It’s official: Apple has launched a new iPad Air, and tech fans are rushing to pre-order the latest bit of kit amid a surprising pricing announcement.

Designed to work twice as hard as its predecessor, the latest iPad Air with M3 is a faster version, and is built to work with Apple Intelligence (their own brand of AI).

According to the tech giant, you’ll be able to feel the speed in ‘everything you do’, whether that’s editing photos, creating content or playing graphics-intensive games.

Yet despite the notable tech upgrade, Apple fans were surprised to learn that the price hasn’t budged since the last model, and the new iPad Air is now available to pre-order online.

Apple

From how much the new iPad Air costs to new, exciting features and where to pre-order, scroll down to find out everything you need to know below.

Where to pre-order the new iPad Air now

If you’re keen to get your hands on the new iPad Air with M3, listen up. The new model is now available to pre-order on the official Apple website and will go on general sale at 7am (local time) on Wednesday, March 12. You can choose from the 11-inch or the 13-inch and it comes in four different colors: space gray, blue, purple, and starlight.

If you’re after a good deal, you can compare prices and pre-order times from the below competitors.

You can pre-order the new iPad Air from the following retailers now:

• Best Buy: Available to pre-order now, $599 for the 11-inch iPad Air. $799 for the 13-inch iPad Air
• AT&T: Orders open from 6pm (PT) on Thursday, March 6. Prices have yet to be confirmed
• Apple: Available to pre-order now, $599 for the 11-inch iPad Air. $799 for the 13-inch iPad Air

As per previous Apple launches, the iPad Air is also likely to be available to purchase from Verizon soon, but details have yet to be confirmed.

Apple

How much does the new iPad Air cost?

Much to the surprise of Apple fans, the price of the iPad Air has not changed since the previous model. As per the Apple website, the device comes in at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model.

Where to pre-order the new MacBook Air now

Serious Apple fanatics will know that the iPad Air isn’t the only launch to look forward to, as a new MacBook Air also launched earlier today (Wednesday, March 5). With a ‘new lower price’ of $999, it’s $100 cheaper than the previous model, and delivers up to 18 hours of battery life.

This time, it comes with an M4 chip, which means it’s compatible with Apple Intelligence. It’s now available to pre-order on Apple with other online retailers to be announced shortly.

Apple has been busy, as the exciting news also follows the launch of the new Apple iPhone 16e, a ‘more affordable’ addition to the iPhone 16 family. The iPhone 16e is currently available to purchase from the following online retailers: Best Buy, Verizon, and AT&T.

A seven-year-old boy whose abduction case featured in a Netflix true crime show has miraculously been found.

Abdul Aziz Khan was kidnapped in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2017 just after Thanksgiving in what was shaping up to be a mysterious ‘cold case.’

The story was brought to life by the streaming platform Netflix in its documentary series, Unsolved Mysteries.

The show exposes some heartbreaking cases in a bid to whip up public interest and help them to solve it, signposting at the end of every episode where viewers can send their tip-offs.

The youngster, who was seven when he was snatched, featured in a Netflix documentary (Netflix)

In the case of Abdul, it was suspected he was taken by his mom, Rabia Khalid, after his father was granted full custody by the courts.

Now, the youngster has finally been found 1,500 miles away in Colorado by a complete happy accident.

According to The Mirror, police were called out to reports of a home burglary when they stumbled across the missing youngster.

The homeowner called the cops after claiming to have seen two intruders on the CCTV cameras of the property listed for sale as of February 23.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office raced to the scene where they discovered two children in the back of a car parked on the driveway and spoke to the youngsters while the two adults allegedly broke into the property.

The pair were arrested at the scene and later identified as Rabia Khalid, 40, the missing now-14-year-old’s mom, and Elliot Blake Bourgeois, 42.

A felony warrant for Rabia Khalid was issued on January 2, 2020 (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Khalid and Bourgeois are being held on charges which include Second Degree Kidnapping, Forgery, Identity Theft, Providing False Information to Authorities and Trespassing.

The news outlet reports the bond for their release has been set at $1,000,000 each.

As for the youngster, he is in protective custody, while the identity of the other child found in the car with him has not been revealed.

In a statement, the boy’s family said they were ‘overwhelmed with joy’ to have found him again.

The statement read: “We’re overwhelmed with joy that Aziz has finally been found. We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years. We specifically want to recognize the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for their exceptional work in solving this case. Now, as we navigate the next steps, we ask for privacy so that we can move forward as a family and heal together.”

