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King Charles has described the transatlantic slave trade as a "shameful chapter of history" that filled him with "profound sorrow" as he opened a summit of Commonwealth leaders in the Caribbean. He said the trade in enslaved persons "still casts a shadow" over the association of nations. There have been calls from some for the UK to make a formal apology for its historic role in the slave trade ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Antigua and Barbuda, but there was not one in the King's address. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, also at the summit, has said that he is open to Britain issuing a formal apology but has ruled out financial reparations. While there was no direct apology, the King did offer some contrition - and there was also an acknowledgement that he had personally learnt more about the legacy of the slave trade. He said: "The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other members of our Commonwealth. "As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow." (click image to read more).

António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, represented the EU at the 21st EU-Canada summit, which took place in Montreal on 29 and 30 October 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney represented Canada. The summit marked a major milestone in EU-Canada relations, paving the way for an even broader and deeper political partnership. Leaders took stock of progress made since the previous EU-Canada summit and issued a joint statement launching an Alliance for the Future. Building on their longstanding strategic partnership, the alliance aims to deepen cooperation and create a common prosperity and economic security space. This is a moment to act with clarity and ambition. By aligning more closely – economically, technologically and strategically – Canada and the EU are building an Alliance for the Future based on trust and shared values that meets the scale of today's challenges and opportunities and will reinforce the freedom, prosperity and safety our citizens expect and deserve. We are stronger together. Building on their existing Strategic Partnership Agreement, the EU and Canada will deepen political engagement and coordination on shared priorities. Leaders welcomed the increasingly frequent exchanges with Canadian ministers at relevant Council and ministerial meetings. The EU and Canada will build on these exchanges through regular summits, joint ministerial meetings and cooperation committees. The partners will work to define the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership, by the 2027 EU-Canada summit. (click image to read more)

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for the construction and renovation of public infrastructure across all regions of Kazakhstan, and proposed declaring 2027 “the Year of Large-scale Construction”. Delivering his address to the people of Kazakhstan in his “state of the union” address, Tokayev stressed the need to launch construction and renovation projects in regional centers, districts and settlements throughout the country. Our collective nationwide response to the approaching era of artificial intelligence should be to build — and, once again, to build!, Tokayev emphasized. According to the President, key priorities include the construction of roads, airports, railway stations and healthcare facilities. Special attention will also be given to rehabilitation centres for children with special needs. In addition, every region should have creative development centres, sports complexes, libraries and scientific centres. Tokayev also highlighted housing construction as an important priority. Kazakhstan’s large-scale “People’s Construction” program, announced by the President, will pave the way for major infrastructure development and reforms across all sectors of the economy, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at a government meeting. Bektenov stressed the need to develop a clear action plan to implement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state-of-the-nation address, delivered on October 28. The Prime Minister said the address sets out the central goal of building a fair, strong, clean and progressive Kazakhstan. Achieving this objective will require making the fullest possible use of the country’s existing potential and the opportunities emerging from modern innovation. Bektenov highlighted the significance of the “People’s Construction” initiative, describing it as the starting point for major infrastructure transformations and comprehensive reforms throughout the economy. “This large-scale project will provide significant momentum for employment growth and improving citizens’ well-being. This address is the most substantive policy document for the near future. We must have a clear action plan for its implementation”, he said. Kazakhstan also plans to build nearly 70 new healthcare facilities across the country. (click image to read more)

October is Ghvinobistve, also known as the Georgian month of wine, when Georgia’s vineyards are filled with pickers, and the harvest feasts begin. Wine here is not simply tradition; it's a livelihood and hallmark for the country, even bringing in politics and the wider world along with it. Georgian wine has been continually made in the same buried clay vessels used for thousands of years, yet it remains heavily tied to a single market: Russia took almost two-thirds of the value of Georgia’s wine exports in the first nine months of this year. Giorgi Dartsimelia has spent a substantial amount of his career linking the vineyard, the tourist, and delicious cuisine. A sommelier and WSET-certified educator, he is the founder and CEO of Queen Tamada, which has run boutique wine and gastronomy journeys across Georgia since 2014. In this conversation, he talks about growing up in a “wine nation” and turning that into a career, why the qvevri is both an ancient method and a modern marketing symbol, what a difficult harvest means for growers, why he thinks Georgia must look beyond Russian buyers, and how wine could bring Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan together.

In elections on both sides of the Atlantic, that are likely to have deep implications for their respective regions, one incumbent won, another lost. In Brazil, Latin America's biggest country, left-wing President Lula won a fourth term in office, defeating his right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. The 80-year-old, took just under 52% of the vote in a run-off on Sunday. Lula thanked cheering supporters in São Paulo and said he had defended Brazil's democracy. His opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro - who won the first round - says the result is "inexplicable" and called for it to be annulled. His father, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, is currently serving a jail sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing the last election. This election was bitterly fought - and it bucks a wider regional trend towards right-wing leaders. On the other side of the Atlantic, in Serbia, long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić has admitted defeat to the student-led protest movement in snap parliamentary elections. "We still do not have final results... it is clear that we have lost these elections," the right-wing populist leader said as he conceded late on Sunday. Preliminary figures from Serbia's election commission indicated a record high turnout, which commentators had suggested would favour the student movement. Celebrations erupted after Vučić conceded. Vučić called the snap elections after two years of protests triggered by the collapse of a train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 and was seen as emblematic of corruption and negligence. Both election results are going to have a deep impact on their respective regions.