This Labor Day weekend, our deals editors have secured quite a few exclusive deals for Forbes Vetted readers. One of the most exciting is $50 off the best-selling Omnilux LED mask, which our beauty editors named the best silicone LED face mask after testing nine models. Today is the last day you can get the discount on the mask with our exclusive link—bringing it down to just $10 shy of its Black Friday 2024 price.
Today is the last day to save $50 on the Omnilux Contour Face LED mask with our reader-exclusive discount.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailer
According to our beauty team, two of the Omnilux Contour Face’s defining features are its easy-to-follow instructions and comfortable fit. Our tester also reported that her skin looked even and glowy after months of using both red light and near-infrared therapy with the Omnilux mask. This $50 discount is the second best price we’ve ever seen for the mask (and likely the best price we’ll see ahead of the holidays), so now’s a good time to click “add to cart” to take advantage of the deal.
Omnilux LED Mask Sale: Save $50 On The Popular Design
The FDA-cleared and dermatologist-recommended device targets fine lines, dark spots, redness and uneven skin texture. While your results might vary based on your individual complexion and skin concerns, the brand says that you should begin to notice changes in your skin within four to six weeks (as long as you commit to at least three 10-minute sessions per week).
Supervising deals and coupons editor Kara Cuzzone also gives the mask high marks. “The Omnilux Contour Face is the best LED mask I’ve tried. I like that it’s lightweight and flexible, so it’s easy to pack and take on the go,” she says. “Plus, each session is only 10 minutes. After I use it, my skin looks noticeably brighter and my redness is less visible.” Commerce editor and co-author of this story Katherine Louie has been using this mask consistently for several months and says she’s noticed less redness, fewer breakouts and less inflammation overall.
Does The Omnilux LED Face Mask Really Work?
Yes, multiple Forbes Vetted editors and writers tested the Omnilux Contour Face and found it provided benefits including brightening, evening out skin tone and decreasing redness. As dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman previously told Forbes Vetted, the device is FDA-cleared, and the brand supports its claims with clinically reviewed and published research. The mask features 132 medical-grade LEDs and optimized wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to deliver noticeable changes to the skin.
How Long Does It Take To See Results From Omnilux?
As long as you’re consistent with wearing it three to five times per week for 10 minutes at a time, Omnilux says you should see visible results within four to six weeks. After the six-week period, you can move into routine maintenance treatments—though the exact frequency you’ll need depends on your skin goals and current complexion.
Who Should Not Use Omnilux?
If you have any concerns about using Omnilux, check with your doctor. The brand states that you shouldn’t use the mask for “any other conditions apart from those listed in the indications for use.” In addition, people who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding should not use Omnilux. Check out Omnilux’s FAQ for more information.
Does Omnilux Fade Age Spots?
Omnilux is designed to help treat hyperpigmentation, which can include age spots. The mask is also geared towards reducing redness, fine lines and wrinkles.
A computer generated image of what the lunar vehicle could look like on the Moon
In a shopping plaza an hour outside Toronto, flanked by a day spa and a shawarma joint, sits a two-storey building with blue tinted windows reflecting the summer sun.
It is the modest headquarters of Canadensys Aerospace, where Canada is charting its first trip to the Moon.
Canadensys is developing the first-ever Canadian-built rover for exploring the Earth’s only natural satellite, in what will be the first Canadian-led planetary exploration endeavour.
Models, maps and posters of outer space line the office walls, while engineers wearing anti-static coats work on unfamiliar-looking machines.
Sending this rover to the Moon is part of the company’s “broader strategy of really moving humanity off the Earth”, Dr Christian Sallaberger, Canadensys’ president and CEO, told the BBC.
Learning about the Moon – which is seen to have the potential to become a base for further space exploration – is the “logical first step”, he said.
“People get all excited about science fiction films when they come out. You know, Star Wars or Star Trek. This is the real thing.”
Prototypes of the lunar rover, both designed and built by Canadensys
The Canadian vehicle is part of Nasa’s Artemis programme, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
As part of that overarching goal, this rover aims to find water and measure radiation levels on the lunar surface in preparation for future manned missions, and survive multiple lunar nights (equivalent to about 14 days on Earth).
The rover will also demonstrate Canadian technology, building on Canada’s history in space.
Canada was the third country to launch a satellite, designed the Canadarm robotic arms for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, and is known for astronauts such as Chris Hadfield and Jeremy Hansen – the latter of whom will orbit the Moon on the Artemis II mission next year.
