Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker), Emmerdale’s most twisted medical professional since John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), is truly a wretched creature.

A vicious bully at work and an arch manipulator in every other aspect of her life, she’s even managed to take on and almost entirely destroy the usually indomitable Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).

We were introduced to Todd as the spiteful boss of young student doctor, Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant), who she took an instant dislike to, proceeding to make his working life a living hell. Not satisfied with torturing him at work, she also moved to the village and became Vanessa Woodfield’s (Michelle Hardwick) roommate, allowing her to continue to victimise him when he’s at home, too.

Jacob took to the proper channels by formally reporting Todd to HR at the hospital, though Todd’s discovery that baby Leyla, believed to be Jacob and wife Sarah Sugden’s (Katie Hill), is actually the child of not-so-surrogate, Charity, led to her using this ammunition to force Charity to get Jacob to withdraw his complaint.

Clever enough to know her time was running out, and that Jacob may well resume his official complaint in the future, thus tarnishing her precious career, Todd changed tack and decided to retire early. Though Sarah was insistent that Jacob see his original complaint through, Jacob could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and looked forward to a working life without Todd constantly holding his feet to the fire.

Todd’s new focus on Charity, though, is every bit as cruel and vindictive as it was with Jacob, only without the professional veneer she previously employed. Charity knows of her true, dark nature, thus no haughty or accomplished masquerading is needed.

Initially demanding only £10,000 for her silence regarding Leyla’s true parentage, Todd saw pound signs when she realised that Charity actually owned half of the Woolpack, and multiplied her demand by ten: she now wanted £100,000 to keep her mouth shut and disappear.

With few options to scrape the cash together left, Charity turned to her well-off cousins, Caleb and Ruby Miligan (William Ash and Beth Cordingly), with an offer to purchase her share of the pub. Caleb was instantly aware that something was seriously wrong; Charity would never be so desperate to flog her beloved Woolpack and attempted to dig deeper into what was driving her.

Though Charity kept shtum, Caleb made it abundantly clear that should Charity need his support, he’d be there for her.

Witnessing their exchange made Todd uneasy, and she later let herself into Charity’s house, picking up baby Leyla while landing more threats on Charity. With an ice cold warning that she had no idea what Todd was truly capable of, Charity was left more terrified than ever that her secret was about to be exposed, which would lead her life to ultimately explode.

But will she take Caleb up on his offer?

Caleb is equally as terrifying an enemy as both Charity and Todd, possessing a deeply ruthless streak and a determination to destroy all those that cross him. He appeared in the village initially, determined to claim Home Farm as his true birth right, being the son of Frank Tate (Norman Bowler), with every intention of annihilating Kim Tate (Claire King) on his way to his ultimate goal.

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He even used his son, Nicky (Lewis Cope) to seduce Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) as part of the scheme, seeing her as little more than collateral damage.

Caleb and Charity together would be nearly unstoppable; a manipulative, devious force that could truly spell the end of Dr Caitlin Todd and put her reign of terror down for good.

But would Charity risk more people discovering that the baby she carried for Sarah and Jacob is actually hers and Ross Barton’s (Michael Parr)?

If she doesn’t, Charity may well have to accept defeat, and be left with absolutely nothing by the time that Todd has bled her dry, but that doesn’t sound very Charity-like, does it?

MORE: Charity saves Vanessa from sinister Dr Todd in Emmerdale

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MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as casualty of Tate-Dingle war ‘confirmed’

The Unite union says nearly 500 HGV drivers employed by Eddie Stobart supplying Morrison’s supermarkets across the north of England are being balloted for strike action over what it calls ‘union-busting’.

The workers, based at Morrison’s three distribution depots in Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Northwich in Cheshire, are angry over Eddie Stobart’s increasing use of agency drivers to undermine terms and conditions.

Unite says around 40 per cent of drivers in Stockton and Northwich are now agency.

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Instead of hiring new drivers directly when people leave, Eddie Stobart is gradually replacing its unionised workforce with individuals on insecure contracts and significantly diminished terms and conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Eddie Stobart’s attempts to undermine drivers’ pay and conditions, creating a race-to-the-bottom on employment standards is appalling.

