| Political buffer | Wall Street executives fretting that Democrats will sweep the White House and Congress can take comfort — some of the Trump era's most bank-friendly regulators might stick around no matter how the election goes. The possible holdovers, who occupy powerful jobs at the Federal Reserve and other agencies, have months or even years left on their terms. Because they work at independent watchdogs, they can resist pressure to step down should Biden win. Campaign 2020 There are eight days until the election. Here's the latest on the race for control of the White House and Congress. Biden will travel to Georgia tomorrow, his first campaign trip to a state that hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1992 but one where polls show a tight race. Other developments Sign up to receive daily election updates as a direct mobile notification on Twitter. Simply click on this link and like the tweet. China's plan | President Xi Jinping started a meeting in Beijing with a five-year plan that's expected to lift China's economy past the U.S. within the next decade. While Xi has insisted the economy will further open to foreign capital and competition, the proposal comes days before one of the most contentious U.S. elections in history — and that vote will produce a president resistant to China's ascent no matter who wins. - South Korea's foreign minister accused Xi of distorting history in a speech on the Korean War, offering rare criticism of its biggest trading partner after Xi lauded China's role in the only conflict it has fought with the U.S.
 Italian police clash with protesters who oppose new government restrictions in Rome on Oct. 24. Photographer: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP Europe took a step closer to reinstating the stringent restrictions imposed during the initial wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with Italy introducing its strongest measures since the end of a lockdown in May, and Spain imposing a nationwide curfew. Turkey-France dustup | Turkey stepped up its criticism over Europe's treatment of Muslims, threatening to deepen the rift between the NATO member country and its European allies. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated a call for French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to get psychiatric help over what he said was religious intolerance in promising to crack down on extremists after the murder of a school teacher in Paris. France denounced Erdogan's statement as unacceptable and withdrew its ambassador. Voting for change | Chile voted overwhelmingly to revise its constitution, which dates back to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. While many investors fear the process will eliminate the pro-business rules behind one of Latin America's most stable and prosperous economies, protesters say the current model has left millions grappling with inequality that has fueled a year of violent demonstrations. Royal challenge | Thai protesters plan to march to the German embassy today to submit a letter questioning King Maha Vajiralongkorn's legal status in the European country, where he spends much of his time. The student-led movement will ask Berlin to scrutinize whether the king, who's currently in Bangkok, has exercised royal authority in violation of German law, raising pressure on the monarchy in a push to change a political system that has seen about 20 military coups since 1932. What to Watch This Week - Three months of squabbling in Washington over a new round of virus relief moved no closer to a resolution over the weekend, all but extinguishing the prospects of a stimulus bill being written, voted on, and signed into law before the election.
- Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of breaking a U.S.-brokered truce agreement within minutes of it coming into force today, the third time international mediation has failed to halt the worst fighting in decades over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper are in New Delhi for talks tomorrow with their Indian counterparts.
- The latest trade talks between the U.K. and the European Union have been extended into the middle of this week, as British government officials indicated optimism about signing a deal.
- Voters kicked out Lithuania's government, clearing the path for a women-led center-right coalition as the country plays a greater role in EU politics by helping ram through sanctions against neighboring Belarus.
Thanks to all who responded to our pop quiz Friday and congratulations to Lauren Shute, who was the first to correctly name Jair Bolsonaro as the leader who criticized a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, saying its citizens "WON'T BE ANYONE'S GUINEA PIG." And finally ... Cruises to nowhere, a pop-up restaurant on a grounded airliner, private-jet and yacht charters: For some Singaporeans, the solution to virus-lockdown blues is to seize on anything that reminds them of travel. Part of the city-state's appeal has long been its hyper-connectivity. Now, under travel curbs aimed at shutting out Covid-19, Singapore's 5.7 million residents are increasingly embracing creative means to fight cabin fever, Faris Mokhtar reports.  A family dines inside a Singapore Airlines A380 aircraft. Photographer: Lauryn Ishak/Bloomberg
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