2 hours ago Ding Liren beats Gukesh Dommaraju in World Chess Championship 2024 Game 1 – as it happened

Ding wins Game 1 when Gukesh resigns after 42 movesExplainer: all your pre-match questions, answeredOur Leonard Barden has filed his final dispatch ahead of today’s opening game. Barden, who’s written the Guardian’s chess column every week since September 1955, doesn’t divert from the general consensus in his assessment of the match.The preliminaries are nearly over: who will win? I expect Gukesh to be cautious in the first few games, then to probe and push hard in the middle of the match. Ding’s 2024 form has been so wretched that it is difficult to see how he can keep his title. A 7.5-4.5 margin for Gukesh looks about right. Continue reading...

Sport

4 hours ago Major Scottish health board’s gender clinic to resume all referrals and assessments

Scottish Trans Alliance say questions remain over the health board’s decisions

Science

4 hours ago Jaguar will slash UK dealer network by around 75% as part of radical EV rebrand

Jaguar will cut its showrooms from 80 to around 20 by 2026, as it looks to target the wealthiest parts of the country with its upcoming range of premium EVs.

Economics

5 hours ago CBI chief hits out at Reeves after firms face ‘heavy burden’ from tax rises

Confederation of British Industry chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said firms face tough decisions on hiring and investment due to the Budget.

Economics

7 hours ago Ding Liren v Gukesh Dommaraju: World Chess Championship 2024 Game 1 – live updates

Ding and Gukesh face off for $2.5m in SingaporeExplainer: all your pre-match questions, answeredBluesky Bryan at @BryanAGraham or email himOur Leonard Barden has filed his final dispatch ahead of today’s opening game. Barden, who’s written the Guardian’s chess column every week since September 1955, doesn’t divert from the general consensus in his assessment of the match.The preliminaries are nearly over: who will win? I expect Gukesh to be cautious in the first few games, then to probe and push hard in the middle of the match. Ding’s 2024 form has been so wretched that it is difficult to see how he can keep his title. A 7.5-4.5 margin for Gukesh looks about right. Continue reading...

Sport

12 hours ago More than 1.8MILLION people sign petition demanding a new general election amid mounting fury at Labour's Budget tax raid

The petition on the Parliament website, complaining that Keir Starmer has 'gone back on promises', has been gaining 100,000 backers an hour.

Economics

12 hours ago Trump plans to kick transgender troops out of the military with 15,000 service members to be 'medically discharged' on his first day in office, report claims

President elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to issue an executive order on his 'first day in office' to ban transgender members of the military.

Events

16 hours ago As Cop29 wraps up and the climate crisis gathers pace, Australia’s dash for gas is confounding | Bill Hare

Nearly all observers believe Chris Bowen is strongly committed to action. Most agree that can’t be said for his partyCop29 in Baku has concluded but its outcome is disappointing – in many dimensions. Its decisions on finance – agreeing that the developed world would provide US$300bn a year by 2035 – come nowhere close to what’s needed. Ultimately, it may even be poisonous because of its lack of ambition and muddled scope – it does not even cover loss and damage.Baku saw little sense of urgency or increased climate action, despite the universal message from scientific studies, including the Climate Action Tracker. Our global update this year found that in the last three years there’s been virtually no improvement in either action on the ground, nor ambition to take action in the future. ...

Society

19 hours ago Meet the man behind the petition demanding a general election: More than one million Britons have called for change amid fury at Labour's Budget tax raid

Michael Westwood, who is the owner of Britain's 'cheapest pub', said he didn't imagine in his 'wildest dreams' that his campaign, which has been reposted by Elon Musk, would get such traction.

Economics

20 hours ago Hospices across Scotland warn of funding crisis as Ayrshire chief joins call for funding support

Tracy Flynn, CEO of the Ayrshire Hospice, is among those leading calls for more financial help.

Events