Justin Welby’s resignation dominates the headlines as calls grow for others to resign and the archbishop not to be a ‘sacrificial lamb’

UK papers on Wednesday focused on the archbishop of Canterbury’s decision to resign amid mounting pressure from victims and members of the clergy over his handling of one of the church’s worst abuse scandals. The fallout continues as other church figures also face calls to step down.

The Guardian leads with Justin Welby’s “sorrow” at the abuse scandal , quoting him as saying his resignation was “in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve”.

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Der Spiegel journalist Regina Steffens and author John Kampfner explain how Germany’s traffic light coalition came to an end, and the profound problems facing whichever government comes next

As Germans processed the news of Donald Trump’s re-election on Wednesday, they were soon hit by a story much closer to home – their coalition government was about to collapse.

As Der Spiegel journalist Regina Steffens explains to Helen Pidd , though the divisions within the government were well-known, it still came as a shock. This, after all, is a country that values political stability and has not seen a government collapse in more than 40 years.

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World’s richest man has been an enthusiastic cost-cutter – but he may find the public sector an entirely different beast

Donald Trump, president-elect of the US, announced on Tuesday that he has selected Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, with plans to reduce bureaucracy in the federal government by roughly a third.

Musk had pushed for a government efficiency department and has since relentlessly promoted it, emphasizing the acronym for the agency: Doge, a reference to a meme of an expressive Shiba Inu. Trump said the agency will be conducting a “complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government, and making recommendations for drastic reforms”.

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Antony Blinken on flying visit to Brussels; majority of Ukrainians still oppose land-for-peace deal. What we know on day 994

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Musk and ex-presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head up Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)

• Trump names Elon Musk to key role – follow live

Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.

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Sutton Trust calls for improved access to creative education and industry dominated by upper middle-class

Young people from working-class backgrounds are being “blocked” from entering the creative industries, which remain “elitist” and inaccessible, according to research.

A report from the Sutton Trust found stark overrepresentation in the arts for those from the most affluent backgrounds, which it defines as those from “upper middle-class backgrounds”.

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Despite nations’ pledges at Cop28 a year ago, the burning of coal, oil and gas continued to rise in 2024

There is “no sign” of the transition away from burning fossil fuels that was pledged by the world’s nations a year ago, with 2024 on track to set another new record for global carbon emissions.

The new data, released at the UN’s Cop29 climate conference in Azerbaijan, indicates that the planet-heating emissions from coal, oil and gas will rise by 0.8% in 2024. In stark contrast, emissions have to fall by 43% by 2030 for the world to have any chance of keeping to the 1.5C temperature target and limiting “increasingly dramatic” climate impacts on people around the globe.

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Health secretary says controversial scheme for trusts in England is necessary to raise standards

Wes Streeting plans to publish a football-style league table of the best- and worst-performing hospitals in England, prompting fury from NHS bosses and staff at the prospect of struggling trusts being “named and shamed”.

The health secretary will announce the controversial move on Wednesday to an audience of health service leaders and defend it as a “tough” but necessary way of raising care standards.

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Killing of Antônio Vinicius Lopes Gritzbach, 38, former First Capital Command member, spawns number of theories

Police investigating a brazen murder at the arrivals area of Brazil’s main airport are pursuing at least three lines of inquiry in their attempt to track down the killers – and the possible masterminds of the shocking crime.

Antônio Vinicius Lopes Gritzbach, 38, was leaving São Paulo international airport on Friday afternoon when two hooded men jumped out of a car and fired a hail of bullets. The brazen attack, captured on security cameras , marked a dramatic escalation of criminal violence in the country.

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