An international team of astronomers has identified three actively feeding supermassive black holes within a single galaxy, marking the first time scientists have documented such a configuration in the distant universe and offering new clues about how the earliest, most massive black holes may have grown.

The discovery was made in the galaxy J0148-4214, located more than 12.5 billion light-years from Earth. Because the galaxy is so far away, its light has taken 12.5 billion years to reach Earth, meaning astronomers are observing it as it existed only about 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The research, led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Hannah Übler, a research group leader at the institute and lead author of the study, said the finding represents a milestone in the study of early black hole formation. “This is the first evidence of three active black holes in a single galaxy in the distant universe,” Übler said.

The three black holes vary considerably in both size and location within the galaxy. Two sit near the galactic center, separated from one another by roughly 620 light-years, while a third is positioned much farther out, approximately 5,500 light-years from the center. Using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers estimated the masses of the three black holes at roughly 80 million, 600,000 and 2 million times the mass of the sun, respectively.

Notably, the most massive of the three black holes is not the fastest-growing. According to the study, the smallest of the black holes, with a mass of roughly 600,000 suns, is accreting matter at a rate that actually exceeds the theoretical maximum predicted by standard models of black hole growth, a threshold known as the Eddington limit, while the larger, 80-million-solar-mass black hole is growing more slowly by comparison.

Researchers identified the three black holes by analyzing the spectral signatures of hydrogen gas moving at extremely high velocities within the galaxy, a pattern consistent with material orbiting close to a black hole’s gravitational field. Because the two central black holes were too close together to be visually distinguished as separate points of light, the team relied on a technique called spectro-astrometry, which measures subtle spatial shifts in the emitted light across the galaxy, to disentangle their individual signatures and confirm that two distinct sources, rather than one, were responsible for the observed spectral pattern.

Dr. Giovanni Mazzolari, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute and the study’s second author, said the depth of data provided by the James Webb Space Telescope made the full analysis possible. “The JWST data allowed us not only to identify the three black holes,” Mazzolari said, noting that the observations also allowed the team to estimate the black holes’ growth rates and the total stellar mass of their host galaxy, which the researchers calculated at approximately 1.3 billion solar masses.

The two central black holes are expected to merge within the next several hundred million years, according to the study’s dynamical estimates. Roberto Maiolino, a professor at the University of Cambridge and a co-author of the research, said the finding carries significant implications for understanding how the universe’s earliest supermassive black holes reached such enormous sizes so quickly. “These results are extremely exciting,” Maiolino said, adding that the findings suggest black hole mergers may represent an additional, faster pathway for rapid black hole growth in the early universe, alongside the more commonly studied process of direct gas accretion.

The origin of the third, more distant black hole remains less certain. Researchers said it could represent the leftover core of an earlier galactic merger, may have been displaced from the galactic center by a gravitational recoil following a previous black hole collision, or could simply be in the process of migrating inward toward the galaxy’s center over time.

The discovery adds direct observational support to existing theories of galaxy evolution, which hold that galaxies in the early universe frequently collided and merged with one another, a process that would have similarly driven the black holes at each galaxy’s center to merge and grow progressively larger over cosmic time. Scientists have said such mergers between supermassive black holes are expected to be a key source of the gravitational waves that future space-based observatories are designed to detect, making systems like J0148-4214 valuable natural laboratories for understanding how such mergers unfold.

Researchers emphasized that the discovery would likely not have been possible without the specific combination of spectroscopic and spatial data provided by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph integral field unit. Without that spatially resolved information, the team said, it is likely that only one of the three black holes in J0148-4214 would have been detected, with the other two remaining hidden within a single, blended spectral signature.

The findings are expected to inform future searches for similarly complex, multi-black-hole systems in other distant galaxies, as astronomers continue using the James Webb Space Telescope to probe the earliest chapters of black hole and galaxy formation in the universe’s history.

Strong pricing power and brand loyalty have ​helped companies such as Birkenstock that cater to wealthier consumers remain largely insulated from a wider pullback in ​U.S. discretionary spending affecting much of the apparel and footwear sector.

Demand for the company’s high-end sandals and closed-toe shoes has remained resilient for the quarter, while its expanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) business ​and retail footprint helped drive growth across regions.

“Birkenstock’s strong ⁠quarter shows that ‌consumers continue to demonstrate a preference for premium brands, and are ​willing to pay ​extra for products they perceive to be high-quality,” EMarketer analyst Rachel ⁠Wolff said.

