Author: BBC

Strong winds are continuing to cause some travel disruption in parts of the UK as millions of people travel ahead of Christmas.Yellow weather warnings for wind are in place until 21:00 GMT for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and northern and western England.On Sunday, winds of 50-60mph are predicted, with the Met Office warning of gusts of up to 70mph in exposed coastal and hilly areas – a gust of 82mph was recorded in South Uist on the Western Isles on Saturday.The weather has led to the cancellation of some ferry services and flights, road closures to high-sided vehicles and rail…

A total of $2.2bn (£1.76bn) in cryptocurrencies has been stolen this year, with North Korean hackers accounting for more than half that figure, according to a new study.Research firm Chainalysis says hackers affiliated with the reclusive state stole $1.3bn of digital currencies – more than double last year’s haul.Some of the thefts appear to be linked to North Korean hackers posing as remote IT workers to infiltrate crypto and other technology firms, the report says.It comes as the price of bitcoin has more than doubled this year as incoming US president Donald Trump is expected to be more crypto-friendly than…

BBCSlowthai got his nickname during his youth in Northampton, where he was known to talk slowly and often stutter”Even if he is acquitted, it will not leave him. He’ll be cancelled for the rest of time,” Patrick Gibbs KC, defending Slowthai, told the jury.As the not guilty verdicts were read out by the foreman, the rapper collapsed in tears in the dock – he had just been acquitted of three counts of rape following a three-week-long trial at Oxford Crown Court.In that moment, most people in that court room, including the rapper’s friends and family, were focussed on the relief…

Patients most “in need” should be able to see the same doctor at every appointment in their local GP surgery, the government says.GPs will be rewarded financially if they do this and if they go “above and beyond” preventing common killers like heart disease or treating high blood pressure early, it says.The measures are included in proposed changes to the GP contract in England – the government says it will add an extra £889m to the existing budget.The doctors’ union, the BMA, which will now consult its members on the proposals, says GP practices have been worried about finances but…

SegaSonic x Shadow Generations sold more than 1 million copies in a single day when it launched in OctoberSega is considering launching its own Netflix-like subscription service for video games, a move which would accelerate gaming’s transition towards streaming.There are already a number of similar services on the market – such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus – which see gamers pay a monthly fee for access to a range of titles rather than owning them outright.Sega’s president Shuji Utsumi told the BBC such subscription products were “very interesting”, and his firm was “evaluating some opportunities”.”We’re thinking something -…

Alphabet’s Google proposed new limits to revenue-sharing agreements with companies including Apple which make Google’s search engine the default on their devices and browsers.The suggestions stem from the US search giant’s ongoing antitrust battle over its online search business.In August, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally crushed its competition in search – a decision the company vowed to appeal.In a legal filing submitted Friday, Google said it should be allowed to continue entering into those contracts with other companies while widening the options it offers.These options include allowing different default search engines to be assigned to different…

Channel 4/PAFiona Wood, from Kinross, won after correctly identifying “lassitude” as the final conundrumA forensic accountant from Scotland has become the first woman to be crowned Countdown champion in 26 years.The long-running numbers and words game show has had five other female champions since its launch on Channel 4 in 1982, but none in the 21st Century. Friday’s final match between Fiona Wood, from Kinross, and Chris Kirby, went right down to the wire, but the accountant prevailed after correctly identifying the final conundrum as “lassitude”, meaning a state of physical or mental weariness.Wood said: “I have absolutely no regrets…

Getty ImagesAI can potentially spot much more from a blood test than currently possibleThis is the third feature in a six-part series that is looking at how AI is changing medical research and treatments.Ovarian cancer is “rare, underfunded, and deadly”, says Audra Moran, head of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (Ocra), a global charity based in New York.Like all cancers, the earlier it is detected the better.Most ovarian cancer starts in the fallopian tubes, so by the time it gets to the ovaries, it may have already spread elsewhere too.”Five years prior to ever having a symptom is when you…

DC Studios/WBDavid Corenswet is the fourth person to play the role in a major Superman movieThe first trailer has been released for James Gunn’s hotly-awaited reboot of Superman, a film that Hollywood is hoping will come to its rescue as one of the biggest releases of 2025.David Corenswet plays the Man of Steel in the movie that’s intended to kick-start a new era for DC Studios, which writer-director Gunn and producer Peter Safran took over in 2022.The trailer starts with Superman crashing to Earth in an icy landscape before being revived by Krypto the Superdog, who looks set to become…

Getty ImagesNavantia already has a business relationship with Harland & WolffSpain’s state-owned shipbuilder has reached a deal to buy Harland & Wolff, the Belfast shipyard best known for the Titanic.Navantia had been in exclusive negotiations since October after Harland & Wolff’s holding company fell into administration.All jobs at the firm are expected to be saved in the deal, which also includes Harland & Wolff’s facilities in Scotland and England.The UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the deal was “good for jobs” and “good for national security”.ReutersReynolds said that the deal secures all four Harland & Wolff yards across the UK…