Elliot Bourgeois has also been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly added: “Our deputies responded to what initially seemed like a routine trespass call, but through sharp attention to detail and tenacity, they uncovered the truth.

“Their ability to recognize the discrepancies in the suspects’ story and to follow the leads, even when the situation seemed unclear, ultimately led to the safe recovery of a child who had been missing for seven long years.”

US Marshal Enix Smith III for the Eastern District of Louisiana also issued a thanks to Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries as well as NCMEC and Crimestoppers for ‘directing the public’s attention to this matter.’

An entire government agency has been left in the hands of just one employee thanks to Elon Musk’s task force.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by the billionaire tech mogul and close friend of US President Donald Trump , Musk, has stripped back a government agency to just one member of staff.

On Tuesday (March 4), DOGE announced the Inter-American Foundation had 48 employees with an average salary of $131,000 per annum, which has now been cut to the ‘statutory minimum’ of one worker.

DOGE is headed by Elon Musk (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The move comes as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce federal bureaucracy and cut costs, with Musk’s DOGE spearheading the mission.

The radical change was announced on Twitter, where DOGE wrote in a post: “The Inter-American Foundation, an agency whose primary action was to issue foreign grants ($60M budget), has been reduced to its statutory minimum (1 active employee).”

What does the Inter-American Foundation do?

The Inter-American Foundation is an independent US foreign assistance agency, created by Congress in 1969, to invest in development projects across Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to its website, the agency invests in ‘locally-led development works’ in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica and Peru to ‘help communities realize opportunities and solve their own problems.’

It funds sustainable agriculture initiatives, as well as enterprise development, civic engagement and human rights, natural resource management and ‘alternatives to irregular migrations and violence.’

Since 1972, it has invested more than $945 million into more than 5,800 projects and currently has 425 active projects.

Alpaca farming in Peru is just one of several grants that have been axed overnight (CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP via Getty Images)

What grants have been cut?

According to DOGE, several grants have also been axed alongside payroll staff.

This includes:

• $903,811 for alpaca farming in Peru
• $364,500 to reduce social discrimination of recyclers in Bolivia
• $813,210 for vegetable gardens in El Salvador
• $323,633 to promote cultural understanding of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil
• $731,105 to improve marketability of mushrooms and peas in Guatemala
• $677,342 to expand fruit and jam sales in Honduras
• $483,345 to improve artisanal salt production in Ecuador
• $39,250 for beekeeping in Brazil

What has Donald Trump said?

The cuts have been made to address the President’s executive order, filed on February 19.

The order states the Administration seeks to ‘dramatically reduce the size of the Federal Government, while increasing its accountability to the American people.’

“Reducing the size of the Federal Government will minimize Government waste and abuse, reduce inflation, and promote American freedom and innovation,” it adds.

Among its list of ‘unnecessary’ governmental agencies are the Inter-American Foundation as well as the Presidio Trust, the United States African Development and the United States Institute of Peace.

Trump signed an executive order to reduce the size of some federal agencies (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” the order read.

Why is DOGE cutting US foreign aid?

The Trump administration has said it is cutting more than 90 per cent of the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) foreign aid and $60 billion in US assistance around the globe, reports AP, plus 45 per cent of grants issued by the State Department.

Curtailing humanitarian help comes as the government has scrutinized such spending and has announced major cutbacks to reduce what it sees as waste and excess in the federal government.

The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder has been tasked with charging the cuts and shrinking departments to ensure Trump’s executive orders are implemented and enforced.

Nine bodies have been discovered dumped on a highway road after seven young people went missing from a tourist hotspot in Mexico last month.

The group lost contact with their families between February 27 and 28 after travelling from Tlaxcala to spend some time in the popular tourist destination of Oaxaca, known for its lush beaches.

Eight people, believed to be students, initially were reported missing, named as Angie Lizeth, 29, Brenda Mariel, 19, Jacqueline Ailet Meza, 23, Noemi Yamileth, 28, Lesly Noya Trejo, 21, Raul Emmanuel González, 28, Ruben Antonio Ramos, 22, and Rolando Armando Evaristo, 22.

While Brenda Mariel was found alive in Puebla, according to the Oaxaca Prosecutor’s Office, the case appears to have taken a grisly turn after nine bodies were found dumped on a highway on the border with Puebla.

Puebla’s Secretary of Security Francisco Sánchez said (as reported by El Pais): “There are indications that some [of the] bodies are probably from people there [Tlaxcala], but we have to wait.”

