English Listening Practice — October 7, 2026

🏛️ Justina Shiroka Pula: Kosovo’s new president, elected during a crisis

Kosovo lawmakers have elected Justina Shiroka Pula as the nation’s new president.

Her election narrowly averted snap parliamentary polls and defused escalating political tensions.

Pula clinched the presidency in the early hours of Wednesday with 81 votes.

That tally barely cleared the required two-thirds threshold of 80.

Her victory followed a pragmatic eleventh-hour compromise between the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement and the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo.

As part of the cross-party consensus, lawmakers also agreed to amend the legal framework governing the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

⚔️ Yemen’s Houthis attack Aden airport as fighting intensifies

On Wednesday, Yemen’s Houthi forces launched a targeted strike against Aden’s international airport.

The country’s transport ministry confirmed the assault, reporting the deployment of ballistic missiles alongside explosive-laden drones.

This high-profile raid comes amid rapidly escalating clashes between the Iran-aligned movement and Saudi-backed government troops.

Hostilities between the two opposing factions have intensified markedly, driving a notable surge in regional conflict.

The attack underscores mounting volatility, with key civil infrastructure increasingly exposed to direct aerial strikes.

🏛️ Trump to speak to Putin about plague lab worker's death in Russia

US President Donald Trump intends to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the death of a Siberian plague laboratory worker.

Russian authorities are probing the demise of the 28-year-old employee, amidst unconfirmed reports of suspected pneumonic plague.

Washington has dispatched a formal diplomatic inquiry seeking additional clarity on the incident.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that no presidential call is currently scheduled.

Peskov also noted he was unaware of any American diplomatic communication.

📈 India’s central bank hikes rates for the first time since 2023 as inflation risks build

The Reserve Bank of India has raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to a one-year high of 5.50%.

This marks the central bank's first rate hike since 2023.

The move aims to curb accelerating inflation, which hit 4.8% in August, surpassing the RBI’s 4% medium-term target.

Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced a formal shift to calibrated tightening.

He noted that rate cuts are completely off the table.

Moving forward, the monetary policy committee will consider only an additional rate hike or a pause.

📰 IMF chief urges governments to tighten belts as global debt levels soar

International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva has urged major economies to exercise fiscal restraint.

Speaking in Singapore, she warned that global debt-to-GDP ratios are nearing historic post-war highs.

Furthermore, these ratios are on track to reach 100 percent in the coming years.

Georgieva stressed that policymakers cannot simply rely on rapid economic growth to erode this debt burden.

Instead, soaring bond yields will force leaders to make tough fiscal choices.

She called for decisive, credible consolidation plans rather than continued policy delays.

Advanced economies, she noted, must act swiftly to rein in spending.

📰 Tell us: are you affected by the 6% mortgage rate?

Mortgage borrowing costs have crossed a critical psychological threshold.

According to data from Moneyfacts, the average five-year fixed-rate mortgage has reached 6.00%.

This marks its highest level since September 2023.

Meanwhile, the average two-year fixed deal has climbed to 5.98%, a peak not seen since December of that year.

This upward trend follows recent market volatility, which has sharply increased funding costs for lenders.

The Guardian is currently seeking accounts from prospective homebuyers and movers whose financial plans have been disrupted by these rate hikes.

🤖 OpenAI will watermark ChatGPT outputs by default—but only in the EU

OpenAI moved to watermark ChatGPT outputs by default.

However, the company restricted the rollout exclusively to the European Union.

Industry observers note that the safeguards mirror existing technical solutions.

Consequently, the watermarks remain largely unreliable.

Savvy users can also circumvent the detection mechanisms with relative ease.

📰 Animals may have evolved 200 million years earlier than we thought

Animal life may have emerged up to 200 million years earlier than previously assumed.

A University of Oxford study, published in Science Advances on October 2, challenges a foundational timeline in evolutionary biology.

Unambiguous animal fossils appear abruptly just prior to the Cambrian Period, roughly 539 million years ago.

However, this new analysis pushes their true origins back into the Neoproterozoic Era.

Researchers re-examined critical sites, including China's 590-million-year-old Weng'an Biota, to recalibrate when complex life began.

🔍 Google ordered to halt work on two data centers in ‘Texas of Europe’

Finnish regulators have halted construction on two major Google data centers in Muhos and Kajaani.

The Licensing and Supervision Agency issued the stop-work order to Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy.

All development must pause no later than October 23.

The suspension puts preparatory ground operations on ice until comprehensive environmental impact assessments are finished.

Restricted activities include tree felling, excavation, topsoil removal, and road construction.

This regulatory roadblock comes just one month after Google pledged a $15 billion investment in Finnish AI infrastructure.

Google acknowledged the decision and committed to complying with agency directives.

🎬 Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint dies aged 102

Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint has died at the age of 102.

She passed away peacefully of natural causes on Tuesday at her Los Angeles residence.

Family representative Jeff Sanderson confirmed her death.

Saint earned the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her 1954 cinematic debut in Elia Kazan's crime drama, On the Waterfront.

Five years later, she delivered an iconic performance alongside Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, North by Northwest.

Until her passing, Saint held the distinction of being Hollywood's oldest surviving Oscar winner.

⚽ Arteta signs new contract with champions Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has committed his long-term future to the Premier League champions, signing a contract extension through 2030.

The renegotiated terms elevate his baseline salary from £10 million per year, supplemented by an additional £5 million in bonuses.

Arteta first took the helm in December 2019, and his previous deal was slated to expire this season.

This renewal positions the Spaniard to extend his managerial tenure to a full decade.

He emphasized that the agreement marks only the beginning of the club's sustained success.

🎵 Freddie Jackson, romantic US singer with 10 R&B chart-toppers, dies aged 70

Acclaimed American R&B vocalist Freddie Jackson has passed away at the age of 70.

His family confirmed his death on social media, though they disclosed no cause of death.

Renowned for his vocal dexterity and romantic delivery, Jackson established himself as a dominant industry mainstay.

He racked up ten number-one R&B singles and four consecutive chart-topping albums.

Jackson also crossed over into the pop Top 20 with signature tracks like "You Are My Lady" and "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)."