Growth was supported by Birkenstock’s expanding DTC business, with sales through its own stores and website rising 14% and accounting for nearly 39% of quarterly revenue.

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Birkenstock said the Middle East conflict’s impact was more contained than initially anticipated, estimating a hit of only high single-digit millions of euros in the second half versus an earlier forecast of 10 million to 12 million euros. “We were able to mitigate much of the pressure (from the Middle East conflict) through adjustments in ‌the delivery routes and strength in the other parts of the region,” CFO Ivica Krolo said on a post-earnings call.
Asia-Pacific sales increased 18% on a reported basis during the quarter, while ⁠the Americas grew 11% and EMEA rose 15%.Birkenstock now expects fiscal year 2026 revenue growth of 15% on a constant currency basis, compared with its earlier forecast of a 13% ​to 15% rise. It maintained its annual profit forecast of 1.90 euros to 2.05 euros per share.

Third-quarter revenue rose 13% to 719.5 million euros ($829.1 million), beating analysts’ average estimate of 713.4 million euros, according to data compiled by LSEG. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 0.74 euro, below estimates of 0.76 euro.

Millions of people across Europe stepped outside Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, as the moon’s shadow swept across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain in the first total eclipse to touch mainland Europe in 27 years.

The path of totality, roughly 182 miles wide, began over the Arctic Ocean near Siberia before arcing down through eastern Greenland, western Iceland and into northern Spain, where the eclipse reached its climax shortly before sunset. Observers within that narrow band experienced roughly two minutes of complete darkness as the moon fully blocked the sun, while a much broader partial eclipse was visible across the northern United States, most of Canada, much of Europe and northwestern Africa.

For Spain specifically, Wednesday’s event marked the country’s first total solar eclipse since 1905, according to the European Space Agency, drawing large crowds to viewing locations across the country’s north. Because totality arrived there in the evening, spectators in Spain experienced what is known as a sunset eclipse, watching the sun disappear behind the moon and later reemerge as a thin, glowing crescent low on the horizon.

Crowds gathered at viewing sites across the path of totality and well beyond it. In Iceland, people gathered in Reykjavik to watch the sky darken, while cruise ship passengers aboard vessels including the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition used protective glasses to observe the eclipse off the coast of Greenland. In Spain, spectators gathered in locations including Mallorca, A Coruña, Buitrago del Lozoya and Berlanga de Duero, while astronomers from the University of Toulouse set up observation equipment on the summit of the Pic du Midi in France to capture the partial eclipse visible from that location. Further north, people in Berlin, Warsaw and Stockholm also turned out to watch the partial phase of the eclipse using protective eyewear and, in at least one case documented in Warsaw, a welder’s mask.

Anthony Wood, a skywatching writer for Space.com, described witnessing totality from Valoria la Buena, Spain, alongside a team of citizen scientists from the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast initiative. “It was the most incredible thing I’ve seen in my entire life,” Wood said. Space.com skywatching editor Daisy Dobrijevic offered a similarly emotional reaction after watching the event unfold. “I cannot believe what I just witnessed,” Dobrijevic said, adding that no amount of preparation looking at photos beforehand could fully capture the experience of watching the sun transform in person.

Some viewing locations faced complications beyond weather. In A Coruña, Spain, a wildfire broke out near a park where thousands had gathered to watch the eclipse, according to photos documenting the scene, adding an unexpected element of disruption to what was otherwise a clear day for viewing across much of the region.

NASA streamed live coverage of the eclipse beginning at 1:15 p.m. Eastern time, offering viewers outside the path of totality a chance to follow the event in real time. The agency’s map of the eclipse showed the red band of totality crossing Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with surrounding yellow contour lines indicating the percentage of the sun’s disk covered by the moon across the wider swath of the Northern Hemisphere experiencing a partial eclipse that day.

The eclipse also drew specialized scientific and tourism-focused expeditions. Western Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula hosted the Iceland Eclipse Festival, a multi-day cultural gathering running from August 12 to 15 combining the astronomical event with music, art and wellness programming set against the region’s glaciers and volcanic landscapes. Separately, cruise operators including HX Expeditions positioned ships within the path of totality near Greenland’s Scoresby Sund, giving passengers open-horizon views of the event from onboard.

Astronomers noted that total solar eclipses, while striking, are not exceptionally rare on a global basis, occurring somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months. What makes any individual eclipse notable is how infrequently the path of totality happens to cross a specific, densely populated location, a gap that in Europe’s case had not been filled since a total eclipse crossed the continent in August 1999. Since then, only two total eclipses have brushed the edges of Europe, clipping Georgia and Russia in 2006 and the Faroe Islands and Svalbard in 2015, neither reaching the kind of population centers Wednesday’s eclipse touched across Spain.

