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, President Xi Jinping expands his power at China’s 19th Communist Party Congress; U.S.-backed Syrian forces reclaim about 90 percent of ISIL’s capital city of Raqqa; more than 270 people are killed by truck bombs in downtown Mogadishu; and more.

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Americas

During the latest round of NAFTA negotiations this week, Canada and Mexico rejected U.S. demands on the auto industry, dairy, dispute resolution, government procurement, and a sunset clause that would end the free trade agreement in five years. The impasse means a deal is unlikely to be reached this year. President Trump has threatened to terminate NAFTA if Canada and Mexico do not agree to U.S. demands.

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• Venezuela’s Maduro defends disputed vote, opposition divided – Reuters

Central & South Asia

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for greater military and economic ties with India this week while chiding China for "undermining the international, rules-based order." The remarks came ahead of his first official trip to India. Tillerson also repudiated China’s "One Belt, One Road" project, which invests in major infrastructure projects in Central and South Asia, saying it will produce more debt than development. President Trump will visit China next month.

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• Suspected U.S. drone strikes kill 31 on Pakistan-Afghanistan border – Radio Free Europe

China & East Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened China’s 19th Communist Party Congress this week with a three-and-a-half-hour speech. Xi laid out a vision of a reinvigorated Communist Party with total control of China’s economy, internet, culture, religion, and morals. Every five years, China undergoes a leadership reshuffle. This time, Xi looks poised to expand his power in China’s political system. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said Xi is "about to become the most powerful Chinese leader in 45 years since Mao Zedong" and that he wants to take advantage of what he believes is the waning influence of the United States around the world under President Trump. Tune in to our Situation Briefing teleconference on China's Congress this Monday, October 23.

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• United States pushes "fair trade" as economic talks with Japan advance – Bloomberg

Europe & Russia

Spain arrested two Catalan separatist leaders, Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural and Jordi Sanchez of the National Catalan Assembly, and moved to suspend Catalon's autonomy, sparking protests. The two men are being held without bail pending a sedition investigation for their efforts in organizing the Catalan independence referendum on October 1, which was approved with more than 90 percent of the vote but was ruled illegal by Spain’s top court. Catalan’s Regional President Carles Puigdemont did not respond to Madrid’s ultimatum to clarify whether or not he declared Catalan’s independence from Spain in a speech to Catalan’s parliament last week.

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• Far-right Czech party ANO leads polls ahead of election this weekend – Business Insider

Middle East & North Africa

U.S.-backed Syrian forces reclaimed about 90 percent of ISIL’s capital city of Raqqa this week following a five-month long battle. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 3,250 people had been killed in the fighting, 1,130 of those being civilians. A handful of sleeper cells and an unknown number of landmines remain in the largely destroyed city. Raqqa was a symbolically important stronghold of ISIL’s that it held since 2014, and the terrorist group’s last major physically occupied space, besides one stretch of territory along the Syiran-Iraqi border. Analysts warned, however, that this does not spell the end of ISIL.

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• Struggle over Kirkuk puts the United States and Iran on the same side – The New York Times

Southeast Asia & Oceania

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared that the southern city of Marawi has been liberated from ISIL-affiliated militants following a five-month long battle. However, fighting continues in the city and about 30 fighters remain, holding about 20 hostages. About 200,000 residents of the city are living in cramped, dirty refugee camps, waiting for the city to be completely cleared. Martial law also remains in place for the time being. Duterte said now is not the time for celebration, because "we have destroyed, in the process, the city, which I admit because we had to do it."

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• How reluctant leader and new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern charmed New Zealand – The Guardian

Sub-Saharan Africa

Two truck bombs in downtown Mogadishu killed more than 350 people and injured 400 more on Saturday in what was the deadliest attack there in decades. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials suspect al Shabaab, the Somali-based terrorist group aligned with al Qaeda that has been fighting the government there for years. Officials say the chaotic response, in which ambulances and other emergency services were blocked or delayed from reaching victims, added to the casualties.

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• Kenyan opposition party suspends election protests after three protestors are shot dead – New Vision

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