The 35kg rover is scheduled to be launched as part of a Nasa initiative in 2029 at the earliest. It will land on the Moon’s south polar region – one of the most inhospitable places on the lunar surface.
The vehicle does not have a name yet. The Canadian Space Agency held an online competition to select one, and is expected to announce the winner in the future.
Canadensys President Christian Sallaberger said he is excited to be playing a role in humanity’s quest to explore space
Canadensys is currently working on several prototypes of the rover. The final vehicle, Mr Sallaberger said, would be assembled shortly before launch.
Each component is tested to ensure it can survive the Moon’s harsh conditions.
Temperature is one of the main obstacles. Lunar nights can plummet to -200C (-328F) and rise to a scorching daytime of 100C (212F).
“It’s one of the biggest engineering challenges we have because it’s not so much even surviving the cold temperature, but swinging between very cold and very hot,” he said.
Designing the wheels is another challenge, as the Moon’s surface is covered with a sticky layer of fragmented rock and dust called regolith.
“Earth dirt, if you look at it microscopically, has been weathered off. It’s more or less in a round shape; but on the Moon the lunar dirt soil is all jagged,” Mr Sallaberger said.
“It’s like Velcro dirt,” he said, noting it “just gums up mechanisms”.
Engineers Misha Hartmann (L) and Adam Abdulahad work on a prototype of the rover at the Canadensys headquarters
The search for water on the lunar surface is especially exciting, considering the Moon was generally thought to be bone dry following the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 70s, the US human spaceflight programme led by Nasa.
That perception changed in 2008, Dr Gordon Osinski, the mission’s chief scientist, told the BBC, when researchers re-analysed some Apollo mission samples and found particles of water.
Around the same time, space crafts observing the Moon detected its presence from orbit.
It has yet to be verified on the ground and many questions remain, the professor at Western University in London, Ontario, said.
“Is it like a patch of ice the size of this table? The size of a hockey rink? Most people think, like in the Arctic, it’s probably more like grains of ice mixed in with the soil,” he said.
Water on the Moon could have huge implications for more sustainable exploration. He noted one of the heaviest things they need to transport is often water, so having a potential supply there would open doors.
Water molecules can also be broken down to obtain hydrogen, which is used in rocket fuel. Mr Osinski described a future where the Moon could become a sort of petrol station for spacecrafts.
“It gets more in the realms of sci- fi,” he said.
Dr Osinski, an expert in lunar geology and has experience training astronauts in Canada’s Arctic, showed off a lunar rock during the BBC interview
Canada has wanted to build a lunar surface vehicle for decades, with talk of a Canadian-made spacecraft even in the early 2000s – but it was not until 2019 that concrete plans were announced.
Canadensys was awarded the C$4.7m ($3.4m; £2.5m) contract three years later.
Founded in 2013, Canadensys has worked on a variety of aerospace projects for organisations like Nasa and the Canadian Space Agency, as well as commercial clients.
More than 20 instruments built by the company have been used in a host of missions on the Moon.
But there are challenges ahead – as even landing on the Moon is no easy feat.
In March, a spacecraft by commercial US firm Intuitive Machines toppled over onto its side during landing, ending the mission prematurely.
Three months later, Japanese company iSpace’s Resilience lost touch with Earth during its landing, and eventually failed.
“That’s the nature of the business we’re in,” Mr Sallaberger said. “Things do go wrong, and we try to do the best we can to mitigate that.”
Intuitive Machines/The Planetary Society
A picture of the Earth taken by a Canadensys-built camera was selected as the Best Space Exploration Image of 2024 by the Planetary Society
Space exploration has been a collaborative field over the years, with countries – even rivals, such as the United States and Russia – working together on the International Space Station.
But that might be changing, Mr Osinski said. As the prospect of a permanent presence on the Moon becomes more realistic, wider geopolitical questions have begun to swirl around the ownership of the satellite.
“There’s more talk around who owns the Moon and space resources,” Mr Osinski said.
In 2021, the US passed a law to protect the Apollo Moon landing site “because they had a concern that China could just go and grab the US flag, or take a piece of an Apollo lander”, he said.
But he had some encouraging words about the Artemis missions, which are “even way more international than the space station”.