Looking ahead, the next total solar eclipse will occur August 2, 2027, passing over southern Spain, North Africa and parts of the Middle East, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. For observers in the United States hoping for another domestic total eclipse, the wait will be considerably longer, with the next one not expected until 2044, when totality will be visible only across parts of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. A more widely accessible U.S. eclipse, tracing an arc from Northern California to Florida similar to the widely watched 2017 eclipse, is not expected until the following year.

For now, Wednesday’s celestial event has left a lasting impression on those who witnessed it firsthand, with photographers and eclipse chasers across Greenland, Iceland and Spain capturing images of the moon’s shadow racing across the landscape, a spectacle that briefly turned day into an eerie, temporary twilight before the sun’s light gradually returned.

Deal brings together packaging and manufacturing services

Pharmaceutical packaging specialist Chester Medical has acquired East Yorkshire vitamin and health food manufacturer Power Health Products in what bosses call a “major milestone deal”.

Wirral-based Chester Medical, which also has a carton and label manufacturing site in Deeside in North Wales, was founded in 1965 and works with pharmaceutical, medical and veterinary businesses across the UK.

Power Health Products, based in Pocklington, was founded in 1972 and today is a contract manufacturer of health food supplements, sports nutrition products, and hair and skin care products. It employs some 80 people.

The firms will keep trading under their existing names and will maintain their current operations.

David Patterson, managing director of Chester Medical, said: ”This acquisition is a major milestone for Chester Medical. It enhances our offering, creates new opportunities for collaboration and growth, and strengthens our ability to support customers at every stage of their journey. There is an excellent cultural and operational fit between the two companies, and we are excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Vicky McIver, managing director of Power Health Products, said: “The health food supplements market has evolved significantly over the last five decades, and we are proud to have grown and evolved with it. Joining forces with Chester Medical marks an exciting new stage of growth for us and secures a strong future for the business. We are grateful to the RSM and LCF Law teams for their expertise and advice throughout the process.”

Brabners Deal Advisory, led by Paula McGrath with Dan Rice and Nicole Turton, provided acquisition advice to Chester Medical. Craig Geraghty, Kieran Donovan, Kevin Howard, Megan Parker, Paige Draper and Paul Hardy at Napthens provided legal advice.

DSG, led by Adam Brighouse with Andrew Moss, Anna Pope and Callum Lea, provided financial due diligence for Chester Medical. Rob Hackney and Alex Kier supported with tax advisory work.

Power Health was advised by RSM UK, led by James Atkinson with Rich Winter and Charlotte Turner, with tax advice led by Chris Etherington and Camilla Taylor. LCF Law, led by Rebecca Ridley and Brad Stewart slongside Sam Durling, Duncan Robertson, Harriet Thornton and Danielle Lynn, provided legal advice to Power Health’s shareholders.

Paula McGrath, principal and head of Brabners Deal Advisory, said: “Our long-standing relationship with Chester Medical and close contact with RSM aided this process immensely. It has been a pleasure to help the business take this important step in its growth and we look forward to watching it continue to develop under this new structure.”

James Atkinson, deal services partner at RSM UK, said: “Power Health Products’ strategic union with Chester Medical represents a strong deal for both parties. Their combined expertise and ambitions offer a healthy foundation for the combined entity’s continued growth across the health supplements market. We wish the whole team the best of luck as they move forward.”

Kieran Donovan, corporate partner and head of Liverpool office at Napthens said: ” We were delighted to advise Chester Medical on its acquisition of Power Health Products, a well-established Yorkshire business with a strong reputation in the health and wellness sector. The acquisition represents an exciting strategic opportunity for our client and provides an excellent platform for the continued growth and development of their business.”

A group of nine pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) announced Thursday that they will work with an industry group to boost the transparency of prescription drug pricing through the TrumpRx platform.

FOX Business exclusively learned that the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) and nine PBMs reached an agreement to showcase the cash price of prescriptions from TrumpRx within their benefit tools. The agreement aims to give patients better visibility into the cost of the medication and how they might save money on it.

“President Trump has made lowering prescription drug costs for Americans a priority, and this commitment is a step in the right direction,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz told FOX Business.

