| Climate talks | Biden hosts a virtual discussion on climate change with some world leaders today amid concerns that commitments are lagging before next month's United Nations COP26 summit in Scotland. Sources say the White House concedes its biggest challenge has been persuading nations to bring a sense of urgency and plans for concrete actions to the meeting. Plodding charm | Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had expected to trample his Conservative challenger in Monday's snap election with his movie-star charm. And yet the race is too close to call as Erin O'Toole has managed to turn his seemingly dull, Boy-Scout style into a stinging weapon against sex appeal.  China Evergrande Group has become the biggest financial worry in a country with no shortage of them. While it's impossible to know what would happen if Beijing allows Evergrande's downward spiral to continue, China watchers are gaming out worst-case scenarios as they contemplate how much pain the Communist Party is willing to tolerate.
Damaged ties | The Biden administration is struggling to soothe anger in Paris over Australia's surprise decision to abandon a multibillion-dollar submarine contract with France in favor of U.S. nuclear technology. French officials say they had no prior warning of the decision, and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his nation felt "stabbed in the back." Best of Bloomberg OpinionUranium Boost | Spy satellites indicate North Korea is expanding a plant it uses to enrich uranium for weapons, another sign that Kim Jong Un is once again stepping up his nuclear program. That includes testing new, long-range rockets and firing ballistic missiles from a train for the first time. Deepening crisis | Argentina's powerful Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner slammed President Alberto Fernandez in an open letter, blaming him for a poor showing in a midterm primary. The government's economic strategy of fiscal austerity caused the "political catastrophe," she said, pressuring Fernandez to ramp up spending. Bloomberg TV and Radio air Balance of Power with David Westin weekdays from 12 to 1pm ET, with a second hour on Bloomberg Radio from 1 to 2pm ET. You can watch and listen on Bloomberg channels and online here or check out prior episodes and guest clips here. A key guest on today's show will be New York City Mayoral Candidate Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee who is the heavy favorite to win the election in November. - China has applied to join an Asia-Pacific trade pact that was once pushed by the U.S. as a way to isolate Beijing and solidify American dominance in the region.
- Putin became the first major head of state to confirm attendance at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year amid calls for a diplomatic boycott over human rights issues.
- U.S. security officials have warned members of Congress and their staff to stay away from the Capitol tomorrow, when demonstrators are due to show support for people arrested in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
- West African leaders called for Guinea's new military rulers to hold an election in six months, opting for a tight deadline after a series of coups in the region.
Pop quiz, readers (no cheating!). Which leader trended on Twitter after Biden appeared to forget his name during a virtual press conference? Send your answers to balancepower@bloomberg.net. And finally ... Calm weather over the past two weeks has brutally exposed the vulnerability of the U.K.'s wind-power drive to cut carbon emissions. Output has declined from the country's 11,000 turbines, which account for more than 20% of electricity generation. As Rachel Morison writes, combined with a Europe-wide gas shortage, the crunch has forced some companies to halt operations — and left Prime Minister Boris Johnson with another political headache.  The Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm near Camber, U.K. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg | 
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