Author: BBC

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…

Getty ImagesA TikTok creator wears a badge in support of the platformThe US Supreme Court has agreed to hear last-ditch legal arguments from TikTok as to why it should not be banned or sold in the US.The US government is taking action against the app because of what it says are its links to the Chinese state – links which TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have denied.The Supreme Court justices did not act on a request by TikTok for an emergency injunction against the law, but will instead allow TikTok and ByteDance to make their case on 10 January…

“What I go through is not normal, but it is normalised,” says Emily “It felt like being stabbed, I’d be on my hands and knees in pain.”Emily Handstock, 25 has struggled with period pain for 10 years and has documented the agony she has gone through on TikTok.”I was admitted to hospital and the morphine barely touched the sides,” she said.She wants other women and girls to take part in severe period pain research which could help shape education and healthcare and improve the lives of women in the future.Emily, who lives in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, has felt the…

BBCTom Grennan said it would “mean everything” if he scored a Christmas number oneSinger Tom Grennan has called on fans of his beloved Coventry City to help him in his bid for Christmas number one.The Sky Blues supporter’s track It Can’t Be Christmas is currently in a three-way battle with Wham’s Last Christmas and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You.As part of his pursuit of the top spot, Grennan recently got “Christmas no.1 2024 is…” tattooed on his leg, which he said he would complete with whichever song came out on top.But he told BBC CWR it…