“By making negotiated drug prices available alongside cash prices on TrumpRx, this agreement will give patients greater visibility into how much they’re paying and help them find the best possible deal,” Oz explained. “That’s the kind of transparency we need to boost competition, drive down costs, and deliver better value for American patients.”

AMERICANS SAVE MORE THAN $700M ON PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THROUGH TRUMPRX, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

The arrangement will list cash prices on TrumpRx alongside the plan benefit price for the same prescription at an in-network pharmacy. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The nine major PBMs that are participating include CarelonRx, CVS Health, Express Scripts, Humana, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Navitus Health Solutions, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics and WellDyne. Another PBM, VytlOne, is also joining the effort.

Patients will be able to see TrumpRx prices if they’re enrolled in plans from those PBMs, including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans. The arrangement will cover all drugs that have a price on TrumpRx – either a presidential deal or a standard price.

PRESIDENT LAUNCHES TRUMPRX.GOV WEBSITE OFFERING AMERICANS DISCOUNTED PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES: ‘HISTORIC’

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said the deal will boost price transparency for consumers. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Consumers and patients are better off when they have more options and a clear view of their costs,” said PCMA CEO David Marin. “If there are times when a product is cheapest on TrumpRx, patients should know that. This administration has embraced the use of real-time benefit tools to give patients more information, and we strongly embrace this technology.”

“This commitment will allow consumers to compare options and make better informed choices about costs and where they access prescription drugs. It’s a no-brainer for our industry and for American families,” Marin added.

TWO MAJOR DRUG COMPANIES ARE THE LATEST TO JOIN TRUMPRX

The Trump administration launched the TrumpRx website earlier this year. (Pool / Fox News)

PCMA noted that the nine PBMs participating in this announcement are expected to provide price transparency on their benefit platforms, though some may do so in other ways.

Some of the PBMs will use their Real Time Benefit Tools to display the cash price available on TrumpRx compared with the cost of the prescription through their plan’s coverage benefit at a network pharmacy, while others may pull in the TrumpRx pricing using other methods.

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Shein has lost its High Court claim against rival Temu over the alleged copyright infringement of photographs of its clothing, with Judge Kelyn Bacon ruling on Thursday that the online fast-fashion group’s claims had failed.

The case, which went to trial in London in May, centred on product photographs that Shein said had been used on Temu’s platform to advertise copies of Shein’s own-brand clothing. Shein accused Temu of breaching its copyright “on an industrial scale” and of using the images to “piggy-back” on a more established competitor.

Temu, which is owned by PDD Holdings, denied the allegations and argued that Shein was using litigation to stifle competition.

In her written ruling, Judge Bacon rejected Shein’s argument that Temu had authorised infringement by the third-party merchants who uploaded the photographs to its website, noting that Temu “prohibits merchants from uploading infringing content”. Shein did not pursue a separate argument that Temu had itself reproduced the photographs, the judge said, because Temu’s servers are located outside the United Kingdom.

The judge also found that, even if infringement had been established, Temu could have relied on the hosting defence, which shields online platforms acting as intermediaries from liability for content uploaded by third parties where they lack knowledge of the infringement.

“In so far as any infringements could be established in this case, Temu did not have either actual knowledge of the infringements or awareness of facts or circumstances from which the infringements would have been apparent,” Judge Bacon said.

A Shein spokesperson said there was no dispute that Shein owned the thousands of photographs it had sued over, or that they had appeared on Temu’s website. “Yet despite copying on an industrial scale, it has avoided liability in the UK simply because the servers supporting its UK website happen to sit in Ireland,” the spokesperson said.

Elise Cant, associate and trade mark attorney at intellectual property firm Marks & Clerk, said the court had found Temu’s role in relation to the use of the photographs to be of a “mere technical, automatic and passive nature”.

“The decision is likely to be welcomed by market-place based retailers although traditional retailers may view it less favourably,” Cant said. “It provides greater legal certainty for online marketplaces by confirming that platforms such as Temu which play a passive intermediary role in the advertisement and sale of goods on their website are less likely to face liability for infringing content uploaded by third-party sellers.”

Cant added that the ruling “may make it more difficult for traditional retailers and rights holders to pursue infringement claims against marketplace operators where infringing product listings are uploaded by independent sellers, potentially shifting the focus of enforcement efforts towards the sellers themselves rather than the platforms that host their listings”.

The judgment comes as both platforms face wider scrutiny in Britain. UK retailers have pressed the government to fast-track a tax crackdown on low-value imports sold by Shein and Temu, while Shein recently reported a $99m quarterly loss ahead of a planned Hong Kong listing.