English Listening Practice — September 21, 2026

🏛️ Russia: Putin party retains majority in controlled parliamentary vote

Russia’s ruling United Russia party has secured a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections.

With 95 percent of ballots tallied, President Vladimir Putin’s party captured 57.83 percent of the vote.

Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova announced the preliminary outcome.

United Russia is slated to claim 355 of the 450 Duma seats.

This gain of roughly 20 seats marks the strongest showing in its history.

Only Kremlin-aligned parties were registered to run, with opposition candidates barred from participating.

🏛️ 18 suspects accused in the 2021 killing of Haiti's president being extradited to U.S

Eighteen suspects linked to the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse are being extradited to the United States.

The transfer concludes a protracted judicial process in Haiti.

The defendants will face prosecution in Florida.

Jason Reding Quiñones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, confirmed the move on Sunday.

He described the extraditions as a major step in the pursuit of accountability.

Quiñones emphasized that federal authorities will follow the evidence to all accomplices and financial backers.

Officials have not yet publicly identified the individual suspects.

⚔️ Al Qaeda-linked militants kill more than 100 Malian soldiers in attack this month, sources say

Militants affiliated with al Qaeda killed over 100 Malian soldiers during a raid on a military base this month.

The September 10 assault targeted the town of Dioura.

According to a security source, 130 soldiers were killed and over 100 taken hostage.

A diplomatic source placed the death toll at around 120.

Mali’s military acknowledged suffering casualties during the siege.

However, officials stated that a weeklong counteroffensive inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents.

They also evacuated troops from the beleaguered camp and struck enemy positions across the region.

🔍 Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location data

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has slapped Google with a fine exceeding €400 million over its location-tracking practices.

The regulatory watchdog determined that the tech giant effectively manipulated consumers into permitting perpetual mobile surveillance.

As a result, users remained largely unaware that their real-time movements were being harvested to infer personal habits and fuel targeted advertising.

The substantial penalty concludes an exhaustive six-year inquiry by the Irish watchdog.

It follows widespread complaints from European consumer groups regarding Google's lack of a valid legal basis for tracking users.

📈 Bitcoin hits highest level since January at $85,000, as the market debates whether the 'crypto winter' is over

Bitcoin breached the $85,000 threshold on Monday, touching an intraday peak of $85,229.

According to CoinMetrics data, this marks the digital asset's highest valuation since late January.

The benchmark cryptocurrency later settled near $84,256, reflecting a 3.8 percent daily gain.

This sharp resurgence has reignited debate over whether the protracted "crypto winter" is finally drawing to a close.

The token has now climbed over 7 percent across five days and nearly 35 percent over the past three months.

🏛️ Bessent calls meeting with China Vice Premier He Lifeng 'successful' ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Ahead of the September 24 Washington summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held productive talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer proposed establishing a formal "U.S.-China AI Dialogue."

Under this framework, the world’s top two tech powers would create a bilateral notification system.

The mechanism would flag artificial intelligence incidents that escalate to a national security level.

Bessent emphasized that replacing opacity with transparency is vital for cross-border stability as both nations navigate high-stakes technological friction.

🩺 Millions take calcium and vitamin D for bone health. A major review finds little benefit

Millions of older adults routinely take calcium and vitamin D supplements to bolster bone health.

However, a comprehensive review published in The BMJ found that these supplements offer negligible protection against fractures and falls.

Accidental falls remain a critical hazard, affecting nearly one in three adults aged 65 and older each year.

Even so, clinicians widely recommend these regimens, and prescription rates have climbed substantially.

The latest findings challenge that practice, showing little tangible benefit for the vast majority of older individuals.

📰 T. rex teeth indicate it ran as warm as an elephant

Recent analysis of Tyrannosaurus rex teeth indicates that the apex predator ran as warm as a modern elephant.

Researchers examined specific isotope ratios preserved within the fossilized dental enamel.

These chemical signatures provide a distinct clue that the giant reptiles actively managed their internal body temperatures.

Rather than relying entirely on ambient heat, the evidence points to deliberate physiological thermoregulation in the massive carnivores.

This discovery sheds valuable light on how these formidable dinosaurs generated and maintained their thermal baseline.

🏛️ Trump-Xi summit preparations, outlets fight White House ban, Nissan's U.S. ambitions and more in Morning Squawk

U.S. and Chinese officials are laying the groundwork for high-level engagement on artificial intelligence.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held what he termed a successful meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

The two discussed instituting a dedicated U.S.-China AI Dialogue.

This exchange serves as a prelude to President Xi Jinping's summit with Donald Trump later this week.

The talks unfold amid an intensifying debate surrounding AI safety.

Tech leaders are actively forging strategic alliances, while lawmakers determine their policy response.

🏅 Swimming sensation Yu, 13, wins second Asian Games gold

Thirteen-year-old Chinese swimming prodigy Yu Zidi has secured her second gold medal at the Asian Games in Tokyo.

She triumphed in the 200-meter individual medley, clocking a Games record of two minutes 06.10 seconds.

Her performance fell a mere four-tenths of a second short of the world record.

Yu attributed the milestone to her squad's rigorous preparation, expressing immense pride in the result.

This victory marks the teenager's second record-breaking triumph of the competition.

📰 Presley Gerber, Cindy Crawford's son, dies aged 27

Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, has died at 27.

According to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the model passed away on Sunday at a rehabilitation facility.

Authorities have not yet listed an official cause of death.

A representative for Crawford confirmed the news and stated that the family has requested privacy during this painful time.

📰 ‘My whole identity was wrapped up in Ally McBeal’ – Calista Flockhart on her smash hit 90s comedy rollercoaster

Calista Flockhart reflected on landing the titular role in David E.

Kelley’s hit comedy Ally McBeal.

While performing Chekhov in New York, she screen-tested in Los Angeles and secured the part immediately.

Production commenced in July, followed by a rapid September broadcast.

The collaborative series swiftly became a cultural phenomenon.

Though she found the transition daunting, the show achieved immense popularity.

Decades later, fans still approach Flockhart, crediting her performance with inspiring them to become lawyers.