CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — The remains of a U.S. soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco a week ago were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean, the army said Sunday. Military teams were still searching for a second missing soldier.

The remains were those of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer who was one of two U.S. soldiers who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco while off duty. He was 27 years old.

The two were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco.

“A Moroccan military search team found the Soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.

The two went missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a terrain characterized by mountains, desert and semidesert plains, according to the Moroccan military.

Their disappearance triggered a search-and-rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco and other military partners. The operation deployed frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones.

Search efforts will continue for the missing second soldier, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly on the issue.

The official said a U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the war games ended Friday to provide command and control and to continue search and rescue operations.

Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the army said. His decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, according to the statement.

African Lion 26, is a U.S.-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Since 2004, it has been the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.

In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in the exercises.

The Department for Transport review, which ends at 11:59pm on Sunday 11 May, is seeking public views on sweeping changes to road safety law, the most significant overhaul of motoring penalties in decades.

Proposals under consideration include lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, introducing penalty points for failing to wear a seatbelt, and strengthening penalties for uninsured, unlicensed and hit-and-run drivers.

Ministers are also consulting on immediate licence suspensions for suspected drink and drug drivers, expanded police powers to seize vehicles, and the potential use of alcohol interlock devices as part of rehabilitation programmes.

The consultation comes as road safety remains a growing political and public concern, both nationally and across Bolton.

In Bolton, official figures underline the scale of the issue.

Data from the DVLA and Department for Transport shows the borough has the second-highest number of penalty points in Greater Manchester, with more than 58,000 recorded as of September 2024.

Bolton driver receiving penalty points (Image: GMP)

Collision data further highlights the trend.

In 2023, more than 100 road traffic incidents in Bolton were linked to motoring offences, a significant rise on the previous year and more than double the figure recorded in Stockport.

Recent fatal and serious collisions have added to concerns, including a multi-fatality crash on Wigan Road in January, a double pedestrian fatality in Smithills in December, and a fatal incident on the M61 in April.

The scene of the Wigan Road crash (Image: Phil Taylor)

Across Greater Manchester, provisional figures show road deaths increased to 51 in 2024, while the number of people killed or seriously injured also rose sharply.

Nationally, more than 1,600 people died on roads in England and Wales in 2024, with little overall improvement in casualty figures in the most recent data.

The Government says the consultation is intended to ensure penalties reflect the seriousness of offences and act as an effective deterrent, particularly in relation to dangerous and illegal driving.

Police stopping cars for no insurance, MOT or tax (Image: GMP)

Further proposals include increasing penalties for failing to stop after a collision, extending prosecution time limits in the most serious cases, and raising fines for driving without insurance, tax or a valid MOT.

Responses can be submitted via the Government’s website or by email before the deadline.

A summary of feedback is expected within three months, with potential legislative changes to follow.

Irene Campbell said a leadership contest should take place.

A third Scottish Labour MP has urged Keir Starmer to quit as Prime Minister after their Holyrood election drubbing.

Irene Campbell called for an “orderly transition of leadership” amid claims former deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting are planning to challenge Starmer.

The PM is making a crunch statement tomorrow.

In a tweet, the North Ayrshire and Arran MP wrote: “Knocking on doors over recent weeks and months, voters were very angry with Labour citing many mistakes and U-turns especially the Winter Fuel Payment decision. It didn’t matter that it was a Scottish election and addressing the failures of the SNP.

“It didn’t matter that it was a Scottish election and addressing the failures of the SNP, voters were telling us that we weren’t offering anything new, radical or different… I will listen to what the Prime Minister has to say tomorrow.

“My view is that we must fully consider what happened, why it happened and what we do to address this. I believe that the solution is likely to be a full and democratic contest to allow an orderly transition of leadership and for this to be achieved by the end of the year.”

It comes after fellow Scottish Labour MPs Euan Stainbank and Brian Leishman also called for Starmer to go.

