English Listening Practice — September 29, 2026

⚔️ Iraq: US troops withdraw from their Iraqi US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission against ISIS after 12 years as Baghdad delays militia disarmament

The United States will complete the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops from Iraq by Wednesday.

This drawdown fulfills a 2024 bilateral agreement between Washington and Baghdad.

It effectively concludes the 12-year, US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission against ISIS.

Iraq will mark the milestone as "Independence Day" with four public holidays.

The exit also draws the curtain on over two decades of US military involvement in the country.

Meanwhile, Baghdad continues to delay disarming local militias.

Other foreign forces, including Turkish troops, still maintain an active footprint across the region.

🏛️ Israel bans Arab parties from election: What you need to know

Israeli authorities have barred major Arab political parties from contesting the October 27 parliamentary elections.

This measure threatens to leave Arab citizens, who comprise one-fifth of the population, without their primary representation.

The ban sidelines Ra'am, which holds five of 120 Knesset seats, alongside the Joint List coalition of Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad.

Together, these factions currently control ten seats.

However, this electoral disqualification is not yet definitive.

The Supreme Court could still overturn the ruling in the coming days.

📰 US ban on Canadian alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles takes effect as trade dispute escalates

A sweeping US ban on select Canadian imports took effect at 12:01 a.m.

EDT.

The measure supersedes previous 50% tariffs, targeting nearly $1 billion (€850 million) in annual trade.

Restricted items encompass alcoholic beverages, molasses, and dairy products such as whey and protein concentrates.

The ban also halts Canadian-made motorcycles and mopeds with engines exceeding 800 cubic centimeters.

President Donald Trump’s administration enacted the restrictions over alleged Canadian discrimination against American dairy, vehicle, and alcohol exporters.

📰 RBA interest rates: Reserve Bank raises cash rate to highest level in 15 years and warns of more hikes ‘if needed’

The Reserve Bank of Australia has raised its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.6%.

This marks the benchmark rate's highest level since 2011.

It represents the central bank's fourth rate increase this year.

The move will immediately drive up borrowing costs for millions of mortgage holders.

RBA Governor Michele Bullock acknowledged the financial strain this decision places on households.

However, she warned that policymakers will implement further rate hikes if needed.

Sustained geopolitical conflict continues to exert upward pressure on prices.

🇨🇳 China launches 'mini stimulus' targeting affordable homes, infrastructure

Beijing has introduced a targeted stimulus package to shore up China’s faltering property sector.

Policymakers rolled out the intervention after signaling that stronger action is required to hit national growth targets.

The relief specifically targets first-time homebuyers looking for modest residences.

Qualifying units are capped at 120 square meters in floor area.

In addition, the purchase price must not exceed 1.5 million yuan, or roughly 224,000 dollars.

The initiative seeks to stimulate demand by underwriting the entry-level housing market.

📰 Toys R Us to exit Japan after years of losses

Toy retailer Toys R Us is set to wind down its Japanese operations.

The company plans to pull out of the market by the end of the year at the earliest.

This retreat ends a 35-year presence in the country.

The decision follows years of sustained losses.

Furthermore, commercial prospects have deteriorated significantly due to Japan's declining birthrate.

🚀 SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks

SpaceX’s Starship has officially attained low-Earth orbit, securing a critical milestone for the spaceflight program.

The vehicle had previously reached ninety-nine percent of the threshold required for low-Earth orbit.

Monday’s flight successfully bridged that remaining margin to achieve full orbital insertion.

During the milestone mission, Starship also completed the deployment of its inaugural payload of next-generation Starlink satellites.

The launch cements the vehicle’s transition into complete orbital operations after earlier flights stopped just shy of the mark.

🚀 The ice blasting from Saturn's moon Enceladus is stranger than scientists realized

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft analyzed ice grains erupted from the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon, Enceladus.

A research team led by Professor Frank Postberg at Freie Universität Berlin examined 961 mass spectra of salt-rich particles.

Instead of showing uniform ocean chemistry, the grains exhibited striking compositional disparities.

Certain particles contained high levels of sodium chloride, while others were enriched with carbonates, phosphates, or potassium chloride.

Intriguingly, chloride and carbonate rarely coincided within the same sodium-rich grain, presenting an unexpected puzzle about the alien ocean's behavior.

🏛️ Experts worry about Nvidia's AI chip sales in China and influence over Trump

Experts are raising concerns over Nvidia’s expanding footprint in China and its potential political sway over Donald Trump.

Beijing has reportedly been weighing whether to allow domestic tech titans, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to acquire otherwise restricted Nvidia artificial intelligence chips.

The prospect has heightened scrutiny surrounding cross-border semiconductor sales.

Industry observers remain wary of Nvidia’s commercial maneuverings and its leverage within high-stakes trade policy.

📰 Celine Dion kicks off Paris Fashion Week with surprise performance

Celine Dion kicked off Paris Fashion Week with a surprise performance at the finale of L'Oréal's annual runway show.

Wearing a ruched black velvet gown, the Canadian vocalist took to the runway alongside several high-profile ambassadors.

The lineup included acclaimed figures such as Viola Davis, Simone Ashley, Aja Naomi King, and Eva Longoria.

Fellow models Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne also showcased striking ensembles during the production.

Paris Fashion Week runs through October 6, highlighting the latest women's spring and summer collections.

📰 Turkish referees' chief arrested in corruption investigation

Turkish authorities have arrested Ferhat Gundogdu, the head of the nation’s refereeing body, as part of a sweeping corruption inquiry.

His vice-president and five other individuals were also taken into custody.

Police conducted searches across multiple residences, workplaces, and offices.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated that the investigation focuses on alleged meddling in referee appointments, scoring, and certification exams.

Gurlek pledged to hold wrongdoers accountable to restore public trust and sportsmanship to Turkish football.

🏀 The Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act

On Monday night, the U.S. Senate formally passed the Protect College Sports Act.

This pivotal vote marks a watershed development in the ongoing effort to legislate reform across college athletics.

To date, the approved measure stands as the single most consequential milestone in the push for comprehensive sports legislation.

It represents an unprecedented breakthrough for federal lawmakers targeting athletic reform.

The successful passage establishes a new benchmark for statutory action in collegiate athletics.