English Listening Practice — September 16, 2026

📰 EU chief backs plan for Canada to become 'associate member'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has endorsed a proposal for Canada to become the European Union’s inaugural associate member.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she framed the initiative as a strategic move to fortify ties across key sectors.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the keynote speech after recently advocating for a unique alliance with the bloc.

The overture comes amid escalating trade friction between Canada and the United States.

Carney is scheduled to address European lawmakers on Thursday.

⚖️ Former Kosovo president Thaçi sentenced to 25 years in prison by international court in The Hague – Europe live

An international court in The Hague has sentenced former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison.

The tribunal held him criminally responsible for war crimes during the 1998 to 1999 conflict with Serbia.

Prosecutors detailed his role alongside co-defendants Rexhep Selimi, Kadri Veseli, and Jakup Krasniqi.

All four former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders directed a campaign of murder, torture, and repression.

Their actions targeted political opponents and ethnic minorities during the violent breakaway.

⚖️ Philippines' Duterte seen in person at International Criminal Court for first time

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made his first in-person appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The 81-year-old faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to his lethal war on drugs.

Tens of thousands of alleged dealers were summarily executed during the crackdown.

Duterte had previously attended via video link and skipped several hearings.

His physical appearance followed an 18-month absence since his arrest in Manila.

The court convened the status hearing after defence lawyers claimed his failing health rendered him unfit to stand trial.

Duterte remained silent throughout the proceedings.

⚡ Oil prices fall after U.S. says damaged Saudi pipeline will restart operations in days

Crude oil prices retreated on Wednesday following reassuring supply projections from the Trump administration.

West Texas Intermediate futures fell 1.6 percent to $104.09 per barrel.

Concurrently, the international benchmark, Brent crude, slipped 1.1 percent to $107.57 per barrel.

The downturn was sparked by comments from U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Wright downplayed the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s damaged East-West pipeline, describing the outage as a brief and temporary interruption.

He indicated that normal operations would resume within days.

🖥️ Intel, SK Hynix shares jump on report they're discussing U.S. memory chip manufacturing

Shares of Intel and SK Hynix climbed in premarket trading following reports of preliminary manufacturing talks.

Intel rose 3.5 percent, while SK Hynix's Nasdaq-listed shares advanced 3 percent.

The South Korean chipmaker is exploring producing memory chips in the United States for the first time.

Potential arrangements include leasing capacity at Intel's Ohio facility.

The firms are also weighing a joint venture alongside major cloud providers.

Sources emphasize that discussions remain exploratory, with no definitive decisions made yet.

🏛️ Trump curbs on China-linked equipment threaten US clean-energy projects

U.S. renewable energy initiatives face severe delays and potential cancellations following a sweeping executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

The directive imposes stringent restrictions on foreign-manufactured power grid equipment.

Consequently, these supply constraints have driven up procurement costs for domestic developers.

At the same time, the regulatory shift leaves Chinese suppliers on precarious footing in the American market.

As operational costs mount, multiple clean-power ventures now face the immediate risk of being scrapped.

🖥️ Anthropic lands deal in $31bn datacentre in western Queensland, David Crisafulli says

Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, has secured a landmark agreement to anchor its first Australian data centre in western Queensland.

State Premier David Crisafulli confirmed on Wednesday that Anthropic will buy into the project's inaugural phase.

Planning documents indicate the 31.9-billion-dollar facility will become the largest infrastructure asset of its kind in Australia.

Crisafulli described the milestone as a major win that will create local jobs and channel additional power into the state's energy grid.

📰 Scientists reversed biological age in older adults in just 4 weeks

Targeted dietary changes may yield rapid improvements in key aging biomarkers.

A University of Sydney study, published in Aging Cell, tracked Australian adults aged 65 to 75.

Participants who cut back on either dietary fat or animal-based protein displayed a lower biological age after just four weeks.

Lead author Dr. Caitlin Andrews noted that biological age reflects physiological health rather than chronological years.

The researchers emphasized that these findings remain preliminary.

Extended trials are still needed to determine if these benefits endure and mitigate disease risk over time.

📈 The Fed decision, Clarity Act fails in Senate, Ford's truck prices and more in Morning Squawk

The Federal Reserve is widely anticipated to hike interest rates today.

This decision marks the central bank's first rate increase in over three years.

However, the future path of monetary policy remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has stayed exceptionally tight-lipped ahead of his post-decision press conference.

Meanwhile, key industry leaders remain sharply divided over artificial intelligence regulation.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed calls to coordinate an industry-wide slowdown, labeling them unnecessary.

Conversely, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar brushed off concerns regarding potential development pauses, citing the massive volume of existing intelligence.

🎬 Legendary Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs dies aged 84

Renowned Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, widely revered as a founding figure of Nollywood, has died at age 84.

His prolific career spanned several decades across stage, television, and film, including acclaimed titles like My Kingdom and Covert Operation.

His wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, announced his passing in an official statement.

She commemorated him as "The Lion of Lufodo" and noted his life was well lived and fought.

Silva also appealed directly to media commentators and the public to respect the family's privacy during their period of mourning.

🏅 All support acts on Ed Sheeran's US tour quit after Macklemore dropped

All remaining support acts on Ed Sheeran’s US tour have abruptly resigned from the lineup.

This coordinated walkout followed the removal of rapper Macklemore over pro-Palestinian remarks made on stage.

High-profile departures include Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham, and Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe.

Irish folk group Beoga, who perform alongside Sheeran every night, have also severed ties.

The fallout unfolded shortly after Sheeran refused to be drawn into a public debate over Gaza.

He maintained that he bore no responsibility for Macklemore’s dismissal from the tour.

🎨 Author and critic Bonnie Greer dies aged 77

Renowned author, playwright, and critic Bonnie Greer has passed away at the age of 77.

Her widower, David Hutchins, announced her death with profound sadness.

He paid tribute to her intellect, courage, and distinctive voice.

Hutchins noted that she made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life.

He also celebrated her warmth, humour, and extraordinary ability to bring people together.

Greer, once recognized as one of the country's leading public intellectuals, leaves behind a remarkable legacy across multiple creative disciplines.