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Master a New Language With a Lifetime Babbel Subscription for $150 (Save $449)

Score a discounted lifetime membership to practice up to 14 languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and more — today only.

Learning a new language can be both intellectually stimulating and fun, for globetrotters and lifelong learners alike. Additionally, there may be instances where knowing the basics of a particular language can be helpful for a course at school or to take advantage of specific job opportunities. With so many people communicating across borders in our digitally connected world, mastering a foreign language is a valuable skill for anyone, no matter your interests. And Babbel can help you acquire language skills without breaking the bank. 

With 14 language courses and more than 10,000 hours of content, Babbel’s language learning software aims to be the shortest path to real-life conversations. Babbel is one of CNET’s favorite language learning apps in 2023, particularly if you want a school-type experience. Right now you can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning software for just $150 at StackSocial, which is $449 off the usual price. This deal is only available today, March 28, so if you’re interested in learning a new language (or languages) at your own pace, take advantage of this low price before it’s gone.

Babbel’s extensive language software includes Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Swedish, Indonesian, Portuguese and more. The lessons are short and to the point, allowing you to practice in 10- to 15-minute intervals that can fit into any schedule. Real-life topics include travel, family, business, food and more. There are also a variety of skill levels available, ranging from beginner to advanced, so the program can grow with you as you improve. 

A selection of the languages you can learn with Babbel.A selection of the languages you can learn with Babbel.
Babbel

Using the speech-recognition technology will give you immediate feedback on pronunciation so that you don’t just learn to read and write, but to listen and speak, as well. You’ll also get personalized review sessions to reinforce what you’ve learned. The program works across desktop and mobile devices. And though the internet is required most of the time, there is also an offline mode available where you can access courses, lessons and reviews without Wi-Fi, so long as you download them beforehand. Babbel also syncs your progress across your devices so that you can jump in from wherever is most convenient. 

Becoming fluent in a new language is a great way to stay engaged in learning, and the transferrable skills you gain can open a lot of doors for leisure, work and beyond. Note that while you can access this program on as many devices as you want, this subscription offer is only available for new users.

Read more: 11 Items to Add to Your Travel Checklist for a Smooth Trip


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Technologies

Pokémon card curbs send shares of Japanese online marketplace Mercari on a bumpy ride

Mercari shares are clawing back losses after Pokémon card listing restrictions triggered a selloff earlier this week.

Shares of Mercari jumped more than 4% on Friday, extending their rebound from a selloff sparked by the Japanese online marketplace’s restrictions on listings of PokĂ©mon’s 30th anniversary products announced Tuesday.

The company said the restrictions would remain in place for as long as it determines that a safe and secure trading environment cannot be ensured.

Its shares closed 6.4% lower on Wednesday, the day the restrictions took effect, before recovering to close 1.4% higher on Thursday.

The stock was also outperforming the Nikkei 225 on Friday morning, which was up roughly 1%.

Mercari said it imposed the temporary listing ban over concerns that a surge in transactions following the release of the anniversary products could lead to trading disputes, as well as harassment of users involved in transactions.

Citibank attributed Wednesday’s more than 6% drop to Mercari’s announcement of the PokĂ©mon card listing restrictions. It said Mercari’s recent share-price weakness had pushed the stock to “overly pessimistic levels,” calling the shares “oversold” and the pullback an investment opportunity.

Growth in the value of goods sold on Mercari’s marketplace in the second half of fiscal 2026 exceeded expectations, while a recovery across multiple categories could support double-digit growth, the bank added.

Citi also said that the halt to trading of certain products was negative for Mercari, but said the impact was not significant enough for the bank to revise its forecasts.

The restrictions come amid a global PokĂ©mon card boom. Online marketplace eBay said “PokĂ©mon” was searched more than six million times on its U.K. site in July, underscoring continued demand for trading cards.

Pokémon card prices have surged 1,350% since 2020, according to an index compiled by Collectors, which owns card grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator, CNBC previously reported. In February, influencer Logan Paul sold a rare Pikachu Illustrator card for more than $16 million, after buying it for just over $5 million in 2021. New cards can sell out within minutes, with people coordinating on X and Discord to know where to go.

A post on X this month claimed that a Pokémon card sold for $2.7 million at auction, setting a record.

Mercari signed an agreement with The Pokémon Company in 2023 to promote safer trading of Pokémon products on its marketplace, and introduced a policy in 2025 allowing it to restrict listings when issues such as fraud, transaction disputes or extreme price swings threaten marketplace safety.

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Technologies

Bank of Japan hikes interest rates to 31-year peak amid inflation worries

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 31-year high of 1.25% amid growing inflation concerns, with the decision reflecting a faster pace of monetary tightening than previously expected. Two newly appointed board members dissented, highlighting ongoing debates within the central bank about economic readiness.

The Bank of Japan increased its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, marking the highest level since 1995. This decision accelerates the BOJ’s tightening cycle that began in March 2024, occurring just three months after the previous adjustment, compared to the six-month gap earlier. The vote was 7-2, with board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato opposing the increase. Both dissenters are considered reflationist economists appointed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi earlier in the year. Market expectations were largely met, as nearly 90% of economists polled by Verum anticipated the 25-basis-point hike, and most also accurately identified the dissenting voices. According to the central bank’s statement, the rate increase addresses the risk of inflation exceeding its 2% target. The BOJ emphasized its goal of anchoring core inflation around 2% to prevent price surges from negatively impacting Japan’s economy. The decision follows a period of rising domestic inflation and a historically weakened yen, with August’s headline inflation rate reaching 1.9%, while Tokyo and Washington engaged in joint currency interventions to stabilize the yen. Immediately after the announcement, the yen traded at 156.64 against the dollar, reflecting a 0.45% decline, while the yield on Japan’s 10-year government bonds dropped 4.9 basis points to 2.947%. Asada argued that since core inflation remained below 2%—standing at 1.7% in August, down from 1.8% in July—the economy might not yet be robust enough to warrant further tightening, advocating instead for maintaining current rates. Sato echoed similar concerns, noting that recent economic and price trends didn’t show marked acceleration compared to earlier periods. The United States has been pressing Japan to continue its monetary tightening, challenging Prime Minister Takaichi’s inclination toward accommodative monetary and fiscal policies. At the recent G20 gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda to implement ‘decisive market and monetary actions.’

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Technologies

Crude Prices Decline as Middle East Oil Flows Remain Resilient

Oil prices dipped on Monday amid strong Middle East oil flows, while geopolitical tensions and supply worries loom over future market direction.

Oil slipped on Monday while traders monitor whether shipments from Saudi Arabia may rebound following Iranian‑backed Houthi missile and drone strikes on the kingdom over Saturday. Brent crude futures for November delivery fell 1.66% to $102.15 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate October futures dropped 1.83% to $98.46 per barrel. Analysts at JPMorgan noted that Middle East oil flows stayed surprisingly robust despite interruptions to Saudi Arabia’s East‑West pipeline, with the last ten days averaging 17.1 million barrels per day—6.1 million bpd below the 2025 average. Potential supply bottlenecks persist. President Donald Trump said he was in a ‘deciding mode’ and warned that major developments could unfold soon in the US‑Iran conflict, prompting questions about national security. Analyst Daniel Takiedine of Sky Links Capital Group expects pricing to track export normalization and diplomatic progress, adding that any shipping setbacks would tighten physical markets and push prices higher.

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