Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba (Power of God) orphanage in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday April 15, 2026 on the third day of his apostolic journey to Africa. (Alberto Pizzoli, Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Allbirds, the eco-friendly shoe brand that found its way onto the feet of tech CEOs and movie stars before falling on hard times, is pivoting to artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday the San Francisco-based company said it had signed a definitive agreement with an unnamed institutional investor for $50 million in financing to shift its business to AI infrastructure. It will also have a new name: NewBird AI. It plans to use the proceeds to purchase graphics processing units, known as GPUs. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of this year.
“The rise of AI development and adoption has created unprecedented structural demand for specialized, high-performance compute that the market is struggling to meet,” the company said in the release. “NewBird AI is being built to help close that gap.”
The drastic change of direction has some industry watchers scratching their heads.
“On the surface, it’s a strange pivot,” said AI infrastructure expert Bill Kleyman. “I’ve been in this industry a while, and a company like Allbirds moving from shoes into AI infrastructure is not a very natural adjacency.”
It’s unclear how Allbirds will reinvent itself as a “GPU-as-a-service” business that rents out computing power to AI companies. That means selling access to a huge number of graphics processors, or other specialized AI computer chips designed by companies like Nvidia or AMD, that operate in big data centers typically run by cloud computing giants like Amazon or Oracle.
The business of running physical AI infrastructure “requires access to GPUs in a constrained market, long-term power agreements, advanced cooling strategies, and a credible operating model,” said Kleyman, CEO and co-founder of Apolo.us.
The announcement comes more than two weeks after Allbirds sold its intellectual property and certain other assets and liabilities to American Exchange Group, a leader in accessories design, licensing and manufacturing, for $39 million. The company owns such retail brands as Aerosoles, White Mountain, Jonathan Adler and Ed Hardy.
That’s a dramatic fall from the Allbirds’ peak in valuation at $4 billion in late 2021. The company had said that it would not be issuing its quarterly earnings report that was set for March 31.
The latest development marks a dramatic departure from when the company was founded in 2015 by former professional soccer player Tim Brown and renewable resources expert Joey Zwillinger. Its mission: to create footwear from natural material, not synthetics. A year later, Allbirds launched its iconic wool runner shoe. But the company overexpanded, like many dot.com brands that opened physical stores. And many consumers lost interest.
In February, the brand shuttered most of its remaining stores to focus on e-commerce, partnerships with stores and international distributorship. It still operates two outlet stores in the U.S. and two full-price stores in London.
Shares of Allbirds soared more than 600% on Wednesday’s news, and are hovering nearly $18 in late afternoon trading. A few days ago, the stock was trading at $3. It once traded at $520 per share.
Kleyman said the stock market surge looks “more like initial excitement and speculative momentum tied to anything AI rather than validation of execution.”
Kleyman also noted that $50 million is not a lot to enter into an infrastructure-heavy market and added that it seems everybody wants to be an AI company.
“Some of those shifts are real and strategic,” he said. “Others feel more reactive. In this case, I think it’s fair to say it can come across as a bit desperate. The underlying business struggled, and AI presents a compelling narrative reset.”
——
AP Technology reporter Matt O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup and be out for at least nine months after he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night, the France Football Federation confirmed on Wednesday.
The Liverpool forward left the pitch on a stretcher and in tears after just 22 minutes of the quarterfinal second leg at Anfield.
“Unfortunately, the severity of [Ekitike’s] injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” France national team manager Didier Deschamps said in a statement from FFF.
“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team.
“I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”
A source told ESPN that Ekitike said he heard his Achilles snap before collapsing on the ground in pain on Tuesday.
Scans on Wednesday were done to discover whether the rupture is full or partial.
The recovery time for a ruptured Achilles tendon is between nine and 12 months.
Liverpool are yet to confirm the information, but the Frenchman’s injury is a massive blow for the Reds in their final push toward a top-five finish in the Premier League, and for France, for whom Ekitike, 23, would have featured at the World Cup in the summer.
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Arne Slot said “it doesn’t look good” on Tuesday night, while Ibrahima Konaté said: “I think it is bad. I don’t know, I have heard many things, I have no word to talk about that because with the World Cup coming it is very, very hard for him and I send him my prayers.”