Candidates have told the Record Starmer’s mistakes in office gifted the SNP a fifth term on Friday.

This is a breaking news story – we’ll bring you updates, pictures and video as it happens.

For the latest news and breaking news visit: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/

Here you can get your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online.

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

You can also check out our social media channels for live updates.

Follow us on Twitter @Record_Politics for the latest news.

Or you can catch all the action by following our team: @paulhutcheon and @dennynews.

We’re on Facebook where you can join our Record Politics group for all our stories.

We also have a weekly politics podcast, Planet Holyrood, which you can listen to Spotify or Apple music, or watch on the Daily Record YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok for the best bits of the podcast.

The MV Hondius, at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak, docked in Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Sunday

A military aircraft has been dispatched to repatriate two Irish nationals stranded aboard a virus-stricken cruise ship, the republic’s Department of Health has confirmed.

The MV Hondius, at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak, docked in Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Sunday morning. Later that day, an Air Corps aircraft departed from Baldonell Aerodrome, a military air base in west Co Dublin, bound for the island.

The aircraft has been deployed to conduct “an aeromedical evacuation” of the two Irish citizens, who are reported to have been adhering to isolation protocols aboard the vessel and are said to be in “good health”.

Subject to their medical condition, the pair are due to return to Ireland on Sunday aboard the Air Corps aircraft, accompanied by Health Service Executive (HSE) medical personnel.

Upon arrival back in Ireland, they will be transferred to an HSE facility where they will be closely monitored throughout their quarantine period, in line with international health guidelines, reports the Irish Mirror.

On Saturday, a Department of Health spokesperson stated: “If they become symptomatic, they will be assessed and treated as appropriate.”

In an official statement, the department added: “The return of passengers and crew from MV Hondius has been carefully planned and guided by public health authorities to ensure safety for everyone – these measures protect communities while respecting the dignity and wellbeing of those returning home.”

Spanish authorities have confirmed that the health of all passengers is currently being assessed and that the disembarkation process is “proceeding well”.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

This season hasn’t always been easy on the eye, but Arsenal are now on the brink of their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Gunners were made to sweat yet again in their dramatic 1-0 win over relegation-threatened West Ham, with Leandro Trossard’s score and a disallowed West Ham goal the difference for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The vital victory stretched Arsenal‘s lead to five points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and put league silverware in touching distance after three successive second-placed finishes.

Some will say Arteta’s side have got here the hard way, while others will argue victories secured when a team does just enough to get over the line is the mark of champions.

The 1-0 win over West Ham was the seventh time this season Arsenal have won by that scoreline in the Premier League.

It wraps up what has been a crucial week for the club, with title rivals Manchester City dropping points in midweek.

Before the win over Fulham last weekend, Arsenal had won just two of their previous eight games in all competitions and suffered back-to-back defeats in the league for the first time during those matches, too.

But now after three successive wins without conceding a goal, one of which secured their place in the Champions League final, Arsenal are on the cusp of history.

“What a moment, what an afternoon, what a week it’s been for us,” Arteta said.

“So full of emotions, I cannot praise enough the attitude, the desire, the courage and the quality of the team shown throughout this week, because there was so much at stake and today we knew against a team that is fighting for their life, a club with an incredible history, how tough it was going to be.”

Confident Barcelona had several more chances to make their margin of victory more emphatic, but found returning Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in impressive form. They will need to win all of their remaining matches to equal the LaLiga record of 100 points, while a win over Real Betis next weekend would see them go through a whole league season with a 100 per cent winning home record at the Camp Nou. It was a bittersweet moment for head coach Flick, who was in the dugout following the death of his father, which was announced just hours ahead of kick-off.

Emma Willis is reportedly set to accept the Strictly Come Dancing hosting role, with Zoe Ball also tipped to join her as they replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC show.

Emma Willis is reportedly being lined up for the Strictly Come Dancing presenting position alongside another well-known personality.