“This disgraceful union-busting will not be allowed – these workers have Unite’s absolute backing.”

As well as excluding temporary workers from the collective bargaining rights permanent staff are entitled to, Unite says Edie Stobart Limited has confirmed if it does hire any new directly employed drivers in the future that they will also be on inferior terms and conditions.  

Press advert (Image: NQ)

The workers are being balloted until  June 4. They are responsible for delivering every type of grocery to Morrison’s supermarkets and strike action would result in empty shelves across the north of England.

Unite regional officer Neil Howells said: “Morrison’s will be extremely angry that it is facing empty shelves because Eddie Stobart is union-busting. There is still time to avoid strikes, but that will require Eddie Stobart reaching a fair agreement with Unite.” 

A spokesperson for Morrisons told the Press: “We understand that Eddie Stobart Limited and Unite remain in discussions on this issue and encourage both parties to engage constructively to find a solution.

“We note that deliveries continue as normal.”

Eddie Stobart Ltd has been approached for comment.

What: Beachfront resorts home to award-winning restaurants and next-level dining

Where: Idyllic coastal locations in Mexico and the Dominican Republic

Don’t miss: The freshly caught fish and seafood dishes, whichever location you’re in

Highlight: Knowing you don’t have to leave the resort to get a taste of the region’s traditional cuisine

Two teenagers were found dead after the opened fire at a mosque, killing three men – one of the suspects was revealed to be a former school wrestler and images revealed the teen showing off their sports medals

One of the alleged shooters who opened fire at a mosque was identified as a 17-year-old former school wrestler.

Three people were left dead after two gunmen sprayed bullets outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, in California, on Monday. The teenage suspects were later identified as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, and were later found dead inside a BMW, near the mosque, reportedly with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Clark has been revealed to be a former high school wrestler, with images showing the teenager showing off his medals. Hate speech had reportedly been inscribed into one of the weapons used in the horror attack and anti-Islamic writings were reportedly discovered in the suspects’ car.

READ MORE: San Diego shooting updates: ‘Hate rhetoric’ of gunmen as three killed at mosqueREAD MORE: ‘Heroic’ security guard killed in San Diego shooting ‘saved lives’ as three shot dead by two teen gunmen

Clark had been a wrestler at Madison High School during the 2024-25 season but did not attend the school as a student, according to NBC. A spokesperson for the San Diego Unified School District said Clark had been attending virtual classes and was due to graduate this month.

The 17-year-old’s grandfather, David Clark, 78, according the New York Post, said: “We’re very sorry for what happened. We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said officers were called at 9.42am local time from a mum who reported a “runaway juvenile” who she believed was suicidal. The mother added that “several of her weapons” had vanished, as well as her car.

A shotgun with a sticker that said “SS” was also found near the crime scene. This appears to be a reference to Schutzstaffel, which enforced Adolf Hitler’s horror racial policies during Nazi Germany.

The mum also told the police that her son was with another person and she saw them both dressed in camouflage before reporting them to the cops. It is not clear if this missing teenager is one of the suspects in this case.

San Diego Police chief Scott Wahl said the attack was being investigated as a hate crime and said the “circumstances that led up to this” would come out in the days ahead.

On the mother who called the police before the attack, Wahl said: “She was beginning to develop a bigger picture as to what she was dealing with and was conveying that to our folks, and we were trying to put that together and get out in front of this as quickly as we could.”

The mother also found a note, Wahl said. He did not disclose its contents but said of the case: “There was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved.”

Amin Abdullah was reportedly one of the three people killed in the horrific attack. The security guard was described as a hero by parents of children who attended the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Sam Hamideh, speaking to CNN, said: “He wasn’t just some security guard. Knowing him for the past four years, I know that he knew he was sacrificing himself. If he didn’t take that bullet, they would easily have walked upstairs and then there’s just innocent eight and younger [children] and women, and people that couldn’t defend themselves.”