The Artemis Accords, which is a set of ideals to promote sustainable and peaceful exploration of outer space, has been signed by more than 50 countries – including ones like Uruguay, Estonia and Rwanda, which are not traditionally seen as key space race nations.
Space is also becoming more accessible. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin have taken an increasingly important role and are able to take anyone with the money and barely any training – like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and pop star Katy Perry – into space for a few minutes.
But the Moon is the Holy Grail, as it opens up all sorts of possibilities.
Mr Sallaberger said that Canadensys is involved in longer-term projects, such as lunar greenhouses for food production.
Those still remain many years in the future, but the rover is a starting point.
“If you design something that can survive on the lunar surface long-term, you’re pretty bulletproof anywhere else in the solar system.”
Of 236 HBsAg-positive pregnant women screened, 187 were enrolled (details are shown in Fig. 1). Groups A–C comprised 65, 60, and 62 women, respectively. Overall, 27 (14.44%) women were lost to follow-up, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, 160 patients were included in the final analysis (Fig. 1). Of these women, nine delivered at 35–36 weeks of gestation, while the others delivered at 37–41 weeks of gestation. These women gave birth to 161 infants (including one set of twins), comprising 86 boys and 75 girls. There were two cases of fetal malformation, one case of syndactyly, and one case of preauricular fistula. Six infants were of low birth weight. All these 161 infants (including those with malformations or low birth weight) were included in the analysis, and all tested negative for HBsAg and positive for anti-HBs, except one who tested negative for anti-HBs after completing the vaccination course (Table S1).
Fig. 1
Patients enrollment and study design. HBsAg Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBeAg Hepatitis B e antigen; TDF Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate; HBV Hepatitis B virus; ALT alanine aminotransferase
Mothers’ demographic and clinical characteristics
Maternal demographics and clinical characteristics were comparable across all groups regarding age, multiparous, gestational age at AVT, gestational age at delivery, cesarean section rate, as well as baseline levels of HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV DNA, and ALT (assessed at enrollment prior to TDF initiation), and HBV DNA and ALT levels at delivery (all P > 0.05). All groups demonstrated a > 4 lg IU/mL reduction in HBV DNA levels at delivery compared to baseline (Table 1).
Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of the mothers
In addition, 6 mothers received antiviral prophylaxis to prevent MTCT of HBV during a previous pregnancy: 2 in Group A (1 stopped antivirals at delivery and the other stopped antivirals at 12 weeks postpartum), 1 in Group B (stopped antivirals at 4 weeks postpartum), 3 in Group C (1 stopped antivirals at delivery and 2 stopped antivirals at 12 weeks postpartum).
Elevated postpartum ALT levels
Incidence and severity of elevated ALT levels
During the first 48 weeks postpartum, 91 (56.88%) of 160 mothers developed elevated ALT levels (> 1 × ULN), and 5 (3.13%) of 160 mothers exhibited ALT exacerbation (> 10 × ULN), with no significant differences among groups (P = 0.338 and P = 0.103, respectively) (Table 2). These findings suggest that TDF therapy duration had limited impact on long-term ALT levels. Within 12 weeks postpartum, the incidence of elevated ALT levels was 57.63% in Group A, 49.02% in Group B, and 40.00% in Group C, with no significant difference among the three groups (P = 0.186) (Table 2). A cross-threshold analysis revealed consistently higher elevated ALT level rates in Group A compared to the combined Groups B and C, though statistically non-significant: >1 × ULN (64.41% vs. 52.48%, P = 0.141), > 5 × ULN (11.86% vs. 4.95%, P = 0.197), and > 10 × ULN (6.78% vs. 0.99%, P = 0.062) (Table S2). All five ALT exacerbations occurred within 12 weeks postpartum, identifying this period as the critical monitoring window.
Among 91 mothers with elevated postpartum ALT levels, further analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in the severity of elevated ALT levels among the three groups (P = 0.558) (Table 2) or between Group A and the combined Groups B and C (P = 0.254) (Table S2). Mild elevated ALT levels was observed in 86.81% (79/91) mothers: 81.58% in Group A, 92.59% in Group B, and 88.46% in Group C. ALT flare was observed in 7.69% (7/91) mothers: 7.89% in Group A, 7.41% in Group B, and 7.69% in Group C. ALT exacerbation was observed in 5.50% (5/91) mothers: 10.53% in Group A, 0.00% in Group B, and 3.85% in Group C (Table 2). While no significant intergroup differences in peak ALT levels were observed (P = 0.401) (Table 2; Fig. 2a), it was noteworthy that all three cases with extreme elevated ALT levels (510–968 U/L) occurred in Group A, suggesting potential association between early TDF withdrawal and severe hepatic flares. No significant bilirubin elevation (> 2 × ULN) was observed in mothers with elevated ALT levels during follow-up, and no acute viral infections were detected concurrent with ALT abnormalities.