Considerable conjecture has surrounded who might succeed Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC ballroom programme after they decided to depart from the show last year, reports the Mirror..

The BBC is understood to have auditioned numerous celebrities, and it has now been claimed that the broadcaster is poised to offer the position to Emma Willis, with Zoe Ball also tipped to assume the second presenting slot.

A source said: “Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her. Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands so the BBC know she will do the job justice.

“She’s incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee. She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job. Strictly is one of the biggest shows on television and to be trusted with the new era is something Emma feels incredibly proud and humbled by.”

Zoe Ball is also expected to be invited to appear alongside Emma, replacing Tess and Claudia. The duo allegedly underwent a chemistry test together, as did other combinations including Alex Jones and Rylan Clark and Bradley Walsh and Rob Rinder.

“Emma is seen as the Tess of the duo. Her background in live – and occasionally tense – broadcasting situations means she can handle anything that is thrown at her,” a source told The Sun. “Zoe and her really clicked and it’s looking likely that Zoe will take on the role Claudia held in the auditorium with the celebs and the pro’s. The BBC are excited about how their new look Strictly is coming together and think the public will agree.”

The Mirror has approached BBC representatives for comment.

Both Emma and Zoe are prominent figures at the BBC, each presenting their own radio programmes with the corporation. Emma fronts her own Saturday afternoon programme on BBC Radio 2.

Advertisement

She’d previously expressed her affection for the BBC dancing programme. In 2021, when questioned about participating in the show, she said: “If I had time, I would do it in a heartbeat. Like I absolutely love it.”

Back in September, Tess and Claudia revealed they were stepping down from the programme following the conclusion of that series.

They stated: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.

“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show,” adding: “They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”

Netflix drama Adolescence was the big winner at the Bafta Television Awards on Sunday.

At 16, Owen Cooper became the youngest ever winner of the award for best supporting actor for Adolescence.

Stephen Graham was named best leading actor for playing Cooper’s on-screen dad, and, in his speech, he encouraged young viewers to believe they could follow a similar path in acting.

Narges Rashidi won best leading actress for playing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in BBC One’s real-life drama Prisoner 951 and dedicated the award to the British-Iranian woman and her family.

The Celebrity Traitors won best reality programme, and host Claudia Winkleman dedicated it to the show’s “extraordinary cast who played with dignity, gusto and their entire hearts and we love them”.

The Swedish flatpack furniture giant has urged its customers to cease using this everyday product immediatley

Advertisement

Furniture giant IKEA has issued an urgent recall for a household product used everyday in homes around the world. The international furniture brand has recalled a popular Ikea-branded garlic press, amid fears small metal fragments could break off into people’s food and be swallowed accidentally. The recall affects certain batches of the IKEA 365+ VÄRDEFULL Garlic press in black after the company discovered a manufacturing defect during an internal investigation. According to IKEA, there is a risk that “small metal pieces” may detach from the kitchen tool during use and subsequently be ingested with food, posing a potential safety hazard to customers.

The affected garlic presses were sold worldwide, both in store and online, and carry the article number 601.636.02. The kitchen implement also can be identified via date stamps found on the product. Date stamps include 2411 up to 2522 (see below for how to decode IKEA date stamps). The offending presses can also be identified by an IKEA logo marking on the upper handle. Customers who own one of the recalled products have been urged to stop using it immediately and contact IKEA for a full refund, the retailer advised in a statement, before adding that shoppers will not need to provide a receipt or proof of purchase in order to get their money back. A statement on the Swedish furniture house’s website also urged any customers who may have loaned or gifted the item to spread the world.

