English Listening Practice — September 12, 2026

🏛️ Zelensky says he’s willing to meet Putin at G-20 ‘to make decisions’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face at the upcoming December G-20 summit.

Slated to take place in Miami, the high-stakes gathering could serve as a springboard for decisive peace talks.

This diplomatic overture coincides with intensified efforts by Washington to break the protracted deadlock.

American envoys recently visited both Kyiv and Moscow to lay the groundwork for renewed dialogue.

Zelensky stressed that any direct engagement with Putin must yield tangible results toward ending the war.

🏛️ Trump visits Ireland, says unification would be 'fantastic'

During a visit to Dublin, Donald Trump voiced enthusiastic support for the eventual reunification of the island of Ireland.

Following a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, the US leader characterized the prospect of a united nation as fantastic.

Trump told reporters that he views unification as an eventual certainty.

He conceded that the United Kingdom would have something to say about it.

Nevertheless, he maintained that achieving a unified Ireland would be a great thing.

⚔️ Russian GRU spies behind failed Leipzig attack: reports

German media reports indicate that Russian GRU operatives orchestrated a thwarted attack in Leipzig.

A Russian operative managed the mission's logistics before fleeing home via Serbia.

German authorities were aware of his espionage ties when he arrived from Turkey.

Yet, they failed to place him under surveillance.

A Belarusian citizen reportedly acted as an accomplice.

The plot relied on explosives trafficked by truck through Bulgaria and Serbia.

These munitions were then cached in underground depots in Leipzig.

🇨🇳 New $11bn canal underscores China's turn toward Southeast Asia

China is putting the finishing touches on a massive eleven-billion-dollar canal in Hengzhou, situated in the southern Guangxi region.

Remarkably, workers completed the ambitious infrastructure project in just four years.

Policymakers expect the new waterway to stimulate economic growth across Guangxi and several neighboring inland provinces.

The milestone highlights China’s broader strategic shift toward Southeast Asia.

Furthermore, this swift domestic execution contrasts sharply with the sluggish progress seen across its overseas ventures.

📈 Dow rises 500 points to snap 4-day slide as oil cools, traders look past inflation report: Live updates

Wall Street rebounded on Friday, snapping a four-day losing streak as oil prices retreated.

Investors brushed aside expectations of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike following the latest inflation figures.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average spearheaded the rally, surging 509.19 points, or 0.98%, to settle at 52,573.29.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 climbed 0.86% to 7,656.98.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.96%, closing at 26,333.04.

Crude prices eased concurrently.

West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.4% to $100.05 a barrel, while Brent crude dropped 2.8% to finish at $104.61.

📰 We know how to prevent black lung, so why are workers still dying?

Despite decades of proven prevention strategies, black lung disease is resurging among a significantly younger demographic of laborers.

In central Appalachia, this troubling trajectory has escalated over the past two decades.

South-west Virginia coal miner John Robinson was diagnosed at just forty-seven years old.

Earlier generations typically did not succumb until their sixties, seventies, or eighties.

Today, this occupational hazard persists as sustained industry resistance and regulatory inertia obstruct vital safety safeguards for at-risk workers.

⚖️ China’s Huawei branded a criminal enterprise as tech firm’s US trial opens

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have accused Huawei of operating a criminal enterprise to dominate the global telecommunications sector.

Opening the US trial, Justice Department attorney Taylor Stout alleged a two-decade pattern of corporate theft against five American firms.

The government cited stolen router source code from Cisco Systems and proprietary robotic testing technology from T-Mobile.

Defense attorney Brian Heberlig pushed back firmly against the allegations.

He maintained that Huawei achieved its success through legitimate innovation and fair competition rather than criminal conspiracy.

🔍 Google picks Finland for its largest single investment in Europe

Google has selected Finland for its largest single investment in Europe to date.

The comprehensive package will fund three new data centres, expand an existing facility, and support clean energy projects.

These strategic assets will directly cater to surging demand for artificial intelligence capabilities.

To power the expansion, Google inked a 22-year agreement with Finnish utility Fortum.

Under the terms, the tech giant will procure up to 50 percent of the output from the Loviisa nuclear power plant.

📰 Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics

Researchers have leveraged advanced proteomics to unlock the long-hidden secrets of ancient Egyptian materials.

Modern analytical techniques successfully identified specific seed proteins from both sesame and moringa.

In ancient Egyptian culture, these distinct botanical ingredients carried profound religious and symbolic significance.

This high-resolution proteomic profiling offers precise biochemical confirmation of the organic matter favored in antiquity.

The breakthrough demonstrates how molecular analysis can illuminate the physical and cultural makeup of ancient materials.

🎬 Venice Film Festival ends with Golden Lion at stake after 'NAZA' draws record ovation

The 83rd Venice Film Festival concludes Saturday as the Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury weighs awards for 21 competing films.

The coveted Golden Lion remains up for grabs among a competitive slate of entrants.

However, the late addition "NAZA" has emerged as a standout favorite.

The film features Israeli military insiders providing insight into the war in Gaza and the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians.

It generated a 25-minute standing ovation.

This historic reception is the longest on record, cementing its status as a prime contender.

📺 England survive scare to sweep Pakistan series

England completed a 3-0 series sweep against Pakistan, securing an eight-wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston.

Tasked with chasing 130 on the fourth day, the hosts overcame an early scare to finish at 130 for two.

Joe Root and Cox anchored the pursuit with composed, unbeaten half-centuries.

Root struck an undefeated 62, while Cox contributed 59 not out to seal the win.

Pakistan had posted totals of 133 and 449, against England’s first-innings tally of 453.

⚖️ Grammy-winning US rapper Lil Durk acquitted in murder-for-hire trial

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk, legally named Durk Devontay Banks, has been acquitted of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire trial.

Jurors in Los Angeles deliberated for three days before completely clearing the 33-year-old artist on Friday.

Prosecutors had accused Banks of orchestrating a deadly daytime ambush against a rival rapper's cousin four years ago.

He faced five felony counts, including conspiracy and murder for hire resulting in death.

The complete acquittal spares Banks from a potential life sentence.