Search engine Google has added news content from four major providers to its website, it has been reported.

The deal covers material owned by Associated Press, the Press Association, the Canadian Press and Agence France-Presse.

From now on, articles from these companies will be hosted on Google’s own site.

Previously, web users would have been directed from the search engine towards other websites.

Product manager for Google News Josh Cohen commented: "This may result in certain publishers losing traffic for their news wire stories, but it will allow more room for their original content."

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Thai government has lifted a ban on video-sharing website YouTube.

Access to the site, which is owned by Google, was blocked after derogatory videos of the Thai royal family were posted.