English Listening Practice — September 10, 2026

⚽ Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with United Arab Emirates over 'provocative and hostile actions'

Algeria has officially decided to sever diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, state media reported on Thursday.

The Algerian government cited alleged provocative and hostile actions by the Gulf state as the primary catalyst for the split.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has previously accused the UAE of attempting to meddle directly in his nation’s internal affairs.

This formal diplomatic rupture effectively brings an immediate halt to all official bilateral engagements between the two nations.

📰 Ukraine's Zelenskyy arrives in Canada seeking air support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Canada on a targeted diplomatic mission.

His immediate priority is securing robust air defense capabilities to safeguard Ukraine's skies this winter.

The high-level talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will center on crucial strategic objectives.

Both leaders aim to deepen bilateral cooperation across defense, energy, and economic fronts.

Carney affirmed that Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine's defense, recovery, and long-term reconstruction.

📰 IAEA accuses Iran of ‘noncompliance’

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors has formally censured Iran for noncompliance.

The UN nuclear watchdog passed a resolution citing grave concern over Tehran’s persistent breaches of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Consequently, the agency referred the matter directly to the UN Security Council.

The United States and its key European allies spearheaded this diplomatic maneuver.

It arrives amid escalating geopolitical friction.

Under the NPT, Iran must adhere to strict safeguards.

These measures verify that all nuclear material serves exclusively peaceful purposes.

📈 European Central Bank hikes interest rates to 2.5% as policymakers see risk of higher inflation, weaker growth

The European Central Bank has lifted its key deposit rate by 25 basis points to 2.5%.

Markets had fully priced in this monetary tightening ahead of the decision.

Still, the ECB’s Governing Council warned that the broader outlook remains fraught with uncertainty.

Policymakers cited persistent upside risks to inflation alongside downside risks to economic growth.

Baseline inflation, excluding energy and food, is projected to hit 2.5% in 2026 and 2.6% in 2027.

It is then forecast to moderate to 2.3% in 2028.

🏛️ Trump's $1 trillion-plus 'dividend' plan meets immediate bipartisan pushback

President Donald Trump has pledged a $5,000 dividend to every adult American citizen.

This payout remains contingent on Republicans securing majorities in both congressional chambers during the midterm elections.

He unveiled the sweeping proposal to a GOP convention crowd in Dallas.

With an estimated price tag exceeding $1 trillion, the initiative sparked immediate bipartisan pushback.

Questions quickly mounted over how such an expenditure would be funded and its resulting fiscal strain on the federal budget.

🖥️ Huawei unveils new optical tech standard in challenge to Nvidia, Broadcom

On Thursday, Huawei unveiled a proprietary standard for optical communication technology.

This strategic maneuver presents a direct challenge to established market heavyweights Nvidia and Broadcom.

The Chinese tech giant seeks to secure a decisive voice in an emerging frontier of chipmaking.

This specialized domain is poised to shape the future trajectory of artificial intelligence computing.

Through this initiative, Huawei and rival chipmakers are actively vying to set the global technological standards that will govern next-generation chip technology.

📱 Apple unveils folding iPhone Duo as new CEO takes center stage

Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, marking the company’s inaugural foray into the foldable smartphone arena.

The rollout represents the first major product milestone under newly appointed Chief Executive John Ternus.

Featuring a passport-style hinge, the handset doubles its display area when opened.

In this unfolded configuration, it delivers Apple’s largest mobile screen alongside its slimmest profile to date.

The premium device will launch on October 23 with a starting price tag of $1,999.

📰 Ozempic and Wegovy linked to nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks

Semaglutide may offer an unexpected therapeutic upside for asthma patients.

New findings presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress link the drug to a nearly 40% drop in asthma attacks.

The research was spearheaded by Professor Chloe Bloom from Imperial College London and presented by Dr. Bohee Lee.

The team analyzed UK electronic health records across four parallel studies of 20,000 to 22,000 patients each.

They compared outcomes for those on GLP-1 medications against patients prescribed sulfonylureas.

📈 Nasdaq invests $100 million in Kraken parent, eyeing 2027 launch of 'tokenized' stock trading

Nasdaq’s venture capital arm is investing $100 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken.

The strategic capital injection lifts Payward’s valuation to $21 billion.

Together, the two companies aim to roll out tokenized equities by the second quarter of 2027.

They will jointly build the market infrastructure to trade these digital securities on a blockchain network.

Payward will also deploy Nasdaq’s market-surveillance technology across its venues.

This move supports Kraken's broader ambitions to expand beyond digital tokens into traditional asset classes.

⚽ Liverpool come from behind to beat Atletico Madrid

Liverpool inaugurated their Champions League campaign with an impressive comeback victory at Anfield.

The home side successfully overturned a deficit to claim a 2-1 triumph over Atlético Madrid.

Alexis Mac Allister delivered the standout moment of the encounter.

He produced an emphatic winning goal to decisively secure the victory.

The hard-fought contest ensures a positive commencement to their European tournament.

This resolute turnaround marks a triumphant start for the team on home soil.

🏅 BBC drops Drag Race UK after eight series

The BBC has officially parted ways with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK after an eight-series run.

The broadcaster cited significant financial pressures that necessitated difficult programming choices.

At its peak, the show drew an average of 1.5 million viewers per episode across BBC Three and iPlayer.

Moving forward, subsequent iterations and the vs The World spin-off will migrate to Wow Presents Plus.

That streaming platform is operated by the franchise's underlying production company, World of Wonder.

🏛️ South Park creators rename show 'South America' in apparent dig at Trump

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have rebranded their long-running animated series as South America.

The move arrives during the show's 29th season.

The decision serves as an apparent satirical jab at President Donald Trump’s recent geographic renaming initiatives.

Trump previously signed an executive order rechristening Lake Ontario as Lake America.

He also declared that the Gulf of Mexico be called the Gulf of America.

It remains unclear whether this title change represents a permanent pivot or a temporary stunt.