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MasterChef was back with the first quarter-final of series 22 on Thursday night

MasterChef fans were left scratching their heads over Thursday night’s quarter-final challenge.

Series 22 sees celebrated chef Anna Haugh and restaurant critic Grace Dent take over from Gregg Wallace and John Torode as judges. The pair will test 48 of the country’s best amateur cooks with an array of spectacular challenges.

On Thursday’s first quarter-final of series 22, the first challenge saw the amateur home cooks tasked with creating pancakes, making the most of the fresh produce on offer.

However, it was the second challenge that left viewers baffled. During the episode, legendary food critic Jay Rayner joined the show as a special guest as he set a task for the cooks.

Jay, 59, said: “The challenge I’ve set you sounds very simple. I’ve asked you to make a salad. But we do not want a limp bowl of lettuce, we want structure, texture, we want a killer dressing… something that will rock us back on our feet.” The chefs were then given 90 minutes to create their salads.

However, viewers were left baffled over the salad challenge taking to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts. One person said: “#masterchef A salad …, a salad, are you for real” to which another account put: “Salad? Or a mix of things #MasterChef.”

Elsewhere, another fan referenced The Simpsons as they joked: “#Masterchef You don’t win friends with salad, you don’t win friends with salad…”

Another baffled viewer simply commented: “A salad?! #MasterChef” while a different fan quipped: “No good story ever started with ‘I was having a salad and then'”.

Following the challenge, Jhané and Sabina left Anna, Grace and Jay blown away with their incredible salads. Jhané opted for a Thai-inspired salad with grilled pork, pork skin, sugar snap peas, lettuce, mint, fennel and thai basil. Jhané served it with deep fried rice paper and a lime sesame dressing, which was praised for being a ‘clever’ presentation.

Guest Jay was left delighted as he gushed: “This is exactly what I was hoping for when I set the salad challenge!”

Meanwhile, Sabina also impressed with her ‘harmony salad’, which was spiced black pea falafel, gem lettuce, carrot, pomegranate, salted chicken skin, beetroot quail eggs, puffed rice and curry leaves. It was served with a confit garlic and mustard oil dressing. Jay praised the salad for being “amazing”.

After all the contestants had shown off their creations, Jay admitted: “It was a tough challenge asking them to make a salad, some of them embraced it brilliantly!”

At the end of the show, it was revealed that Jhané and Sabina had sailed through to the next round, they were joined by fellow contestant Jim.

MasterChef season 22 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Navy’s top civilian official, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, is leaving his job.

In a statement posted to social media, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately.”

Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy, Parnell said.

The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, and spoke with reporters about his agenda.

Phelan’s departure also comes just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top officer, Gen. Randy George, as well as two other top generals in the Army.

Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before President Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024.

Phelan was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, Phelan’s primary exposure to the military came from an advisory position he held on the Spirit of America, a nonprofit that supported the defense of Ukraine and the defense of Taiwan.

Toropin and Finley write for the Associated Press.

THE closure of the Strait of Hormuz has resulted in the soaring price of jet fuel, which had led to fears of shortages across Europe.

Now, easyJet has issued an update for its passengers with growing fears that holidays could be affected from mid-May.

Javier Gándara, easyJet CEO for Spain and Portugal, has said that while the airline is continuing to operate as planned now, beyond three or four weeks and it’s “difficult to see” what will happen.

The three-week warning means easyJet passengers could face disruption from as soon as May 12.

However, Mr Gándara then added: “In Spain, we are in a comparatively better situation than neighbouring countries for two reasons.

“Firstly, because of all the crude oil that is imported and then refined here, only 11 per cent comes from the Middle East, which is the percentage affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; the remaining 89 per cent comes from elsewhere.”

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But he did warn that “if there are problems in other countries, that ends up affecting flights to Spain.”

And said “no one will be immune to potential supply problems.”

This comes after a warning was issued by TUI yesterday.

The travel giant said it is “monitoring” jet fuel shortages as a result of the Iran war, for all passengers flying from May 1.

