Global Beat is your weekly stop for news from around the world. Join us every Friday morning for important stories you should know about.

This week, Kenya’s supreme court annuls the results of the country’s recent presidential election; tensions escalate between Spanish police and Catalan separatists less than two weeks before a controversial Catalan independence referendum; Trump threatens North Korea at the UN General Assembly; and more.

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Americas

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has declared Tuesday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake, the second to hit Mexico in 12 days, a "new national emergency." The earthquake struck about 100 miles from Mexico City on the 32nd anniversary of the disastrous 1985 earthquake, killing at least 216 people. Mexico is prone to strong earthquakes because of its location in a subduction zone, where an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate.

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• Puerto Rico has been "destroyed" after Hurricane Maria made landfall there as a Category 4 storm – ABC News

Central & South Asia

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that it would give nearly $32 million in humanitarian aid to help Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar. Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi drew criticism Tuesday for a speech in which she condemned rights abuses without alluding to ethnic cleansing allegations or naming the Rohingya. World leaders have expressed disappointment, with Amnesty International calling the address "little more than a mix of untruths and victim blaming."

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• India, not China, is now central to the future of the BRICS – Forbes

China & East Asia

In his first address to the UN General Assembly, President Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "Rocket Man" and threatened to "totally destroy North Korea" should it continue to expand its nuclear weapons program, drawing criticism from allies in Japan, South Korea, and China, which called the comments "really unhelpful." North Korean delegates walked out of the room shortly before his speech, and on Thursday North Korea’s foreign minister said he sounded like a "barking dog."

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• China is refusing to cede ground as United States issues trade threats – CNBC

Europe & Russia

Tensions are escalating between Spanish police and Catalan separatists less than two weeks before a controversial Catalan independence referendum that the Spanish government has vowed to block. Early Wednesday, government officials raided the offices of the Catalan regional government, arresting individuals suspected of helping to organize the referendum, which is prohibited by Spanish law. The arrests prompted protests in Barcelona as well as a statement from Catalonia’s Carles Puigdemont asserting that Madrid had "crossed a red line" and provoked a "state of emergency."

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• The rightwing, populist Alternative for Germany is on the cusp of entering the Bundestag for the first time – Financial Times

Middle East & North Africa

A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York has provoked varying reactions from the Middle East. The meeting follows recent efforts by Egypt to broker an agreement between Hamas and Fatah. Egypt was one of the first Arab countries to recognize Israel and has long supported Israel in its blockade of the Gaza Strip, but has recently been facilitating dialogue about the Gaza border between rival Palestinian groups.

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• Trump says he’s made a decision on Iran nuclear deal, one day after he told the UN General Assembly that the deal was "an embarrassment for the United States" – The New York Times

Southeast Asia & Oceania

New Zealand’s ruling National Party has surged in the polls ahead of the September 23 general election. Meanwhile, a jet fuel crisis continues to plague the nation, prompting politicians to limit their flights to only essential campaign stops and causing airlines to restrict ticket sales and cancel many domestic and international flights. A single digger broke a critical fuel supply pipe, leading to fuel rationing, affecting about 3,000 people a day. In addition, all but the most critical exports have been halted.

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• Australian refugee deal derided by Trump moves forward – CNN

Sub-Saharan Africa

Kenya’s supreme court has annulled the results of the country’s presidential election held in August, calling them "neither transparent nor verifiable." The announcement shocked observers and has sharpened the political divide in the country, threatening a constitutional crisis if a new election is not held by the end of October. The annulment was unprecedented in Africa.

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• Zimbabwe opposition to challenge voter registration process in court – Voice of America

Stay informed. We’ll see you here again next week.