Wahl also praised the security guard and said: “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.” Police responded within four minutes of being called, Wahl said. As they arrived, gunshots rang out a few blocks away where a landscaper was shot at but uninjured.

The centre is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School that offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages five and up, according to its website.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Before the first shot rang out at a San Diego mosque in a deadly shooting that would leave three men dead, police were already scrambling to find two teenagers who would ultimately be responsible.

The search began after a mother of one of the teenagers reported her son was suicidal and had run away, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, who said weapons were missing from the home and her vehicle was gone.

Two hours later, the shooting began at the Islamic Center of San Diego, just blocks away from the home.

The suspects, ages 17 and 18, were found in a vehicle after killing themselves a few blocks from the site of the shooting.

Authorities planned to execute search warrants related to the investigation Tuesday as they piece together how and why the shooting unfolded. There was no specific threat made against the Islamic center, but authorities found evidence that the suspects engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric,” Wahl said, noting that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

The center, which said it was closed until further notice, is the largest mosque in San Diego and typically holds five daily prayers.

“These were men who put themselves on the line for our masjid and our community,” the center wrote in a Facebook post, using the Arabic word for mosque. “Men of courage, sacrifice, and faith. Their absence leaves a void that can never truly be filled.”

On Monday morning, the search for the missing teen intensified as law enforcement began to gather more details. Police learned he had dressed in camouflage and was with an acquaintance. Officers used automated license plate readers to track the car and went to a mall in the area. They also alerted a school where at least one of the teens had been a student and continued interviewing the mother, Wahl said.

When reports of the shooting came in, police responded within four minutes of being called. Three men were dead when they arrived, Wahl said.

Among those killed was a security guard, who police believe “played a pivotal role” in keeping the attack from being “much worse,” Wahl said.

“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” the chief said at a news conference. “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.”

A family friend identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, a well-known face at the mosque who had worked there for more than a decade.

“He wanted to defend the innocent so he decided to become a security guard,” said Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, who spoke with Abdullah’s son.

The family could not immediately be reached for comment.

The center called him “a courageous man who put himself on the line of the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community.”

The mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets. The center includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up, according to its website.

Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the center’s parking lot as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles.

Imam Taha Hassane, the mosque’s director, called it “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” adding that the center focused on interfaith relations and community building.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.

“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam said in a statement.

President Donald Trump called the shooting a “terrible situation.”

___

Johnson reported from Seattle. Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

Channel 4 drama Falling tells of a forbidden love story between a nun and a Catholic priest.

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Falling will soon debut on Channel 4, hailing from the creator behind Netflix‘s Adolescence.

Channel 4 is set to broadcast the debut of Falling, a six-part drama exploring a forbidden relationship between a devoted nun and an alluring Catholic priest.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about Falling before it launches.

Channel 4 Falling start time

Falling launches this evening, Tuesday, May 19, at 9pm, on Channel 4.

Spanning six episodes, the second instalment airs in the identical timeslot tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, with subsequent episodes anticipated to maintain this Tuesday and Wednesday schedule.

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Channel 4 Falling cast

Beyond being penned by acclaimed writer Jack Thorne, who created the groundbreaking Netflix drama Adolescence, Falling features a wealth of talented performers.

Actress Keeley Hawes portrays nun Anna, renowned for Line of Duty, Bodyguard, Spooks, Miss Austen and The Assassin.

Joining her is Paapa Essiedu, known for Black Mirror, The Capture and I May Destroy You, as the captivating Catholic priest David.

Additional prominent names appearing in Falling include Gavin and Stacey’s Adrian Scarborough, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries star Jason Watkins and Holby City star Rakie Ayola, amongst others.

What’s Channel 4’s Falling about?

Falling centres on the prohibited romance between captivating Catholic priest David (played by Paapa Essiedu) and dedicated nun Anna (Keeley Hawes).

They must navigate not only their emerging feelings for each other but also their relationships with God.

The official synopsis states: “After years of their lives spent dedicated to service, a chance encounter and a misunderstanding threatens to change everything they’ve ever known.