On social media, one worried traveller asked the airline: “With the reported jet fuel shortages are you expecting holidays from May 1 to be affected?”

TUI responded: “We’re closely monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on global aviation fuel supplies.

“At present, we’re not anticipating any immediate disruption to our flight schedules or holiday programmes from fuel shortages.“

The holiday chaos is caused from the ongoing Iran-US conflict with warnings that Europe could face jet fuel shortages due to the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed.

It was revealed earlier this month that airports could run out of jet fuel within weeks.

The ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low.

As a result, a number of major airlines have been cancelling flights in preparation for shortages.

United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026.

SAS was the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.

Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month, but has said it will affect less than 1 per cent of its schedule.

Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has confirmed that two per cent of passenger flights will be cancelled from May 16 to June 30.

Air New Zealand announced in March that it will be cutting back on flights over the next two months.

And Norse announced it would remove all flights from London Gatwick to LA.

Others, like Virgin Atlantic as well as Air France and KLM have added surcharge to tickets to offset the rising price in jet fuel.

What does this mean for your upcoming holiday?

1. How will this affect my holiday?

Getaways should not be seriously impacted immediately as airlines bought fuel far in advance at a fixed rate.

But if the crisis continues into June, operators may start adding a surcharge to holiday prices.

A limited number of flights may be cancelled, but mostly on well-served routes with alternatives.

If supplies start to dry up, cancellations would increase.

2. Am I entitled to a refund?

IF some or all of your holiday is cancelled by the provider, your refund depends on whether you booked your trip as a package holiday, or individually.

Your money tends to be much better protected with a package deal.

3. Is now a bad time to book?

There are some great deals, but book with caution.

You must take out travel insurance as, if your flight is cancelled, you may have protection against the cost of other elements of your holiday, such as accommodation.

Despite the chaos, Egypt resorts have dropped prices by 70 per cent with mega cheap all-inclusive deals – as Brit avoid it.

And if you’re anxious that your flight will be cancelled, here’s what to expect this summer.

Here’s what Jet2 passengers travelling as a family need to know

Heading off on holiday is an exciting time, but travelling as a family can also prove demanding. You’ll need to ensure everything is organised and all your crucial documents such as passports and boarding passes are sorted.

As well as this before departing, it is useful to familiarise yourself with any rules or regulations you might be unaware of – including any airline requirements. This is particularly important when travelling with children and babies. And by making sure you know what’s expected, you can make your journey as easy as possible.

Here are the latest Jet2 rules for passengers travelling with children and babies.

Firstly, the travel operator allows only those aged 14 or above to travel unaccompanied, and that any passenger under the age of 14 can only travel if accompanied by a passenger aged 16 years or over who will assume full responsibility for them. Jet2 guidance adds: “Some countries impose special conditions for minors who are travelling either alone, or without their legal parent/guardian.”

Passengers are advised to verify the requirements for their destination. When departing or entering Portugal, including Madeira, without a parent or legal guardian, young people under the age of 18 are required to have a letter of authorisation with them.

This letter must be signed by the parent or legal guardian and contain accurate detail confirming the young person’s temporary address and the responsible person’s contact information, while in their destination. Jet2 adds: “To avoid delays at the border, we recommend a copy of the signatories’ (parent or legal guardian) photo identification is carried with the young person for verification purposes, by the authorities at the Portuguese border.

“Residents or nationals of Portugal under the age of 18, leaving Portuguese territory, may additionally require authorisation letters to be legally certified prior to departure.”

Travelling with Jet2 with children and babies

Travellers are permitted to bring up to two items per child or infant at no extra cost, which can include a pram or buggy, a car seat, a baby carrier, and a travel cot. Items must not exceed 32kg in weight and any further items will be subject to excess baggage charges.

Infants under two years of age on the date of travel can fly free of charge. Infants over 7 days old without any underlying health conditions won’t require prior clearance and will be permitted onboard.

