English Listening Practice — August 12, 2026

🏅 GB's Hudson-Smith wins historic 400m gold on home track - highlights & report

Matthew Hudson-Smith clinched a momentous 400m gold medal at the European Championships, prevailing on his hallowed home turf in Birmingham.

This dominant display secured his third European 400m title, thereby cementing his legacy as the joint-most decorated male athlete in the competition's history.

The 31-year-old's victory, celebrated amidst rapturous cheers at Alexander Stadium, marked a deeply resonant full-circle moment.

📰 Jasper Carrott says family is 'so proud' of Lucy Davis after cancer diagnosis

Comedian Jasper Carrott has publicly expressed profound pride and unwavering support for his daughter, actress Lucy Davis, following her recent announcement of an incurable breast cancer diagnosis.

Davis, widely recognized for her role in The Office, has since garnered a significant outpouring of public solidarity.

Carrott underscored the family's collective strength during this challenging period, conveying deep gratitude for the widespread empathy and requesting privacy as they navigate this arduous juncture.

📰 Messi's most iconic moments as he ponders retirement

Football icon Lionel Messi is reportedly contemplating an early departure from his illustrious career following the recent passing of his father, Jorge.

The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward, whose contract extends until 2028, conveyed profound uncertainty about his future in an emotional tribute.

He candidly stated, "I don't know how to carry on... I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer," signaling a potential premature end to his playing days.

⚔️ Eurovision Song Contest changes rules for countries at war

The Eurovision Song Contest's governing body has implemented a pivotal rule amendment, declaring that any winning nation embroiled in armed conflict or navigating a "sensitive geopolitical situation" will be ineligible to host the following year's event.

This significant policy shift, catalyzed by broadcaster feedback after Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, is widely interpreted as a direct consequence of recent controversies surrounding Israel's continued participation amid its military operations.

Despite previous calls for suspension and boycotts, Israel's Noam Bettan notably secured second place in the last competition.

📰 Fernandes the centre of attention - but what next for Man Utd captain?

Bruno Fernandes commanded significant attention during a tumultuous pre-season fixture between Manchester United and Leeds at Croke Park.

His introduction as a substitute sparked fervent adulation, culminating in multiple pitch invasions by fans seeking selfies.

This disruption ultimately necessitated the premature conclusion of the match after 90 minutes, directly preceding a penalty shootout.

Despite Fernandes's notable penalty miss, Manchester United ultimately clinched a 5-4 victory.

🎬 What exactly is a movie studio for anyway?

Despite a robust summer box office, with 2026 exhibition returns surging 18% above last year to pre-pandemic levels, the strategic purpose of major film studios remains acutely divergent.

Disney, for instance, primarily leverages films as promotional vehicles for its highly profitable parks and cruises, which saw a 20% profit increase.

Conversely, Paramount views its studio operations as a potential liability, particularly amidst anti-trust challenges to its proposed Warner Bros.

acquisition, underscoring a fundamental industry identity crisis.

🤖 SpaceXAI Unveils Grok Bot to Work Like a Team of AI Agents

SpaceXAI has unveiled Grok Bot, an advanced AI agent designed to operate as a cohesive team, tackling a broad spectrum of professional responsibilities.

This sophisticated system autonomously interacts with applications, retains contextual information from prior engagements, and facilitates seamless data sharing among its components.

Internally, SpaceXAI has already leveraged Grok Bot across its engineering, growth, and marketing teams, where it has proven instrumental in enhancing productivity, such as enabling sales to pinpoint new accounts and draft communications, and assisting finance with automated receipt extraction from emails.

📰 The Takeaway

While many film industry entities grapple with considerable challenges, Imax is demonstrably thriving.

A compelling Goldman Sachs analysis underscores this divergence, revealing a dramatic surge in Imax's domestic box office, notably propelled by features such as "The Odyssey."

This robust performance suggests Imax is navigating the current market's turbulent waters with remarkable aplomb, charting a course toward sustained prosperity while competitors face significant headwinds.

🔍 Gemini becomes Google's fastest-growing product ever as it hits 1b users

Google's generative AI, Gemini, has achieved a significant user adoption milestone, now commanding one billion monthly active users.

This rapid ascent establishes Gemini as the fastest product in Google's extensive portfolio to reach such a monumental scale.

Crucially, this impressive metric specifically quantifies direct engagement from users accessing the dedicated Gemini application or its web interface, underscoring a robust and dedicated user base rather than passive integration.

📰 Jollibee just cut store expansion and spending targets for 2026; its growth streak still looks hot

Jollibee Group has recalibrated its 2026 projections, modestly scaling back store expansion, capital expenditure, and income growth targets.

This adjustment stems from a persistent "dynamic cost environment" impacting the company's operations.

Despite this revision, the fast-food conglomerate still anticipates a substantial addition of 1,000 to 1,100 new outlets in 2026, a slight reduction from its prior forecast of 1,200-1,300, underscoring its continued, albeit tempered, growth trajectory.

⚔️ Major Russian grain export terminals hit in Ukraine Black Sea port attack

A significant Ukrainian drone and missile barrage targeted Russia's Novorossiysk port, reportedly inflicting damage on two pivotal grain export terminals and striking the primary Russian naval base in the Black Sea.

The overnight assault tragically resulted in three fatalities, including a child, and 24 injuries.

While President Zelensky acknowledged a "unique operation" against the base, Ukraine's military further asserted hits on four Russian warships, including two frigates.

Russia has remained silent on the incident.

📰 Israeli settlers besieging Palestinian families in West Bank village

Two Palestinian families, the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, in Qusra village, West Bank, have been under siege by Israeli settlers since Sunday, reporting dwindling provisions of water, power, and food.

Israeli security forces, initially observed praying with settlers, later withdrew from the outpost following clashes with extremist elements, though approximately a dozen settlers persist at the site.

Rights groups are pressing for intervention as the families appeal for assistance, facing what appears to be a concerted effort to dislodge them.

📰 ICE plans to equip agents with gloves that can deliver electric shocks

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is poised to procure a controversial new tool: the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE), a glove capable of delivering electric shocks.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated plans to allocate up to $20 million for these devices, which can discharge up to 380 volts—roughly triple the output of a standard US power outlet.

This initiative, detailed in a recent DHS note, signals a significant enhancement to agents' enforcement capabilities, with a no-bid contract potentially imminent.

🏛️ Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave post

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who last year became the youngest individual to ever hold the prestigious role at 28, is slated to depart her post.

Her decision, driven by a desire to dedicate more time to her young children and family, has been acknowledged by the President.

He anticipates her continued influence as a top outside advisor and a prominent voice within the Republican Party.

📰 Why are 'human fridges' being sold in Japan?

In response to Japan's escalating summer heat, which has led to over 53,000 heatstroke treatments and 79 fatalities in the past two months, a novel personal cooling solution is being deployed.

The "Do Hiemon," or "The Cooling Box," is now appearing in public spaces and offered to businesses as a respite from the extreme temperatures.

Each unit, designed to offer immediate relief, costs 1.5 million yen, equivalent to approximately $9,407.