Table 2 Incidence and severity of elevated ALT levels
Fig. 2
(a) Comparison of peak ALT levels among three groups. Peak ALT levels in 91 mothers with elevated postpartum ALT levels. (b) HBV DNA levels at the onset of elevated ALT levels in three groups. HBV DNA levels at the onset time of elevated ALT levels in 91 mothers with elevated postpartum ALT levels
Onset times of elevated ALT levels
The onset times of elevated ALT levels are shown in Table 3. The median onset time was 8 weeks postpartum in all groups, with no significant difference (P = 0.798). Among the 91 mothers with elevated ALT levels, 63 (69.23%) exhibited the initial elevated ALT levels at approximately 6 weeks postpartum (follow-up time point of 6 ± 2 weeks postpartum), 16 (17.58%) at 12 weeks postpartum, 5 (5.49%) at 18 ± 2 weeks postpartum, 4 (4.40%) at 24 weeks postpartum, 3 (3.30%) at 36 weeks postpartum, and none at 48 weeks postpartum. There were no differences in the elevated ALT levels proportions at each follow-up time point among groups (P = 0.561) (Table 3).
Table 3 The onset time of elevated ALT levels
Comparison of HBV DNA levels at onset of elevated ALT levels
The median HBV DNA levels at the onset of elevated ALT levels in Groups A–C were 8.03 (7.50–8.21), 5.61 (4.11–7.95), and 3.35 (2.00–4.94) lg IU/mL, respectively (H = 36.98, P = 0.000). The HBV DNA level was significantly lower in Group B than Group A, and in Group C than in Groups A and B (Group A vs. Group B: P = 0.012, Group A vs. Group C: P = 0.000, Group B vs. Group C: P = 0.010, all P values had been adjusted for multiple comparisons) (Fig. 2b).
Risk factors for elevated ALT levels
All mothers were divided into normal ALT group and elevated ALT group according to whether they had elevated postpartum ALT levels (Fig. 1). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, mode of delivery, breastfeeding, baseline HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV DNA level, elevated ALT during pregnancy, HBV DNA level at delivery, or TDF withdrawal timing (P > 0.05 for all) (Table 4). The elevated ALT group demonstrated significantly higher ALT levels at delivery than the normal ALT group (24 vs. 18 U/L, Z = − 4.386, P = 0.000) (Table 4). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ALT level at delivery was independently correlated with postpartum ALT elevation (odds ratio = 1.098, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.039–1.160, P = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that delivery ALT level had modest diagnostic utility for predicting postpartum ALT elevation, with an area under the curve of 0.703 (95% CI, 0.622–0.785) (Fig. 3), and the cut-off value was ≥ 23 U/L for the Youden index. An ALT level of ≥ 23 U/L showed a positive predictive value of 81.97% for the occurrence of elevated postpartum ALT levels, and the sensitivity and specificity were 54.95% and 84.06%, respectively (Table 5).
Fig. 3
Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of ALT level at delivery in identifying patients with elevated postpartum ALT levels
Among 61 mothers with ALT levels ≥ 23 U/L at delivery in the three groups, elevated ALT levels were observed in 50 (81.97%) mothers: 22/23 (95.65%) in group A, 14/17 (82.35%) in group B, and 14/21 (66.67%) in group C. A statistically significant difference in the incidence of elevated ALT levels was observed between group A and group C (P = 0.048), while no significant differences were observed between Group A vs. Group B (P = 0.591) or Group B vs. Group C (P = 0.711), all P values had been adjusted for multiple comparisons.