“As Anna begins a new life outside of the convent walls, and David battles to instigate change in a community that desperately needs support, they must each wrestle with their own desires, fears and secrets.”

Falling premieres tonight, Tuesday, May 19, at 9pm on Channel 4.

Josh Widdicombe has thrown cold water on his rumoured appointment as one of the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.

The comedian appeared in the Good Morning Britain studio on Tuesday for a robust line of questioning from Susanna Reid on the reports he has been picked by the BBC to host alongside Emma Willis.

The comedian and Last Leg host was said to have had a ‘razor-sharp’ audition as one of the finalists for the coveted BBC role, and it appears his onscreen chemistry with Emma nabbed him the gig.

But Widdicombe was reluctant to confirm the news either way on ITV, simply telling Reid and her co-host Ed Balls: ‘Do not believe what you read in the papers.’

That wasn’t enough to satiate the GMB hosts, who continued to prod and probe an uncomfortable Widdicombe, who dodged their questions.

He went on to say: ‘It’s lovely to be linked with the role. It’s an impressive thing on your CV. I think I’d do a lovely job.’

He later added: ‘It would be lovely to be the next presenter, but the thing is… It doesn’t mean anything. I’m glad to be linked with it. I would love to do it.’

Reid suggested that Widdicombe might not yet have completed the paperwork to confirm the job, but he remained mum on it.

He even at one point suggested that Balls and Reid, who have both danced on the Strictly ballroom floor, would be a good fit for the hosting job.

‘If I was casting it, I’d look for a couple that have got Strictly heritage, two stars of the ballroom, chemistry, weekends off, experience in live TV,’ he said.

‘There’s only one couple I can think of, and they’re sitting right in front of me.’

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The ceremony took place at Greenfield Academy in Newton Aycliffe, where Esh Construction hosted representatives from the Advanced Learning Partnership Multi Academy Trust, Durham County Council, Atkins Realis, school staff and pupils.

The topping out marks substantial progress in the academy’s multi-million pound redevelopment, which includes a new education hub, upgraded sports facilities and community spaces.

Students at a topping-out ceremony has been held at Greenfield Academy in Newton Aycliffe (Image: Supplied)

Grant Watson, construction director at Esh Construction, said: “Reaching topping out at Greenfield Academy is a significant moment for the project and a real testament to the collaboration between the academy, Durham County Council and our project teams.

“With the building envelope now largely complete, we’re making strong progress internally and looking ahead to the next phases of fit-out and external works that will bring these new facilities to life.”

The new block will eventually accommodate up to 750 students and is being funded jointly by Durham County Council and the Multi Academy Trust.

It forms part of a wider programme of works, including a sports centre extension and refurbishment of existing school facilities.

A topping-out ceremony has been held at Greenfield Academy in Newton Aycliffe (Image: Supplied)

The teaching block is now structurally complete, with the roof fully installed and tested, brickwork nearing completion and windows fully glazed, making the building secure and weather-tight.

Inside, partitions have been formed and classrooms are taking shape, while mechanical and electrical installations are underway.

Once finished, the block will house 19 classrooms and specialist hubs for IT, art, design and technology, and science.

Mr Watson said: “With the building envelope now largely complete, we’re making strong progress internally and looking ahead to the next phases of fit-out and external works that will bring these new facilities to life.”

Work on the sports centre extension is also progressing, with brickwork complete and internal works and cladding about to begin.

The centre will feature new changing rooms and a dance studio for both curriculum delivery and wider community use.

James Keating, executive headteacher at Greenfield Academy, said: “This new building will transform the lives of our young people for generations to come.

“It will give our pupils access to an outstanding learning environment, one that truly reflects their potential, nurtures their ambition and provides the facilities they deserve.

“These state-of-the-art spaces will inspire creativity, curiosity and confidence, and will support our staff in delivering exceptional education every single day.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress being made and deeply grateful to all partners involved in bringing this vision to life.”

In addition to the new build, refurbishment work is underway within the existing school to reconfigure and upgrade key areas, providing lasting benefits beyond simple aesthetic improvements.

