English Listening Practice — October 12, 2026

⚔️ Saudi Arabia: Deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport fuel fears of wider Middle East conflict

Fears of a broader Middle East conflict have intensified following deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s airport.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, addressed the fallout on Monday at an energy conference in Riyadh.

He asserted that the assaults have severely tested the kingdom’s infrastructure, institutions, and overall resilience.

Prince Abdulaziz vowed that Saudi Arabia will mount an equally firm response.

Meanwhile, retaliatory airstrikes targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as fighting escalates.

In Washington, President Donald Trump is actively weighing direct military action against the Houthis.

🏛️ Trump says Russia and Ukraine agree to an 'energy ceasefire'

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate "energy ceasefire" in their 4 1/2-year war.

Trump disclosed few operational details, simply warning both sides not to breach the truce.

Moscow issued no immediate comment on the declaration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement as good news.

However, Kyiv reported that Russian drone and glide-bomb strikes against energy infrastructure persisted throughout the day.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that a strike hit a power plant in Kharkiv shortly after Trump's post.

📰 Federal agents search Ilhan Omar’s home as part of fraud investigation – reports

Federal agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at Representative Ilhan Omar’s Washington residence on Monday morning.

The operation stems from an ongoing federal criminal fraud investigation spearheaded by the Department of Justice.

Broadcast footage showed Homeland Security Investigations personnel carrying out the enforcement action at the congresswoman’s home.

Sources familiar with the matter reported that authorities are scrutinizing historical immigration paperwork filed by Omar’s father during her childhood.

Neither the Justice Department nor Omar’s office immediately issued a formal statement regarding the raid.

📰 Nobel prize for economics awarded to two Americans, Hall and Woodford, for work on New Keynesian models – business live

American economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

The accolade includes a cash award of 12 million Swedish kronor, or roughly £900,000.

The committee recognized their seminal work establishing the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilization.

Their research provided the intellectual blueprint for modern forward guidance.

This monetary strategy allows central banks to anchor market expectations, rather than relying exclusively on interest rate cuts to manage economic slumps.

🇨🇳 EU to limit Chinese hybrid vehicle imports to 350,000 a year

The European Commission will cap imports of Chinese hybrid electric vehicles at 350,000 units annually.

Effective this December, the four-year measure stems from a landmark agreement reached in Beijing.

Brussels invoked World Trade Organization safeguard rules to bypass lengthy anti-dumping investigations and expedite enforcement.

Officials project this ceiling will halve China’s current 6% market share down to 3%.

The restriction also applies to European automakers manufacturing inside China, though Chinese models assembled within the EU remain exempt.

🏛️ Trump's Russia-Ukraine truce claim comes as India urges peace

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a targeted energy truce.

This development coincides with a concerted diplomatic push by India to broker a comprehensive peace arrangement between the warring parties.

New Delhi has steadily intensified its mediation efforts, urging both sides to pursue peaceful negotiations.

The Indian government continues stepping up its outreach to bridge the divide between the combatants.

Together, these parallel initiatives signal a renewed drive toward broader de-escalation.

🏛️ AI is less regulated than milk, says Microsoft president

Microsoft President Brad Smith has called for comprehensive global safety standards for artificial intelligence.

He observed that everyday staples, including milk and washing machines, face far stricter regulatory scrutiny than AI.

To mitigate risks, Smith proposed mandatory third-party assessments before deploying new systems.

He also urged a legal requirement to alert victims if rogue AI agents breach their security.

This stance contrasts with President Donald Trump, who advocates self-regulation so US firms do not lose ground to Chinese competitors.

📰 Scientists find hidden driver of aging and a simple amino acid that fights memory loss in mice

Researchers led by Lige Leng at Xiamen University have identified a key neurological mechanism behind aging.

Published in PLOS Biology in March 2023, the study evaluated targeted interventions in older mice.

Restoring a brain protein called Menin triggered notable physical improvements within 30 days.

The treated mice exhibited enhanced memory, better balance, increased bone mass, and thicker skin.

Additionally, supplementing the animals with a naturally occurring amino acid boosted their learning and memory in just three weeks.

🏛️ Trump's energy efforts, European bonds, retailers' inventory balancing act and more in Morning Squawk

Artificial intelligence titans are increasingly turning to third-party evaluators as safety concerns mount across the sector.

Major developers are now tapping independent organizations, such as Model Evaluation and Threat Research and Transluce, to monitor their models.

These specialized evaluators once occupied a quiet corner of the tech ecosystem.

Today, they are playing a vital role in steering the industry in the right direction.

Their oversight has grown especially critical due to the absence of a federal government safety framework.

⚖️ Russell Brand appears in court for start of rape trial

Comedian and actor Russell Brand has appeared at London’s Southwark Crown Court for the opening of his trial.

The 51-year-old faces seven charges, comprising three counts of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of indecent assault.

These alleged offenses reportedly took place between 1999 and 2009 in London and Bournemouth.

The court initiated the process of jury selection on Monday.

Formal trial proceedings are slated to commence on Wednesday.

🏅 Smith to fight champion Bivol in Russia

Britain’s Callum Smith is slated to challenge Dmitry Bivol for the unified world light-heavyweight championship in Russia on 12 December.

The 36-year-old challenger will vie for the 35-year-old Russian’s WBA, IBF, and Ring world titles in Yekaterinburg.

This bout marks Smith’s second pursuit of a unified crown, following a 2024 defeat to Artur Beterbiev.

It also represents his first outing since defeating Joshua Buatsi in February 2025.

The fixture will proceed despite official UK government guidance advising British nationals against all travel to Russia.

🎬 Tom Cruise film Digger forecast to lose $245m at box office

Tom Cruise’s latest satire, Digger, is projected to lose roughly $245 million at the global box office.

Warner Bros.

spent an estimated $280 million to produce and market the high-profile feature.

However, ticket sales plummeted sixty percent in its second weekend, bringing total global takings to just $35 million.

Industry forecasts indicate the movie will conclude its theatrical run with approximately $50 million worldwide.

This severe deficit could establish Digger as one of the most substantial commercial flops in cinema history.