Table 4 Demographic and clinical characteristics in normal ALT group and elevated ALT group
Table 5 Predictive value analysis of ALT level at delivery for the occurrence of elevated postpartum ALT levels
Re-AVT or long-term AVT postpartum
Among the 91 mothers with elevated postpartum ALT levels, 13 (14.29%) received re-AVT or long-term AVT postpartum (8 in Group A, 3 in Group B, and 2 in Group C) (Table S3), with no statistically significant differences among groups (P = 0.179). All developed an elevated ALT level within 12 weeks postpartum, with peak ALT levels (181–968 U/L) occurring within this period in 76.92% (10/13) of cases. 10 mothers (7 in Group A, 2 in Group B, and 1 in Group C) developed ALT > 5 × ULN (HBV DNA 7.13–8.93 lg IU/mL) after TDF withdrawal and hence recommenced AVT. Notably, 2 mothers with postpartum ALT levels < 200 U/L, 1 in Group A (peak ALT 197 U/L, HBV DNA 8.58 lg IU/mL) and the other in Group B (peak ALT 181 U/L, HBV DNA 8.23 lg IU/mL), also received re-AVT due to absent remission. 1 mother in Group C developed ALT exacerbation (peak ALT 463 U/L at 8 weeks postpartum, HBV DNA 3.72 lg IU/mL) while taking TDF and received long-term AVT.
Breastfeeding rates
A total of 47 of 59 mothers in Group A, 13 of 51 in Group B, and 21 of 50 in Group C chose to breastfeed. The breastfeeding rate was significantly higher in Group A (79.66%) than in Group B (25.49%) and Group C (42.00%), both P values were 0.000. There was no significant difference in breastfeeding rate between Groups B and C (P = 0.079).
The Node.js team recently released Amaro v1.0.0, a significant milestone towards stable TypeScript support. Amaro is Node’s official type-stripping loader and is a key stepping stone towards official .ts loading.
For a long time, Node.js lacked support for TypeScript, forcing developers to rely on third-party toolchains or to favor alternative JavaScript runtimes like Deno, which natively supports TypeScript. Then, starting version 23.6 (shipped in January this year), developers could run TypeScript natively in Node.js. Amaro’s move to stable status brings Node a step further towards stable TypeScript support.
Amaro is a wrapper around @swc/wasm-typescript, a WebAssembly port of the SWC TypeScript parser. SWC is used internally by Node.js for type stripping. One of Amaro’s key features is its ability to process TypeScript files within node_modules when used as a global loader, a notable advantage over Node.js’s current experimental support. It also supports two modes: strip-types, which is the default and only removes type annotations, and transform-types, for more complex transformations like enums.
Developer discussions among developers on platforms like Reddit show a generally positive, albeit cautious, sentiment. , ismail5412 commented on potential limitations:
In some projects we removed enums and were able to use it at production. Working pretty fine. [Reddit]
In a Reddit thread discussing the use of native type stripping in production, some developers expressed concerns about production readiness:
I’m sorry but do the “stable” version of that feature exist in any Node LTS??? If not how can we use it in “production” ???
kei_ichi
Despite these reservations, some developers are already successfully leveraging the feature:
It has been unflagged in 23.x, so naturally it is in 24. I’m using it in production with 22 and zero issues (provided that you have a properly configured typecheck with eraseableSyntaxOnly and the like).
Nocticron
Others noted how the native support is replacing the need for external tooling:
I am using it in a real production app, albeit only in the local development environment, as well as in production CI pipelines, with no issues… if you are able to use Node’s native type stripping, then there’s definitely no need to use those packages [tsx/ts-node].
abrahamguo
SWC is an extensible Rust-based platform targeting the next generation of fast developer tools. Tools like Next.js, Parcel, and Deno, as well as companies like Vercel, ByteDance, Tencent, Shopify, Trip.com use SWC.
Amaro is distributed under the MIT license. Contributions are welcome and should follow the GitHub project’s contribution guidelines and code of conduct. Amaro 1.0 supports TypeScript 5.8.
The Pokemon Company has announced a major Pokemon-themed wrestling event, set to take place on 25 September 2025, in collaboration with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The news arrives swiftly following the reveal of Mega Hawlucha, whose design is inspired directly by traditional lucha libre outfits.
We anticipate Mega Hawlucha will make an appearance of sorts during the upcoming CMLL event, although the exact details of the unexpected crossover are currently being kept under wraps. Even without these details, the announcement is an inspired one.
For those unfamiliar, CMLL is one of the oldest and most respected professional wrestling organisations in the world. Since the 1930s, it’s delivered major shows out of Mexico, with some of the most recognisable, world-famous luchadores getting their start in this promotion.