The club is already working on a plan for his surgery and then his rehabilitation process, the source said.
The former PSG striker arrived on Merseyside last summer and had an immediate impact with 17 goals and six assists in all competitions in his first season at the club.
You could get free or cheaper electricity from your energy company for running appliances during periods of excess supply, such as sunny weekends.
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A New York jury ruled on Wednesday that Live Nation operated as an illegal monopoly, handing dozens of states an important legal win against the ticketing giant.
Live Nation reached a deal with the Department of Justice last month to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices.
However, a contingent of states vowed to move forward with litigation in what Attorney General Letitia James of New York said was an effort to “restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.”
The verdict came after less than a week of deliberations in a federal courtroom in New York.
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—This is a developing story and will be updated
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Sleeping with, or without, a pillow may have a sneaky impact on your health.
New research suggests that skipping the pillow could help prevent the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or blindness.
Glaucoma can be caused by elevated eye pressure, thinning of the optic nerve or fluid buildup, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.
SLEEP PATTERNS COULD PREDICT RISK FOR DEMENTIA, CANCER AND STROKE, STUDY SUGGESTS
The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, found that eye pressure was higher in glaucoma patients who slept with two pillows compared to lying flat. Blood flow to the eye decreased in the high-pillow position.
This may occur due to the neck bending forward, compressing the veins, the authors suggested. Glaucoma patients may benefit from avoiding sleep postures that put the neck in this position, they concluded.
New research suggests that skipping the pillow could help prevent the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or blindness. (iStock)
Dr. William Lu, medical director at Dreem Health, who was not involved in the study, called these findings “interesting and important.”
“It highlights how something as simple as sleep posture can influence intra-ocular pressure in people with glaucoma,” the San Francisco-based expert told Fox News Digital.
COMMON SLEEP AID COULD BE QUIETLY INTERFERING WITH YOUR REST, STUDY SUGGESTS
“That said, this is still early research, and it doesn’t mean pillows are inherently harmful – it’s more about how they’re used and the degree of elevation.”
The key takeaway is “balance and personalization,” Lu said. Most people don’t need to eliminate pillows, but should avoid “extreme positions,” such as sleeping with the head sharply elevated or with the neck bent at an awkward angle, he noted.
Most people don’t need to eliminate pillows, but should avoid “extreme positions,” such as sleeping with the head sharply elevated or with the neck bent at an awkward angle, an expert noted. (iStock)
Sleeping without a pillow can help promote a more neutral neck alignment for some people, especially those who sleep on their backs, according to Lu.
“That can reduce strain on the cervical spine and may improve comfort or reduce morning stiffness,” he said. “In certain cases, it may also reduce pressure points that come from overly thick or unsupportive pillows.”
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Going pillow-free isn’t ideal for side sleepers, who often need a pillow to keep the head aligned with the spine, Lu added.
“Without one, the neck can tilt downward and create strain over time,” he said. “For others, skipping a pillow can worsen snoring or airway positioning, and people with existing neck or shoulder issues may actually feel worse without proper support.”
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For those who have glaucoma or are at higher risk, Lu recommends discussing sleep posture with a healthcare provider and aiming for a position that keeps the head and neck aligned without excessive elevation.
“Small adjustments in sleep setup can be a simple but meaningful way to support overall health,” he said.
Side sleepers should sleep with a pillow to support posture, experts recommend. (iStock)
In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Saema Tahir, a board-certified sleep disorder specialist in New York City, said these findings align with prior research showing that “how you elevate your head matters.”
“Elevating the head of the bed itself can reduce eye pressure, but using multiple pillows may not have the same effect – and could even be counterproductive in some cases,” she said.
Tahir stressed that there is “very limited high-quality evidence” showing health benefits from sleeping without a pillow.
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“What matters most is maintaining proper alignment of the cervical spine, and that varies from person to person,” she said. “Without adequate support, especially for side sleepers, the neck can fall out of alignment.”
This can manifest as neck pain and stiffness, morning headaches, or shoulder and arm discomfort.
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“So, for many people, especially side sleepers, skipping a pillow can actually make sleep quality worse,” the expert said.