However, babies aged between two and seven days old will require prior approval from Jet2.com. Infants 2-14 days old who have been incubated, ventilated or have experienced any birth complications will also need authorisation before flying, and Jet2 says it is unable to carry any infants less than 2 days old.

Bookings can be made before an infant has been born. Should their name be unconfirmed, simply enter the first name as ‘Unborn’ and last name as ‘Baby’. Jet2 further explains: “Once the infant’s name has been confirmed, contact us and we’ll be happy to update the name free of charge.”

Infants will be positioned on the lap of their accompanying adult and fastened using an extension seatbelt, which will be supplied by cabin crew and you are not allowed to use your own infant or extension seatbelt. Alternatively, you can reserve a seat for them where they’ll need to sit in a car seat, provided it meets the necessary criteria.

Anyone wishing to book a seat for an infant is advised to contact the Jet2 Customer Service team for guidance and costs. Jet2 is also informing passengers that if you’re flying with an infant and you’ve already added a hold bag to your booking, your allowance will automatically be increased by an additional 10kg per infant, free of charge.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third high-profile female official to leave the Trump administration after recent departures of Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi.

US Secretary of Labour Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving her post in the administration of President Donald Trump, the White House has said.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third woman to leave the Trump administration since March, when the president fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of federal immigration raids in Minnesota that led to the deaths of two protesters. Trump also ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month.

Chavez-DeRemer has done a “phenomenal job” protecting American workers and is set to “take a position in the private sector”, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said in a post on X late on Monday, announcing the labour secretary’s departure.

“Keith Sonderling will take on the role of Acting Secretary of Labor,” Cheung added, referring to the current deputy labour secretary.

While Cheung did not give a reason for Chavez-DeRemer’s departure, the New York Post reported in January that she was under investigation for “pursuing an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with a subordinate” and drinking in her office during the work day.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the allegations.

From the beginning of her tenure, Chavez-DeRemer had some notable differences with other members of Trump’s inner circle.

She had voiced support for the pro-union Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), earning support for her nomination from some Democrats.

Her appointment was also seen as favoured by Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who notably spoke in support of Trump’s re-election campaign at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.

However, as the labour secretary, Chavez-DeRemer’s positions have more closely aligned with the Trump administration’s overall anti-regulatory policies, according to US media outlets. During her tenure as secretary, the Labor Department stalled on responding to calls for limits on silica exposure from Appalachian coal miners suffering from the occupational black lung disease.

Chavez-DeRemer is not the first top official to leave the Labor Department during Trump’s second term.

In August 2025, Trump fired the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, who was appointed by previous President Joe Biden, after a report showed that hiring had slowed in July and was worse in May and June than had previously been reported.

Chavez-DeRemer had supported the president’s move at the time.

“I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS,” Chavez-DeRemer said in a post on X following McEntarfer’s removal.

April 20 (UPI) — The U.S. military announced late Sunday that it has killed three men in its latest strike targeting a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean.

Seventeen people have been killed in six strikes the U.S. Southern Command has carried out in little over a week, marking one of the deadliest publicly announced stretches of the Trump administration’s monthslong anti-drug smuggling operation.

As in previous strike announcements, SOUTHCOM released little information.

The attack occurred Sunday, targeting a boat operated by a designated terrorist organization in the Caribbean, SOUTHCOM said in a statement, without naming the organization or providing evidence.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” it said.

A 12-second, black-and-white clip of the strike posted to SOUTHCOM’s social media shows a boat moving across the ocean before disappearing in a large fiery explosion.

Since the first strike on Sept. 2, the U.S. military has killed at least 180 people, according to UPI’s tally of publicly released data. Fifty-five boats have been destroyed in the more than 50 strikes.

President Donald Trump argues that the use of deadly military force is warranted as the United States is in “armed conflict” with the 10 drug cartels and gangs he has designated as terrorist organizations since returning to the White House in January 2025.

The operation comes as the Trump administration seeks to expand its influence in the Western Hemisphere, including by using its military to dismantle what Trump has called “narco-terrorist networks.”