It’s also worth noting that Japan has its own long history with wrestling, and several Pokemon, including Hawlucha and Machamp, are directly inspired by the sport. Pokemon Legends: Z-A presenting Noche de Leyendas (Night of Legends) in Arena México certainly makes a lot of sense, given the synergy here.
Those keen to attend the show can expect a variety of exhibition matches, with Místico being a major headliner. Wrestling fans more familiar with the world of WWE will know Místico by the name of Sin Cara. Notably, the upcoming show (or at least, some matches) will be broadcast on the CMLL YouTube, so everyone will be able to watch along with the spectacle.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Hawlucha – Reveal trailer
For those unable to attend the upcoming CMLL wrestling event, there’s still plenty to look forward to. As recently announced in new trailers, Legends: Z-A is set to be a smorgasbord of cool new Mega Evolutions, with Mega Hawlucha being the latest to arrive on the scene, swiftly following Mega Victreebel.
There’s still many weeks before Pokemon Legends: Z-A arrives on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 – on 16 October 2025 – and we anticipate more reveals in the lead-up. While this game will revisit familiar locations, rather than charting a new region, there will be plenty of freshness on show, including new ranked battles, and new ways to catch Pokemon.
It’s been quite some time since the last mainline Pokemon game, and we’re certainly keen to see what’s next for the franchise, particularly given the style and flourish of recent announcements.
Also on ScreenHub: Legends: Z-A introduces a horrifying new Mega Evolution
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set to introduce a host of Mega Evolutions, with some forms being revealed early, ahead of the game’s launch in October. The latest Pokemon to get a grand Mega reveal is Victreebel – but you might wish Game Freak had left this particular reveal where it belongs.
Mega Victreebel is an absolute horror, and it appears Game Freak knows this deeply, as the creature was revealed in a first-person animation that resembles something out of Resident Evil. With a slow, breathy approach, the protagonist of this video – accompanied by a friend – walks down dark corridors, encountering all sorts of creepy sights.
After a brief moment of being scared by flying Noibats, the true horror is revealed, as Mega Victreebel crashes through a wall, someone screams, and then the Pokemon begins spewing mounds of purple acid. Even in its slightly less traumatic in-game showcase, Mega Victreebel is a sight to behold. When Mega Evolving, this Pokemon becomes much larger, and its body fills with a ‘powerful acid’ that can melt through tough materials.
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If humanity’s future really is in the stars, what will that mean when it comes to, well, making more humans? As a number of experts have pointed out, venturing into space also means exposing people to more cosmic rays than they’d experience on Earth — something that could have serious ramifications on human reproductive systems. That’s a very big impediment to the concept of humans becoming a spacefaring species.
An experiment conducted on board the International Space Station might help to clarify the science of pregnancy in space. A study published earlier this month in the journal Stem Cell Reports involved studying what the authors describe as “cryopreserved mouse spermatogonial stem cells” that spent six months on the ISS.
The scientists studying the mouse stem cells found that, after six months, that time spent in space “did not increase apoptosis or DNA damage” in the cells. Once the cells returned to Earth, the scientists undertook a process of “spermatogonial transplantation,” and then let the mice to, well, whatever mice get up to when no one’s watching.
“It is important to examine how long we can store germ cells in the ISS to better understand the limits of storage for future human spaceflight,” said the study’s lead author, Mito Kanatsu-Shinohara of Kyoto University, in a statement.
In an article for Space.com on the Kyoto University scientists’ findings, Jessica Rendall pointed out that this is only one part of a much larger ongoing inquiry into space travel and reproduction. While these particular stem cells seem to have gone through this process with no ill effects, there are many other questions to answer before we reach the point of — for lack of a better phrase — space babies. But it’s a promising start.
