellness: Gisborough Hall’s new Sakura Spa has been shortlisted for Best Spa Hotel Newcomer in the 2027 Global Spa Awards; public voting opens Oct. 30. Style Watch: The layered bob is gaining momentum, with Pinterest searches for some versions soaring as stylists tout its soft shape and movement.

Fandom & Gaming: Lotte Department Store is opening a 1,785-square-metre anime, gaming and collectibles hub in Busan, while Garena says Free Fire India returns to app stores today after a four-year absence. Indian Cinema: Ramayana held a special Los Angeles screening, which producer Namit Malhotra called a milestone for Indian cinema’s global reach. Music: Taylor Swift has joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognized for the songwriting roots she developed in the city. Film & Heritage: Istanbul’s Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival runs Nov. 3–7 with 56 films from across the Turkic world. In Türkiye, archaeologists also uncovered a dog’s paw prints preserved on a mudbrick for 4,000 years. Diwali Style: Indian residents in the UAE are shopping for gold ahead of Diwali, with prices lower than last year.

Live Music: Jay-Z will headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium, with speculation already turning to whether Beyoncé might join him. The Flaming Lips also announced their first album in nearly seven years, The Teardrop Throbs, due January 22, alongside new single “God Will Control the Werewolves.” Chart Watch: Fontaines D.C.’s Dopamine Chamber scored the UK’s third-biggest album opening of 2026 and became the fastest-selling UK LP by an Irish artist in 15 years. Irish Screen: Anthony Boyle won Best Actor at the Rome Film Fest for I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, which also took Best Film. Tonight, TG4 premieres Gealtra, Brendan Canty’s documentary about Cork’s Kabin Studio and young Irish-language performers. Books & Culture: Louise Kennedy’s new novel, Stations, looks back to 1980s Ireland and follows a teenager who travels to London to find a friend.

Culture & Trends: “Maxxing,” the internet’s drive to optimise everything, is Dictionary.com’s 2026 word of the year. Screen & Music: “Star Trek” actor Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov, has died at 90; BLACKPINK’s Jisoo has announced a new solo single, while singer Shaan surprised Dubai fans with a Michael Jackson tribute. Celebrity News: “Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause announced her split from musician G Flip after four years together. Arts & Traditions: California pumpkin artist Mike Valladao marked 40 years of carving whimsical designs, including pop culture figures. In Macau, a November craft market will offer 62 workshops in ceramics, glasswork, knitting and more.

Screen Legacy: Walter Koenig, best known as Star Trek’s Chekov, has died at 90. His Russian officer helped embody the series’ hopeful vision of people from different backgrounds living and caring for one another. Art & Politics: Artist Paul Pfeiffer reflects on how sports arenas and celebrity spectacle can shape public life; his current exhibition includes works featuring Justin Bieber and imagined stadiums. Books & Travel: Retired executive Cas Wonsowicz turns six days walking Paris with his wife into Learning Paris, a memoir guided by his later studies in art history. Music & Nature: Trombonist Ryan Keberle and group Urbem bring recordings of Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands into a New York jazz series in November, linking live music with conservation. Writing & Family: New Zealand author Claire Mabey shares the frightening premature birth of her son and their time apart in neonatal intensive care, experiences that now sit alongside her award-winning children’s writing.

Culture & Books: At Mumbai’s Godrej Literature Live! festival, Shashi Tharoor, author Rahul Bhattacharya and journalist Ayaz Memon explored why cricket’s poetry still deserves more than highlight reels and statistics. On Screen: A new, moody Sense and Sensibility puts Daisy Edgar-Jones’s composed Elinor alongside Esmé Creed-Miles’s adventurous Marianne. The BBC has also renewed crime drama This City Is Ours for a third season as its second begins. Lifestyle: Permaculture designer Lauren Craig grows much of her family’s food in a one-acre food forest, combining perennial plants, annual crops and home preservation. Sport & Society: Hong Kong’s first Tatler Padel Series brought 43 pairs, celebrity matches and a Cantopop singalong to three days of competition and community. City Stays: Andaz Shanghai ITC leans into local life with Shanghainese comfort food, craft activities and tea-inspired cocktails. A Modern Luxury: One essay makes the case that being unavailable—and choosing how to spend your time—may be the real status symbol.

TV & Music: Strictly Come Dancing’s fourth elimination sets up its first triple dance-off next week. Welsh singer Jamie Miller made his UK TV debut after “Babydoll” topped the singles chart. Halloween: Heidi Klum has teased a grotesque mystery costume ahead of her annual party, while costumed superheroes and anime characters at France’s protests have turned viral footage into a pop-culture spectacle. Books & Ideas: At Mumbai LitFest, women journalists discussed conflict reporting and stories from the margins; the session also launched a journalism memoir. Health: A survey of nearly 33,000 women found that more than 85% of those diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history, a reminder that family history alone can’t define risk. Community: Run Bhopal Run returns December 6 with a new junior event and green initiatives. High Streets: A look back at seven lost Cambridgeshire shops recalls the department stores and familiar chains that once anchored local town centres.

Active Living: Taiping’s Heritage Ride drew 2,200 cyclists across routes showcasing the town’s historic sights, while Jakarta’s four-day running festival brought Malaysian runners together with an international crowd. Food & Health: The UAE has begun phased limits on sodium, sugar and fat in packaged foods as authorities respond to high salt intake and adult obesity. Style Watch: Lady Kitty Spencer’s journey from shy aristocrat to international fashion fixture gets a fresh look, as preppy classics return with a subtler 2026 twist. Music: Shilpa Rao said her Mumbai concert was cut short by a production delay, telling fans the unfinished performance “hurts deeply” and promising to return. On Screen: “Club Kid,” Jordan Firstman’s directorial debut, brings club culture, music and fatherhood together in a tender story screened at the Virginia Film Festival. Travel: Busan is winning attention as a coastal destination in its own right, with beaches, seafood markets and a slower pace setting it apart from Seoul.

Music Milestone: Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut turns 20, prompting a look back at the album that launched her rise from country newcomer to pop superstar. Fairer Tickets: Sam Fender says he’ll change prices for his upcoming tour after a leak showed standing tickets could top £100, challenging a trend fans have increasingly criticized. Screen Buzz: Horror-led DC film Clayface opened at No. 1, showing that a lesser-known comic-book character can draw audiences with a fresh approach. Local Culture: Wilmington’s Trick or Treat Fest brought families, cosplayers, artists and small businesses together for a celebration of comics, anime and retro toys. Style & Design: Designers say handmade Moroccan zellige tiles are gaining popularity for the color and character their irregular surfaces bring to kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces. Food: Ina Garten’s creamy scrambled-egg tip is ricotta, cooked gently with the eggs for a soft, custardy texture. Entrepreneurship: Kenyan MP Njeri Maina has launched Skinly, a beauty, fashion and wellness brand that has already hired six young people.