The strikes have been repeatedly condemned and their legality questioned by Democrats, rights groups, critics and United Nations experts, who accuse the Trump administration of violating international and maritime law over the use of the military to conduct law enforcement drug operations.

Last month, Ben Saul, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, lambasted the Trump administration over “its phony war on so-called narco-terrorism.”

“These serial extrajudicial killings gravely violate the right to life, which applies extraterritorially,” he said on March 13.

“The attacks were not in national self-defense, since the vessels were not engaged in any armed attack on the U.S. Drug trafficking is crime, not war.”

On Wednesday, the same day the U.S. military killed three people in a strike in the eastern Pacific, a group of Democrats, led by Rep. John Larson of Connecticut, filed six articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with one of the articles accusing him of violating the law of armed conflict over the strikes.

Larson accused Hegseth of abusing his position by ordering “our armed forces to strike boats in the Caribbean,” he said in a statement.

AN AIRPORT in the north of the country has taken one step closer to welcoming back passengers.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022 after operating for 17 years, but has been recently backed by the government to reopen.

Now, the regional airport has taken another step closer to welcoming flights as it is launching a search for an operational partner.

Operator Fly Doncaster is looking for a Fixed Based Operator to have a permanent place within the airport.

This type of organisation would provide services that include aircraft handling, fuelling, and parking.

What this means is that private flights could return to the airport before the end of 2026 – with plans for passengers flights much later.

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Simon Hinchley, Executive Director for Airport Operations at Fly Doncaster said: “As we work towards reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport, our focus is firmly on building a safe, efficient and operationally robust airport that is ready to serve a broad range of users from day one.”

In early 2025, the UK government revealed that £30million was being put towards its reopening.

More recently, a report for City of Doncaster Council’s cabinet announced that the cost of reopening the airport had risen to £193million.

Fly Doncaster said that when the airport reopens, it could see as many as four million passengers through its doors.

There has also been talks of a rail link to and from the airport that could have connections with the Lincoln Line and East Coast Mainline.

Prior to its closure, airlines like FlyBe, Wizz Air and TUI operated flights from Doncaster Sheffield.

As of yet, no airline has confirmed it will open base, but Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme Labour MP Lee Pitcher said last year that he was in talks with both Ryanair and TUI.

In July 2025, he told local media: “Yesterday, I chaired the latest meeting of the DSA Action Group, where we sat down with TUI’s UK & Ireland commercial director.

“It was a productive discussion, and we’ll continue to work with TUI, other key stakeholders, and push the Government to keep Doncaster Sheffield Airport firmly on the agenda.“

The airport is expected to be operational with passenger flights for summer 2028.

Another airport that is in talks to reopen is Manston Airport, in Kent which once offered flights from the UK to Europe.

Passenger services stopped when KLM pulled out of the airport in 2014.

The current plan is to reopen the airport for cargo planes which is scheduled for 2029.

There have been talks to start commercial flights once again, but this could take longer to start.

Tony Freudmann – the public face of the site’s owners, RiverOak Strategic Partners told Kent Online: “We need, by the time we open, to have enough advance commitment from cargo operators to see that it is going to work.

“At that point, if we get the right approach from passenger carriers, wanting us to build a passenger terminal and base some aircraft here, we’ll go with that.”

Here’s more on airports as chaos sweeps Europe with new travel rules that have resulted in three hour queues and passengers missing their flights.

And this Spanish airport is set to close for over a month with all flights cancelled and thousands of Brits set to be impacted.

The killings mark the fourth US deadly strike in the past four days on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The US military has killed four more people in its fourth deadly attack on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean over the past four days.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the attack in a social media post on Tuesday, alongside a video that showed a stationary boat with outboard engines being hit by a missile and exploding into a huge ball of flames.

SOUTHCOM, which is responsible for US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, claimed that the four people killed were “narco-terrorists”, but provided no evidence to support its claims.

Justification for the lethal attack, according to SOUTHCOM, was due to intelligence – details of which were not provided – that confirmed that “the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations”.

