EUROPE

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MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence service, will soon be led by a woman for the first time in its 116-year history. Blaise Metreweli, a veteran intelligence officer who joined the service in 1999, has been appointed as the next chief, replacing Sir Richard Moore later this year.

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TikTok has blocked users from searching for the hashtag "skinnytok," which critics claim promotes extreme thinness. Videos tagged with #skinnytok often feature workout routines and daily eating habits. The platform stated that the search was disabled because the hashtag became associated with unhealthy weight loss content.

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The UK’s Data (Use and Access) Bill, which became a lightning rod for a growing battle between artists and AI developers, has finally cleared Parliament—despite high-profile opposition from stars like Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa, and Sir Paul McCartney.

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Uber plans to launch self-driving taxis in London next year as part of England's upcoming trials of driverless services, the company and the UK government announced Tuesday. The initial phase will include a human safety driver who can intervene, with the aim of transitioning to fully driverless operation later on.

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As competition looms, Eurostar announced plans Tuesday to expand its direct train routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva. The move, slated for the early 2030s, comes as potential rivals threaten its 30-year monopoly on cross-channel rail travel. New services from Amsterdam and Brussels to Geneva are also planned.

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Slovakia’s government has approved plans to sell meat from brown bears, a protected species in the EU, after authorising the culling of about a quarter of the country’s 1,300 bears last month. The move has sparked criticism from conservation groups and opposition politicians.