English Listening Practice — September 20, 2026

⚔️ Moscow targeted with hundreds of drones as Kyiv uses its first ballistic missile in the war

Ukraine has launched a coordinated assault across Russia deploying hundreds of drones.

Crucially, the operation marked Kyiv’s first acknowledged use of a ballistic missile in the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified the weapon as the Pelican, a domestically developed missile with a 350-kilometer range.

The strikes targeted Moscow and damaged a critical oil refinery, leaving at least two people dead.

Russian authorities stated the barrage coincided with the final day of parliamentary elections.

⚔️ North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into the sea in latest weapons display

North Korea staged its latest weapons display on Sunday.

The regime launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast.

South Korea’s military formally announced the occurrence of the dual missile test.

The operation dispatched two ballistic projectiles directly into the adjacent maritime expanse.

South Korean defense officials confirmed that the weapons were fired eastward from North Korean territory.

This action represents Pyongyang's most recent demonstration of short-range ballistic missile capability.

📰 Houthi attacks and no Western support: What are Saudi Arabia's options ?

The United States has warned that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces could rapidly escalate.

This assessment follows a missile strike targeting Riyadh for the first time since the Yemeni conflict reignited.

The incident comes amid a sweeping Houthi offensive that seized broad swathes of territory and claimed hundreds of lives.

Deprived of direct backing from its American ally, Saudi Arabia confronts a challenging strategic dilemma.

Riyadh must now determine its remaining options in the face of these escalating attacks.

🇨🇳 U.S. Treasury's Bessent, China's He to hold talks on AI, trade, critical minerals: Reuters

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday.

The daylong talks will convene at JPMorgan Chase’s Manhattan headquarters, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Their primary objective is to tee up potential agreements for an upcoming summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Discussions will center on artificial intelligence guardrails, critical mineral supplies, and a bilateral trade truce expiring on November 10.

Both sides aim to secure modest headway to prevent further escalation in their delicate trade relationship.

📰 France’s wine production nears a 70-year low, leaving winemakers with tough choices

France’s wine production is projected to plunge to a 70-year low in 2026, marking a third consecutive year of curtailed output.

Record-breaking summer heat and severe droughts continue to hammer vineyards nationwide.

Growers face steep compromises.

Florent Latour, CEO of Maison Louis Latour in Burgundy, salvaged exceptional quality this season but harvested roughly half his typical volume.

Paradoxically, historically temperate zones like Champagne and the Loire Valley have absorbed the heaviest blows, while southern territories such as Bordeaux and Languedoc-Roussillon reported higher yields.

📺 US environment agency let Bayer pick regulations for destructive weedkiller, documents show

Newly disclosed internal documents reveal that the US Environmental Protection Agency allowed Bayer to select regulations for its weedkiller, dicamba.

The agency presented the agrochemical giant with a menu of regulatory options.

Officials subsequently incorporated Bayer’s preferred terms directly into a proposed federal rule.

For one measure, Bayer chose the least protective standard available.

It opted for a moderate threshold on a second rule.

The company also secured an additional modification it had requested.

🔍 An undercover Google analyst infiltrated a notorious supply-chain hacking gang

Google’s threat intelligence division has confirmed an extraordinary undercover operation.

An analyst from the unit successfully infiltrated TeamPCP, a notorious supply-chain cybercrime gang.

According to the tech giant, its operative served as a mole directly inside the syndicate’s inner circle.

The covert investigator managed to gain access to the group’s innermost ranks.

This clandestine deployment represents a rare, direct infiltration of an active adversary cell.

Google’s operative embedded deep within the threat actor's operational core.

📰 Ancient DNA reveals how plague kept returning for 400 years after the Black Death

A University of Tartu study reveals how plague endured for four centuries after the Black Death.

Researchers reconstructed 26 Yersinia pestis genomes from human remains across 11 archaeological sites in Estonia, Russia, England, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

These samples span the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries.

The findings indicate the pathogen did not simply radiate outward from a single epicenter.

Instead, the disease repeatedly resurfaced across Europe, likely establishing multiple local reservoirs where the bacterium persisted.

🏛️ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emerges as Trump's top ally in AI safety debate

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has established himself as President Donald Trump’s foremost ally amid escalating debates over artificial intelligence regulation.

During the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, Trump phoned Huang live on stage to dismiss mounting safety concerns as a hoax.

Industry observers note that Huang now wields outsized influence within the White House.

Underscoring this access, he is slated to attend Trump’s upcoming high-profile state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

🏅 Ngetich breaks women-only half-marathon record

Kenyan athlete Agnes Ngetich captured gold at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.

The 25-year-old established a new world record in the women-only half-marathon.

She crossed the finish line in one hour, five minutes, and fifteen seconds.

This performance shaved precisely one second off the previous global standard.

Her compatriot, Peres Jepchirchir, set that prior mark while winning the world title in 2020.

Ngetich attributed her breakthrough to her coach, whose encouragement fueled her pursuit of the gold medal.

📰 Hewett & Reid star as GB win fifth World Team Cup

Great Britain clinched their fifth World Team Cup title in Florida, dethroning defending champions Japan with a 2-1 victory.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid spearheaded the British campaign throughout the tournament.

With the final tied, the outcome hinged entirely on the high-stakes doubles decider.

Hewett and Reid delivered a commanding performance under pressure.

They dispatched Japan’s Tokito Oda and Daisuke Arai with a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 scoreline.

This emphatic win reclaimed the prestigious trophy and cemented another landmark triumph for the British duo.

🎬 In the new animated film 'Forgotten Island,' Filipino mythology is the main character

The new animated film, Forgotten Island, positions Filipino mythology squarely at the core of its narrative framework.

Rather than relegating indigenous folklore to the periphery, the project frames cultural legend as its principal protagonist.

This cinematic venture establishes traditional lore as the defining anchor across the overarching plot.

By spotlighting rich ancestral tales, the production treats mythology as the pivotal element driving the animation.

Ultimately, Forgotten Island elevates cultural heritage into the focal centerpiece of the entire story.