The car where the bodies were discovered had Tlaxcala plates, while ID for Angie Lizeth and Lesly Noya Trejo was discovered in the vehicle.

Remains from four of the bodies were found inside the trunk of a deserted car in San Jose Miahuatlan, while the other five were discovered in the vehicle under a bloodstained tarp.

Oaxaca is a popular tourist destination in Mexico (Carlos Santiago/ Pixelnews/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

All of the bodies had been tortured and found with bullet wounds.

Each individual’s hands had also been removed and were placed in a separate bag in the trunk, sitting alongside the bodies.

Periodico Central reports a Volkswagen Vento with the bodies was discovered on March 2 along the Cuacnopalan-Oaxaca highway, which sees plenty of vehicles pass along it every single day.

No suspects have been named in connection with the killings as of yet, as authorities in Puebla collaborate with those in Tlaxcala and Oaxaca to try and catch the killers.

Mexico has long had problems with cartels (Getty Stock Photo)

Idamis Pastor Betancourt, who is the head of Puebla’s State Attorney General’s Office, said in a press conference on Monday (March 3): “So far I cannot offer information. There are lines of investigation, but I cannot reveal them due to confidentiality.

“All relevant investigations are being carried out. When we have a response and the investigation is complete, we will be in a position to provide more information.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.

A young professional bodybuilder died suddenly while attending a competition, which her trainer has now said was due to a ‘serious error’ as he tried to get her to ‘pull back’.

Jodi Vance was just 20-years-old when the sports pro suffered a fatal heart attack while attending a bodybuilding competition in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday last week (February 27).

Her family announced her death in an Instagram post to her thousands of followers, writing: “She was a beautiful person inside and out, and she will be missed every single day. This was sudden and unexpected.”

Jodi was an athlete, coach and inspiration to her followers in the bodybuilding world (Instagram/@jodi.vance.fit)

Jodi was not due to be competing in the games but was attending to help coach her clients, according to TMZ.

However, she reportedly began feeling sick afterwards and was raced to hospital where she was tragically pronounced dead as her ‘heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration,’ her family added.

The post continued: “Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive her.

“Please give her family time to process this loss in peace.

“If anyone takes anything from this, please put your heath first.”

Now, her coach, Justin Mihaly, has issued a statement with consent from Jodi’s mom, Jennifer, where he alleges the sports and exercise science graduate was potentially using harmful supplements.

He said it was an ‘appropriate time’ to reveal ‘all aspects of what transpired in the last few days that tragically took Jodi’s life, far too soon.’

Jodi died after making a ‘serious mistake,’ her coach has revealed (jodi.vance.fit/Instagram)

Justin started by saying: “We’re all experiencing grief” and that Jodi was ‘freaking loved’ before going to reveal ‘what transpired’ around what ‘took Jodi’s life, far too soon.’

The ‘elite’ coaching pro, who boasts almost 60,000 Instagram followers, described her as a ‘beam of light’ at at ‘every’ social, networking event and expo show.

“The person she was, the way that she loved, I want to highlight and I want to remember Jodi that way.

“That being said, Jodi made a significant error,” the coach continued as he said he wanted to share what happened to ‘make sure this never happens again.’

“Jodi used two extremely hazardous substances to improve her physique – I assume just for the Arnold Expo – without my knowledge, my approval, without family’s knowledge, their approval.

“But Jodi was not prepping for Arnold… There is no reason that she should have been dehydrating.”

He said Jodi last competed in December last year, where she placed third in the Women’s Physique division of the 2024 NPC Battle of Texas, and had allegedly indicated to Justin that she wanted to compete again this year.

He also said her health had been ‘quite concerning’, adding: “Now we know why.”

“Many people who loved Jodi, including myself, had tried to get her to pull off the gas pedal a bit and anyone who knows Jodi knows what a challenge that would be.

“Her work ethic was actually second to nobody, it was so hard to get her to pull back.”

He went on to claim Jodi had expressed interest in a drug that he believed she went on to use against their agreement.

This is because he was ‘told’ her results at the hospital showed she had an ‘insanely high reading’ of potassium, suggesting she had been using a diuretic, possibly alongside another fat-burning drug.

“You’re welcome to direct your blame towards me if that’s how you believe we can best honor Jodi,” he added. “I accept for you to bring your anger towards me.”

In a separate video, the coach appears to be advocating to ‘get rid’ of diuretics and is calling on professional bodies to make a change to the sport.