The overall project aims to deliver modern, adaptable learning environments, enhanced sports facilities and a strengthened community role for the academy.

Councillor Cathy Hunt, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s service, said: “This is a key milestone in developing a modern education hub at Greenfield Academy and we are pleased that our strong collaboration with Esh Construction and the academy has allowed us to reach this important moment.

“We’re excited for this multi-million-pound development to be completed, when it will provide a cutting-edge facility for families in Newton Aycliffe.”

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Health workers and humanitarian groups are rushing to try and contain an Ebola outbreak spreading through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a former government minister warning the outbreak should be “a wake-up call” about the “dangerous” threat of UK and US aid cuts on the response to pandemics.

DRC’s eastern Ituri province has seen more than 390 suspected cases and at least 100 reported deaths, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Jean Kaseya. Cases have also been detected elsewhere in the country and in neighbouring Uganda. Other neighbours Rwanda and South Sudan are now on high alert. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US has said that a “small number of Americans who are directly affected by this outbreak” are being withdrawn from the area.

Rory Stewart, who served as the UK’s Africa minister during the last major Ebola outbreak in 2018, said the connection between aid cuts implemented by Donald Trump and the UK and outbreaks like this was “very strong.” Such cuts have “huge impacts”, he added “particularly on things like global health”.

“Pandemic preparedness – in other words, dealing with an Ebola outbreak or even a new version of a Covid outbreak – requires lots of people on the ground in places like DRC or Uganda who are able to detect cases, respond to them, quarantine and prepare responses,” he told BBC Radio 4. ” And it’s all the infrastructure behind that which is being undermined at the moment. And that’s a real threat, of course, to the world.”

“I’m not trying to start a scare in Britain around this outbreak, but what I’m hoping will happen is people will see this and realise how dangerous this is, and how much risk we’re taking by not dealing with it more directly,” he added, saying that this outbreak is the “canary in the coal mine” for future problems.

Jean Pierre Badombo, the former mayor of Mongbwalu, a mining town in Ituri at the epicentre of the outbreak, said people started falling ill in April after a large open-casket funeral procession. “After that, we experienced a cascade of deaths,” he told Reuters. The World Health Organisation (WHO), who declared the outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern” over the weekend, said a strain of Ebola – Bundibugyo virus disease – was confirmed on 14 May, weeks later.

There is no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for this strain and the WHO has warned the true scale of infections was likely far greater than official figures suggested. The Bundibugyo strain had caused only two previous outbreaks, neither within the last decade, while its epidemiology remains poorly understood. Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Centre at Brown University, told The Independent the relative lack of treatments and scientific understanding meant researchers were “flying blind and fighting the virus with both arms tied behind our backs.”

US foreign assistance spending fell by nearly 57 per cent after the Trump administration dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after the president returned to the White House for a second term last year, which had financed laboratory networks, disease surveillance programmes and emergency response capacity across the continent .Earlier this month the administration began plans to divert a further $2 billion in global health funding to cover the costs of shutting USAID operations overseas. Meanwhile, in the UK, billions of pounds are being cut from aid spending as the budget falls from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI),to fund increased defence spending.

Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official who led the agency’s Covid-19 response, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The dismantling of US-funded health programming in DRC… is likely a big factor in why this outbreak was detected so late.” He warned that WHO, which he said had mounted one of its largest-ever deployments to help contain the 2018 DRC outbreak, was now “reeling” after Trump withdrew all US funding, cutting the agency’s emergency budget for health emergencies by 37 per cent and forcing it to lay off thousands of staff. He continued: “Its emergency contingency fund is close to empty. Tough starting point to mount a major response.”

Ms Nuzzo, of Brown University, said the outbreak bore “the cumulative effects of cuts to a number of global health programmes, which have reduced the people and attention given to public health threats.” Lawrence Gostin, university professor at Georgetown, agreed that there were “all the characteristics of weakened health systems, including very late detection, ongoing uncontrolled spread and deep distrust of public health workers.”

This article has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project