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A booming economy and well-positioned corporations has helped make Spain’s stock market one of the best performing in Europe this year. Spain’s benchmark IBEX 35 has gained around 30% since the start of 2025, outperforming many of its peers in Europe and beyond. .IBEX YTD line IBEX 35 year-to-date price Elsewhere on the continent, Germany’s DAX index — up more than 20% so far this year — has also been an outperformer , bolstered by optimism over Berlin’s “fiscal bazooka” that will see vast investments made in infrastructure and defense. But the index is still trailing behind its Spanish counterpart. The IBEX 35’s year-to-date gains are also far ahead of those seen among Wall Street’s major indexes. Meanwhile, Spain’s IBEX Small Cap index is up by 22% so far this year, and the Madrid General index has jumped 30%. Like Germany, Spain has benefited from economic optimism this year. The Spanish economy grew by a better-than-expected 0.7% in the second quarter, and is expected to be one of the European Union’s best performing economies in 2025 and 2026, with forecasted growth of 2.6% this year followed by 2% growth next year. “The Spanish economic success has [partially] been driven by massive immigration (primarily from Latin America) leading to a significant growth in domestic consumption and subsequently on company revenues,” Arturo Bris, a professor of geopolitics and finance at IMD Business School, told CNBC in an email. “The country has attracted lots of foreign capital, driven by two forces: one is the growing strength of the euro . Second … political stability and predictability.” More upside ahead? Anthony Esposito, founder and CEO of U.S.-based asset manager AscalonVI Capital, told CNBC that he is “not a fan of any equity market right now,” arguing that investors were not fully pricing in risks arising from various factors including debt levels, inflation and labor market risks. He conceded, however, that there were some “compelling” factors at play in Spain’s case. “If you’re putting money into a developed market, Spain makes sense,” he said, noting that the country has stronger growth prospects than most of its peers aside from Germany. “Spain has bright spots in financials, utilities, and renewables — sectors that show stronger growth potential than many other Western European economies.” Esposito also pointed to the trailing price-to-earnings ratio in the Spanish equity market, which he said currently sits at around 12, compared to Germany and France near 20, and Italy at 13. “Those markets may lack balance and look overvalued — Spain’s valuation is more compelling,” he said. When considering Spain’s benchmark index against Germany’s — which has been a focal point of 2025’s European “revival” trend and hit record highs this year — Esposito said: “If I had to pick, I’d lean toward Spain.” “The IBEX chart shows more room for consolidation and greater potential upside,” he elaborated. In addition to a strong economy and rising foreign investment, IMD’s Bris said the composition of the Spanish stock market — which is largely made up of services exporters and domestically-focused firms — had helped lift sentiment. Services exporters are protected from the full force of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs regime, which targets goods, while companies who benefit from domestic trade are also spared the full blow of America’s blanket 15% tariffs on EU goods . “The Spanish stock market includes services exporting companies with business in the EU and beyond,” Bris said, pointing to lenders BBVA and Santander , infrastructure firm Ferrovial and electric utility giant Iberdrola as examples. Each of those firms has seen major gains this year. In a note earlier this month, strategists at Swiss investment bank UBS gave various markets, sectors and companies in Europe a “R.E.V.S.” score, based on economic regime, earnings, valuations and sentiment. When ranking six major regional indexes against those criteria, Spain’s IBEX came in second place, narrowly missing out on the top spot, which was held by Italy’s FTSE MIB. Spanish companies, meanwhile, accounted for one in five of UBS’s 20 highest-rated European stocks in the R.E.V.S. ranking. They were utility firm Naturgy Energy Group , infrastructure giant Acciona, airport operator Aena , and lender Bankinter . Of those, however, only Aena was given a “Buy” rating by the bank, with the rest rated neutral or unrated. — CNBC’s Gaelle Legrand contributed to this report.
Over the past month, the Apple Pencil Pro has been rolling out in Apple’s online refurbished store, for the first time since the accessory launched in May 2024.
The certified refurbished Apple Pencil Pro is available at a roughly 15% discount compared to brand new, which is typical for Apple’s refurbished products.
At the time of writing this, refurbished Apple Pencil Pro inventory is available in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K., but not yet in the U.S., Canada, France, New Zealand, or any other countries where Apple directly sells refurbished products.
When it becomes available in the U.S., the refurbished Apple Pencil Pro will likely cost $109 there, down from $129 brand new. At the time of writing this, Amazon is selling the Apple Pencil Pro brand new for just $99 in the U.S., so the refurbished option is not a great choice right now, since you would be spending more money for a used product.
Apple’s refurbished products are generally in like-new condition. Apple says all of its refurbished products undergo “full functionality testing,” and any defective modules identified in testing are replaced. All of the refurbished products are also put through a “thorough cleaning process and inspection,” before being repackaged, according to the company.
Key features of the Apple Pencil Pro include the ability to squeeze the accessory to bring up a tool palette, a gyroscope that allows users to roll the Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of shaped pen and brush tools, haptic feedback for certain actions, and Find My support. It is compatible with iPad Pro models with the M4 chip, iPad Air models with the M2 chip or newer, and the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip.