“For those with glaucoma or at risk should avoid sleeping face-down with pressure on the eyes and should be cautious with very high or stacked pillows … Be mindful of side sleeping, as the lower eye can experience higher pressure.”
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Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.
Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization: command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran — one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.
BROTHER OF MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST, ISRAEL ALLEGES
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Lebanon, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Marjayoun, Lebanon, March 5, 2026. (Karamallah Daher/Reuters)
“Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously,” the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that the assessment is still ongoing.
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told Fox News Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.
Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.
“The timing had to do with the preparations,” Shoshani said. “There was weeks of amazing intelligence.”
Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.
“The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves,” he said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday’s strikes.
“The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific,” said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. “Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.”
Hezbollah said the day after the attack that it fired rockets at Israel, “This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases,” the group said in a statement.
IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON
An explosion erupts from a building following an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP)
The strike drew a comparison to the “beeper” operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.
The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah’s communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.
“The beeper had more of an effective injuries that was the purpose of it,” Shoshani said. “But both targeted hundreds of terrorists, and within 60 seconds.”
Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.
“It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities, and kind of tilting the organization out of balance,” he said.
A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah’s middle ranks.
Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.
But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.
The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.
The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force — Hezbollah’s most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127.
The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.
“Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population,” the IDF said.
HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION
The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas. (Fadel Itani/AFP)
Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.
“When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations,” he said.
Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.
“They still are a real threat for our civilians,” he said.
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Smoke billows following strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 5, 2026. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.
Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.
“Call it out politely. When they taunt you or interfere, say it clearly, ‘Mama ji, why are you speaking like this?’, ‘Bua ji, please don’t talk to me in this tone.’ When you call them out calmly, it scares them a little. They become careful with their words. Remember, your mental peace is in your hands. Instead of ignoring toxicity, just because it is family, learn to set boundaries. Because your respect is non-negotiable,” he said.
Streeting said: “It was really important that we get this review up and running, that it has the confidence of families who’ve campaigned really hard to get to today, and have suffered, as I’ve heard on so many occasions now first hand, the most unimaginable, painful trauma.”
Antonio Guterres calls for end to ‘nightmare’ war as Khartoum rejects international conference as ‘colonial tutelage approach’.
Published On 15 Apr 2026
Donors have pledged 1.3 billion euros ($1.5bn) for humanitarian aid in Sudan as international leaders met in Berlin on the third anniversary of its devastating civil war.
“This nightmare must end,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday, calling the anniversary “a tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise”.
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“The consequences are not confined to Sudan. They are destabilising the wider region,” he told the gathering in a video message.
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war since April 2023 when fighting erupted between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a long-simmering power struggle.
Nearly 34 million people inside Sudan need humanitarian assistance, and more than 4.5 million have been forced to flee their homes, Guterres said.
Guterres also said women and girls have been terrorised and systematic sexual violence has prevailed.
The conference drew about a dozen foreign ministers and more than 60 delegations. As well as rallying donors, the meeting aimed to help revive faltering negotiations to end the fighting, but the two sides fighting the war were excluded.
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised the meeting as a “colonial tutelage approach”, criticising Western leaders for not consulting or coordinating with Khartoum. The ministry said the West was trying to impose its agenda and vision.
The ministry said it “will not accept that countries and regional and international organisations convene to decide on its affairs and bypass the Sudanese government under the pretext of neutrality”.
It warned that “equating the government and its national army with a criminal, multinational terrorist militia” would undermine “the foundations of regional and international security”.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the conference, but the group acknowledged the third anniversary of the civil war in a social media post.
African Union chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssou, who attended the conference, told the Andalou news agency: “We know the magnitude of the crimes committed. We know the level of destruction in this country.”
“The African Union would like to see all efforts to converge towards the cessation of hostilities. A ceasefire is essential,” he stressed.
He also voiced concern about divisions within Sudan’s civilian camp, including civil society groups and political parties, and said the African Union would intensify its engagement.
Host German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said his country pledged 212 million euros ($250m) in humanitarian aid and thanked donors for their pledges.
“They help to alleviate the suffering of the people in Sudan, they help to save lives, and they show that this conflict has not been forgotten,” he said.