In a statement, IKEA – best known for its penchant for Allen keys and ready-to-assemble furniture – apologised for the inconvenience caused by the recall. As well as the shedding garlic press, the Swedish furniture brand has issued a litany of other recalls in recent months. Other recalled items include:

• Spatula (365+ HJÄLTE): Date stamp 2445 (YYWW) or later is recalled.
• Power Bank (VARMFRONT): Date stamps 2313, 2316, 2318, or 2319 are recalled due to fire hazards.
• ÅSKSTORM 40W USB charger dark grey: Article number 60461197 is recalled
• Mirrors (LETTAN): Affected date stamps before and including 2105.
• ROSTAD LÖK: Fried onion, 100g, Article number: 302.371.76 Best Before Date: 02-06-2026 – 22-11-2026
• BLÅVINGAD fishing game, multicolour: All iterations of this children’s toy should be returned to IKEA following reports of small metal rivets coming loose from the painted wooden shapes, presenting a potential choking hazard.

Product date stamps:

IKEA date stamps run off a Year-Week format. For example: 2411 would mean 2024, week 11.

• Garlic Press: Stamped on the black plastic handle.
• Furniture/Other: Usually a 4-digit number on a sticker, often found underneath or on the back of the item.

If you are impacted by any of the aforementioned recalls, more information is available via the IKEA website.

A report says Britain is expected to lose 163,000 jobs this year amid the economic woes caused by the Iran war

Advertisement

Jobs in south Wales will be among the worst affected as a result of the conflict in Iran, a report has warned.

Britain is expected to lose 163,000 jobs this year amid the economic woes caused by the Iran war with lower income regions set to be hit hardest, the report states.

The Item Club’s latest regional outlook warns that two of the UK’s lowest income regions – south Wales and the Humber – will suffer the most painful jobs market woes in the next year or so because of sharp energy price rises.

They are heavily reliant on manufacturing and construction industries, which Item Club cautions will shed jobs in response to higher costs and supply disruption from the Middle East conflict.

The report is predicting jobs to drop by 5,700 in South Wales and by 2,800 in the Humber over 2026.

Tim Lyne, economic adviser to the Item Club, said: “Some of the lowest income regions will feel the biggest effects of the manufacturing and construction sectors reducing headcount in the face of rising energy prices and supply chain disruption.

“While consumers in these areas typically have less rainy-day savings, which will reduce spending in the retail and hospitality sectors.”

Overall it forecasts UK employment will decline by 0.4% this year, equivalent to 163,000 job losses on a net basis.

This will be driven by a pull back in consumer spending, the soaring cost of fuel, energy, materials and ingredients, as well as disruption to shipping.

The Bank of England warned late last month the rate of UK unemployment could hit 5.6% this year, up from 5.2% currently, in its more gloomy scenario for the impact of the war.

The Item Club said as households rein in discretionary spending in the face of a surge in the cost of living, the retail and hospitality sector will suffer the biggest slowdown across Britain’s major cities.

The independent forecasting group predicts that employment in London will drop by 25,000 this year as its retail and hospitality sector slows, with a 12,500 reduction in Birmingham, 9,800 drop in Leeds and 6,200 decline in Glasgow.

There may be some bright spots, however, with Cambridge set to see employment growth in 2026, while Belfast and Edinburgh are expected to see relatively limited job losses.

Mr Lyne said: “Across the UK, the jobs market is going to soften, but it’s looking especially fragile in South Wales and the Humber as they’re particularly exposed to manufacturing businesses that are seeing big increases in their costs of materials.

“Resilience will come in places like Cambridge where the tech sector is based.” For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

The report said that while publicly-funded sectors – such as education, public administration and human health and social work – are expected to hire more jobs over the year, this will not be enough to offset wider losses.

It also warns over a widening gap in living standards across the UK caused by the Iran war.

Low income areas will see households suffer the steepest hikes in the cost of living, as more of their spending goes on essentials, such as food, fuel and energy bills, which are set to see big price rises.

Households in cities such as Newcastle, Belfast and Birmingham spend as much as 13% of their disposable income on energy and food, compared to less than 9% for an average household in London, according to the report.

This could see these cities left particularly exposed if the Iran war is not resolved soon, the Item Club said.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice