English Listening Practice — September 13, 2026

📰 Ukraine, Poland say Russia hit Warsaw-bound passenger train

A drone strike has struck the locomotive of a Warsaw-bound passenger train in Ukraine's Volyn region.

The impact occurred roughly two kilometers from the border crossing.

Ukrainian rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia issued an advance warning to the crew, averting casualties among the 206 passengers on board.

Polish carrier PKP Intercity has since assumed operational control of the train.

Officials confirmed that no Polish nationals were aboard.

Following customs clearance, the train will resume its scheduled journey to Warsaw.

🏛️ Philippines holding historic election in Muslim autonomous region

The Philippines is conducting a landmark parliamentary election in its autonomous Muslim region.

This milestone vote marks a major transition toward lasting self-governance.

Voters across the region are casting ballots to select their regional lawmakers.

The historic election represents a decisive step in cementing local democratic institutions.

Officials aim to establish enduring stability through this inaugural parliamentary process.

📰 France apologises for human rights criticism that sparked US walkout

France’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva has expressed regret over a social media post that sparked a diplomatic rift with the United States.

The July 25 message on X had censured the U.S. for voting against extending the term of U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk.

In response, American officials walked out of a U.N. Security Council meeting during a French address.

The escalating fallout also jeopardized the arrival of France's incoming ambassador to Washington.

The French mission clarified that the dispute concerned a single vote, not a broader divergence on human rights.

🛒 OpenAI rules out IPO this year as Altman, Musk & Amodei warn AI is moving too fast

OpenAI has officially ruled out an initial public offering this year, deferring its market debut until at least 2027.

Chief executive Sam Altman deemed a near-term IPO ill-advised, pointing to mounting concerns over artificial intelligence safety.

The move underscores how safety apprehensions are actively reshaping the sector's commercial roadmap.

It coincides with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urging the industry to temper the pace of model development.

Altman and Elon Musk promptly endorsed Amodei's plea in a rare show of unity among fierce rivals.

🖥️ Fujitsu to export AI chips built on supercomputer tech to US, Asia

Fujitsu plans to export artificial intelligence semiconductors to the United States and Asia as early as next year.

These advanced logic chips incorporate technology originally engineered for the company’s Fugaku supercomputer.

By shipping these components overseas, Fujitsu seeks to bolster its presence across the global semiconductor market.

The cross-border initiative represents a concerted effort to commercialize its high-performance computing assets abroad.

This international expansion will bring its proprietary supercomputing architecture directly to key foreign markets.

⚡ Alstom to build new battery-electric train fleet

Alstom is set to manufacture the UK’s first battery-electric main line train fleet at its Derby facility.

Backed by a nearly £1 billion government investment, production of the 29 Adessia Stream units will commence in 2028.

The Department for Transport expects the new rolling stock to enter commercial service by 2034.

This capital outlay will sustain more than 350 direct roles at the Litchurch Lane plant.

Furthermore, the venture will support another 6,000 jobs across the wider domestic supply chain.

📰 Scientists find a new layer of Alzheimer’s hidden in the genome

Researchers have pinpointed a hidden structural layer of Alzheimer’s disease within the human genome.

Published in Science, the multi-institutional study reveals that 3D genome folding differs in specific brain cells affected by the disease.

Scientists tied these spatial shifts directly to disrupted gene activity and altered brain tissue organization.

To map these complex interactions, the team paired single-cell technology and spatial mapping with a novel deep learning model.

Led by Carnegie Mellon University’s Jian Ma, the breakthrough could help researchers pinpoint viable new avenues for targeted therapeutic intervention.

🇨🇳 Xi says China will take lead to foster AI, tech cooperation among BRICS countries

At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping announced that China will spearhead artificial intelligence collaboration across member nations.

Beijing plans to pioneer an open-source AI community and accelerate the joint development of large language models.

Xi also proposed establishing a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform alongside technical skills training and industrial alignment.

Additionally, the blueprint includes an engineer cultivation alliance and youth exchange programs for technological innovation.

These initiatives aim to build an open, collaborative AI ecosystem across the bloc.

🤖 The wages of American workers are under pressure. AI's potential role is drawing more attention

American wage growth is cooling despite robust hiring, sparking debate over whether artificial intelligence is already suppressing compensation.

Recent government figures highlight this downward trend.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, real wages fell 0.4 percent year over year through June.

Crucially, labor’s share of nonfarm business output sank to 52.8 percent in the second quarter of 2026.

That marks the lowest reading since tracking began in 1947.

Economists suspect decades of automation and emerging AI may be accelerating this historic shift.

📰 Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win US Open for the first time

Elena Rybakina has claimed her maiden US Open title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka entered the contest as the two-time defending champion.

Rybakina’s victory thwarted her opponent’s bid for a third consecutive crown.

This triumph marks Rybakina’s first championship win at the US Open.

Crucially, it also represents the third Grand Slam title of her professional career.

By overcoming the reigning champion, Rybakina secured another premier tennis milestone.

The result elevates her overall record to three major Grand Slam trophies.

🎬 Woman Unknown wins Venice film festival as NAZA takes special jury prize

Egyptian-Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy has clinched the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Woman Unknown.

With this triumph, el-Toukhy becomes only the eighth female director to claim the festival’s top honor.

Set in the wake of Denmark’s liberation from Nazi occupation, the drama stars Mathilde Arcel as an anxious housemaid.

The protagonist dreads that her widowed fiancé will unearth her covert wartime relationship with a German soldier.

Additionally, the Gaza documentary NAZA captured the festival's special jury prize.

🚗 Antonelli wins as Norris loses out under virtual safety car

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli captured victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, notching his eighth win in 14 races this season.

The turning point arrived on lap 15 when an untimely Virtual Safety Car compromised race leader Lando Norris.

Norris had built a commanding lead from pole position.

However, the caution caught him past the pit entrance, and a subsequent sluggish pit stop relegated him to fifth.

He ultimately salvaged a third-place finish.

Antonelli capitalized on the favorable timing to take the win, tightening his stranglehold on the championship.