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If you're looking for an intermediate English podcast, LanguaTalk is ideal for listening to news in slow English. It'll be perfect for you if you have a lower-intermediate level (B1), but can also help A2 and B2 learners. The podcast is free and you can find interactive transcripts on our cutting-edge software, Langua. We've created this podcast using AI.
Welcome to LanguaTalk news. Our first story comes from Russia, where Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has made a statement. He says a peace summit on Ukraine without Russia's participation is "absurd". He also suggests it would be unlikely to succeed. Peskov explains that Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine is a protective measure against the West. Furthermore, he claims that Ukraine is being used as a tool by the West to pressure and isolate Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has proposed an international peace summit. Switzerland has offered to host this summit. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed a Ukrainian peace plan. This plan involves the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Kyiv's borders, which Putin deems unworkable. Peskov also criticized plans by the European Union and other countries. These plans aim to seize profits from Russian assets for Ukraine. Peskov insists that Russia will challenge such a decision.Moving onto the situation on the ground in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. A Russian missile attack damaged part of a three-story building and injured at least ten people, according to officials. The building, which housed an art academy's gym and exhibition hall, was hit in an area filled with tall apartment buildings. Kyiv's air force reported that it had shot down two missiles fired from the Crimean peninsula, which is over three hundred miles away. Maria Yestafieva, a woman working in a coffee shop, narrowly escaped serious injury when a blast wave blew out a window. Debris from the missile fell in three districts of the capital, covering streets and cars in dust. The city's air alert system only gave a one-minute warning before the explosions. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in response to the attack, has called for more air defenses from Ukraine's allies.In the United States, our next story concerns a new law aimed at improving internet access for Native American communities. This law, titled the "Bridging the Digital Divide for Indian Reservations Act", is designed to help people living on tribal lands have better and more reliable internet connections. The law will provide funding to construct broadband infrastructure in these areas. For a long time, the lack of internet access in tribal lands has been an issue. Lawmakers hope that with better internet access, quality of life will improve for these communities. They also hope to enhance their access to educational and economic opportunities. This move has been applauded as a step in the right direction for digital equality.Turning to news from Pakistan, militants recently attacked a naval airbase. This attack resulted in the death of one paramilitary soldier. In response, security forces killed all five attackers. This attack took place at the Turbat base in southwestern Pakistan. It is the second such assault by ethnic Baloch militants on a military facility within a week. The Baloch Liberation Army, a well-known separatist group in Balochistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack. This group has a history of targeting Pakistani and Chinese interests in the region. China, which has invested heavily in Balochistan, has been developing the port of Gwadar despite a long-standing separatist insurgency. The naval base is crucial to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. Just last week, Pakistani security forces repelled a similar attack by the Baloch Liberation Army militants on a complex outside Gwadar. This incident resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and all eight militants.In political news from Senegal, the nation's next president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was once an unknown figure sitting in a prison cell. His rise to power was unexpected. It began when the leader of his opposition party, Ousmane Sonko, was charged with insurrection and barred from running in the elections. This allowed Faye to step out of Sonko's shadow and take over the race. Faye celebrated his victory on his forty-fourth birthday, when his opponent conceded defeat. Faye, a former tax inspector, was seen as a modest figure compared to the charismatic Sonko. Despite this, Sonko's endorsement played a crucial role in Faye's success. Although Faye was arrested and charged with contempt of court and defaming magistrates, he was not banned from running in the elections like Sonko. This, and the support of over a hundred parties, helped him secure the position of Senegal's president.Our final story today is from the United States of America. A new study has found that walking can help to improve creativity. Researchers at Stanford University took four hundred and forty-four people and had them do different exercises. Some people sat inside, some walked on a treadmill inside, and others walked outside in nature. Afterward, the researchers tested these people's creativity by asking them to come up with new ideas. The people who walked outside in nature had the most creative ideas. So, if you're looking for a creativity boost, you might want to try taking a walk outside. It's not only good for your health, but it could also help your mind to think of new and creative ideas. Thanks for listening to LanguaTalk news!