The latest killing of people on board vessels in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean brings the overall death toll to at least 175 since early September, when US President Donald Trump ordered the attacks to stop what the White House claims are Latin American cartels transporting drugs to the US.

Tuesday’s killings came after two people were killed in a US strike on Monday, and five people were killed in two separate strikes on Saturday, also in the eastern Pacific.

The Associated Press news agency reported that the US coastguard has suspended a search for one survivor from the two attacks reported on Saturday.

International legal experts and rights groups say the US military campaign amounts to “extrajudicial killings” in international waters and that the attacks have targeted civilian fishing boats.

Legal experts have said that if some vessels were involved in drug trafficking, those on board should face the law, rather than deadly attacks.

Critics have also questioned the effectiveness of the US military operation in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses in the US, which Trump has used to justify his campaign, is typically trafficked to the US over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

TUI, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways hand luggage rules aren’t just about what the airlines will let you bring onboard – passengers are subject to airport rules too

Brits heading on their holidays will want to take note of hand luggage rules – and not just the ones that help you swerve those pesky extra fees.

While many of us fly with different airlines including TUI, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways, hand luggage rules aren’t just about what these firms allow; they’re also dependent on your airport, destination and other factors. These restrictions are universal across various airlines when departing from the UK, but it’s important to note that there could be different rules at the airport you’re flying back into the UK from.

If you’re found to be carrying a prohibited item in your hand luggage, it could be confiscated at airport security. On the UK government website, it states: “Airport security staff will not let anything through that they consider dangerous – even if it’s normally allowed in hand luggage.”

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Therefore, it’s vital to check any hand luggage restrictions before arriving at the airport to ensure a safe and seamless journey. It’s also important to check the size limits for your carry-on bag before your flight, as they vary by airline.

List of common items banned in hand luggage

Corkscrew: but it is allowed in hold luggage.

Knife (with a sharp or pointed blade and/or blade longer than 6cm) – but it could be allowed in hold luggage depending on the airline.

Large scissors (with blades longer than 6cm) – but it could be allowed in hold luggage depending on the airline. However, you can carry small scissors, such as sewing or embroidery scissors, in your hand luggage, but the blade must be shorter than 6cm.

Fireworks, flares and other pyrotechnics (including party poppers and toy caps): these are also not allowed in hold luggage.

Non-safety matches: and they are not allowed in hold luggage either. However, safety matches are allowed in hand luggage, but not in hold luggage.

Liquids: The majority of UK airports require liquids to be under 100ml; however, some airports have scrapped this rule. This includes: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London City, Teesside, Belfast International, Belfast City, and Newquay. As rules have evolved, it’s advisable to check directly with the airport for both your outbound and inbound flights, as countries outside the UK may also impose different restrictions. The government outlines that you cannot take frozen liquids, including frozen breast milk, in your hand luggage, but there are some exceptions to the 100ml rule. Passengers are allowed to take “liquid containers up to 2 litres through security at all UK airports” for medical purposes, special dietary requirements, or baby food or milk. Liquids above 100ml purchased at the airport or from duty-free can be taken on board.

Cigarette lighters : they must be placed in a resealable plastic bag in carry-on luggage and kept on you throughout the flight. The government states that passengers may carry only one lighter on board an aircraft, and it cannot be packed in hold luggage.

Niche items banned in hand luggage

Heavy bats and sticks (including baseball, softball and cricket bats): – although they are allowed in hold luggage.

Golf clubs, darts, walking/hiking poles, catapult, crossbow and martial arts equipment (including knuckledusters, clubs, coshes, rice flails and nunchuks): but they are all permitted in hold luggage.

Firearms (including replica firearms): but they could be allowed in hold luggage, so it’s best to check directly with your airline before travel.

Harpoon or spear gun: but they might be allowed in hold luggage, so check directly with your airline before travel.

Work tools: this includes drills, a tool with a blade or shaft longer than 6cm, Stanley knife, saw, screwdriver, hammer, pliers, wrench or spanner, bolt gun or nail gun, crowbar and blowtorch). However, they can be taken in hold luggage.

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