English Listening Practice — August 28, 2026

📰 Norway's King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes King Haakon VIII

King Harald V of Norway passed away on Friday at the age of 89.

The royal palace confirmed his death at 6:35 a.m. at the National Hospital in Oslo.

Harald was widely recognized as Europe's oldest reigning monarch.

Throughout his tenure, the popular sovereign modernized the royal house.

However, he consistently declined to follow other aging monarchs into abdication.

The succession took effect immediately upon his passing.

His son has now ascended the throne as King Haakon VIII.

📰 Sweden to deploy fighter jets, warships to Finland

Sweden will deploy Gripen fighter jets and a naval corvette to bolster Finland’s territorial defense.

This joint surveillance operation will run through at least the end of 2026.

The deployment reinforces air monitoring, freeing Finnish military resources to repel potential territorial incursions.

Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson confirmed the initiative answers a direct request from Helsinki amid a deteriorating security climate.

Beyond combat aircraft and warships, Sweden may also furnish ground-based anti-drone systems to fortify the effort.

⚔️ After six months of war, what have US, Iran gained and lost?

Six months after joint US and Israeli missile strikes, the war with Iran has escalated dramatically.

The initial February 28 assault killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials in Tehran.

Strikes also claimed scores of school children in Minab.

Total casualties now stand at an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.

Meanwhile, fierce battles over the strategic Strait of Hormuz have triggered a global energy supply crisis.

📈 Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh delivers his key Jackson Hole speech Friday. Here's what to expect

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will deliver his highly anticipated keynote address this Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

He will speak at the Fed's annual symposium, titled "Financial Innovation: Implications for Payments and Policy."

Market participants are eager for clarity on monetary policy and interest rate trajectories.

Yet Warsh has maintained an enigmatic posture since taking the helm in May.

Analysts find his policy stance difficult to forecast.

Consequently, expectations remain muted on whether he will signal any major economic shifts during the address.

📰 Japan reveals $96bn yen-buying intervention in July-August

Japan’s Ministry of Finance deployed a record 15.39 trillion yen, or roughly $96.5 billion, to support the currency.

Official data released on Friday revealed that these massive yen-buying operations spanned from July 30 to August 26.

This historic expenditure represents the government's largest outlay ever conducted within a single intervention round.

The unprecedented total underscores the massive scale of capital Tokyo mobilized to prop up its exchange rate.

These new figures officially confirm the extraordinary scope of the central authority's market actions.

📈 US Federal Reserve’s Kevin Warsh gears up for key Jackson Hole conference as inflation fears mount – business live

Global financial markets are closely watching Jackson Hole, Wyoming today.

Federal Reserve chief Kevin Warsh is slated to deliver a pivotal address at 10:00 a.m.

Eastern.

Mounting inflation fears have placed the central bank under intense scrutiny.

Investors are eager for clarity on how the Fed plans to navigate persistent price pressures.

They also await Warsh’s perspective on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent bond market interventions.

Bessent has been purchasing long-dated bonds to push down long-term borrowing costs.

🖥️ Report: Nvidia to acquire AI model repository Hugging Face for $13 billion

Nvidia is reportedly moving forward to acquire the premier AI model repository Hugging Face in a deal valued at $12.9 billion.

According to industry reports, both companies are actively pursuing the transaction, though negotiations remain unfinalized.

Hugging Face serves as a central hub where researchers and developers discover, download, and fine-tune open AI models.

This blockbuster acquisition would significantly fortify the chipmaker's strategic footprint and deepen its integration across the broader artificial intelligence landscape.

⚔️ Three UK airports hit by cyber-attack with data of 8.7m customers accessed

Manchester Airports Group has sustained a cyber-attack affecting Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports.

Threat actors compromised the personal data of roughly 8.7 million customers.

The breach exposed email addresses, phone numbers, postcodes, and vehicle registration numbers.

These details stemmed from ancillary services, including parking bookings, lounge access, and airport Wi-Fi sign-ups.

No banking or payment credentials were held on the compromised system.

Furthermore, the operator confirmed that aviation security, passenger safety, and airport operations remained entirely unaffected throughout the incident.

🚀 Rocket Report: Europe splashes some cash on launch startups; Pallas-1 nears debut

The European Space Agency has awarded major development contracts to a select group of commercial launch startups.

This funding initiative aims to expand Europe’s domestic launch capacity and bolster its access to space.

Germany’s Isar Aerospace secured the largest allocation at 197.8 million euros for its Spectrum launcher.

Rocket Factory Augsburg, also German-based, received 186.9 million euros to advance its RFA One vehicle.

Additionally, Spain’s PLD Space clinched 158.9 million euros toward developing the Miura 5 rocket.

A final award for MaiaSpace is also approaching completion.

⚔️ A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who shot an iconic Vietnam War-era photo has died

Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Sal Veder has passed away at the age of 99.

His family confirmed he died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday at his home in El Dorado County, California.

Veder was best known for his iconic 1973 photograph titled Burst of Joy.

The poignant image captured released prisoner of war Lieutenant Colonel Robert L.

Stirm reuniting with his family.

The emotional homecoming took place at Travis Air Force Base following Stirm's five-year captivity in Vietnam.

Veder passed away just over a week shy of his 100th birthday.

📰 Celtic & Rangers to play Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors after fan disorder

Celtic and Rangers must stage their upcoming home Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors.

Disciplinary authorities handed down the sanction following crowd unrest at last season’s quarter-final clash.

In addition to the spectator ban, both clubs must pay £100,000 in compensation to their respective opponents.

The sides could face a second closed-door fixture if supporters repeat such unacceptable conduct.

These penalties will likely take effect during the tournament's fourth round in mid-January.

📰 So long to shorts? In Silicon Valley, tech workers are showing less leg

Silicon Valley professionals are increasingly shelving their casual shorts in favor of more polished office attire.

The quintessential trope of the scruffy tech worker in flip-flops is steadily waning.

AI data analyst Edwin Zee noted a palpable shift toward a more elevated aesthetic.

He observes that colleagues now favor straight-leg chinos, corduroys, and collared shirts.

Meanwhile, traditional finance takes a different stance.

Nearly half of the traders, portfolio managers, and strategists in a recent Bloomberg survey still deem shorts perfectly acceptable for work.