Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, announced his resignation Tuesday following an inquiry that concluded he failed to report physical and sexual abuse allegations against a volunteer as soon as he was made aware of them.

The inquiry’s findings, released last Thursday, have intensified scrutiny on church leadership, sparking public outrage and internal calls for Welby’s departure.

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Pressure on Welby escalated over the weekend as the inquiry’s report brought renewed attention to accountability issues within the church.

On Monday, Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley declared that Welby’s position had become “untenable.”

Several members of the church’s national assembly also launched a petition demanding his resignation, stating he had “lost the confidence of his clergy.”

In a statement, Welby expressed that stepping aside was “in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve.”

The strongest backlash came from survivors of John Smyth, a prominent attorney who reportedly abused teenage boys and young men at Christian summer camps in Britain, Zimbabwe, and South Africa for over five decades.

Andrew Morse, one of Smyth’s victims, said resigning offered Welby a chance to address the damage caused by the church’s handling of historical abuse cases.

“This would be an opportunity for him to stand with the victims of the Smyth abuse and all victims that have not been treated properly by the Church of England in their own abuse cases,” Morse told the BBC before Welby’s announcement.

Welby’s resignation underscores the challenges facing the Church of England in the wake of revelations of widespread abuse within its institutions.

A 2022 report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse highlighted systemic issues within the church, including a tendency to prioritize the protection of accused clergy over victims, deference to clerical authority, and taboos around discussing abuse, which fostered an environment where perpetrators could “hide.”

A coalition of leading French newspapers filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the social media platform X, accusing it of reproducing their content without compensation.

The media group includes prominent titles like Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Télérama, Courrier International, Huffington Post, Malesherbes Publications, and Le Nouvel Observateur.

The lawsuit, targeting X and its owner, billionaire Elon Musk, claims the platform is violating “neighboring rights,” a legal provision requiring social media sites to pay news outlets when they share or reproduce news content.

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Under European Union directives adopted into French law, these rights are intended to support media companies whose content is used by digital platforms for commercial gain.

In an earlier emergency injunction, the newspapers, joined by Agence France-Presse (AFP), urged X to disclose commercial data on revenue generated from their content.

In May, a Paris court sided with the media companies, giving X a two-month deadline to provide the requested data, which would allow them to estimate the platform’s earnings from republished news.

According to the media group, X has not complied with the court’s order.

In a joint statement, the newspapers said, “X’s continued failure to act demonstrates an intent to avoid its legal obligations,” arguing that the new lawsuit is essential to enforce the media’s rights.

X has not yet issued a statement on the latest legal action, but the lawsuit adds pressure on social media companies in France and across Europe, where calls for stricter compensation standards for digital platforms have intensified.

President-elect Donald Trump has ruled out two prominent figures from his first administration, announcing that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley will not return in his new cabinet.

The decision, shared on Trump’s Truth Social network on Saturday, ends speculation about potential roles for Pompeo and Haley, who were both high-profile leaders under Trump in his previous term.

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“I will not be inviting” either of them back, Trump wrote, while expressing appreciation for their previous service to the country.

The announcement comes amid policy disagreements and political tension. In July, Pompeo outlined a hawkish stance on Ukraine, advocating for increased U.S. weapons aid and tough action against Russia’s energy sector.

The proposal appeared to clash with Trump’s campaign pledge to end the Ukraine war quickly, with Trump repeatedly asserting he could negotiate peace within his first 24 hours in office and criticizing extensive U.S. aid to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Haley, who challenged Trump in this year’s Republican primary before eventually endorsing him, had offered sharp advice during her campaign.

In August, she urged Trump to “quit whining” about Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, underscoring her independent approach and likely complicating her return to Trump’s cabinet.

Trump, however, did announce his first major appointment, naming campaign manager Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff.

Wiles, praised by Trump for her calm demeanor under pressure, has reportedly earned the nickname “ice baby” for her unflappable nature.

Her appointment marks a historic milestone, as she will be the first woman to hold the position in Trump’s administration.

With Wiles’ appointment, Trump’s new team is beginning to take shape, with further cabinet announcements expected in the coming weeks as he prepares for his second term.