Google launches UK news service

NEWS Google has upgraded its internet news aggregation service by launching five new country-specific versions. The company announced on Monday that it had created Google News UK. Like the original Google News, it will gather news headlines and photographs from some 4,500 media outlets across the world, but it will prioritise those that specifically refer to British government, business, science and technology, sport and entertainment news. Similar local versions of Google News have also been launched in Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada. Google said on Monday that these localised services will make it easier for people to "track topics of local interest, as well as those from around the world". Google, whose search technology is also used by companies such as Yahoo!, recently topped a list showing which portals and search engines are most popular with internet users looking for information. Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK