Eurostar passengers departing from London can avoid one of two manual passport checks through a facial verification system. The launch of the technology at St Pancras station – which also removes the need to scan tickets – is aimed at easing congestion. To participate, passengers must use an app before travel to scan their identity document and verify their face and ticket. At the station they walk in front of a screen and have their face detected. If they are approved they can proceed through doors which open automatically. The SmartCheck system, developed by iProov, is available to Business Premier and Carte Blanche passengers. Users no longer need to have their passports scanned by Eurostar’s UK contractors carrying out exit checks. Bags are still being scanned by security staff and French border officials are continuing to check passports. It emerged earlier this year that Eurostar was being forced to leave hundreds of seats empty on trains to and from London to avoid long queues at stations. The situation has since improved but dozens of seats are not being offered for sale on some services. Enhanced post-Brexit checks carried out by French border officials have significantly increased the time it takes to process passengers at the station. Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said: “Providing a seamless station experience to our customers is a priority for Eurostar. “We continue looking for solutions to increase capacity in stations and simplify the passengers’ flows. “SmartCheck in St Pancras International station is a solution for a faster and seamless check-in experience. “By introducing SmartCheck, we become the first rail travel operator to adopt biometric face verification. “This innovation will enhance our customer departure journey, which is crucial to provide Eurostar’s unique travel experience.” Andrew Bud, chief executive of iProov, said: “The rollout of SmartCheck in Eurostar’s Business Premier check-in at London St Pancras is significant because it clearly demonstrates how facial biometric technology can be used to manage border control in a smarter and more efficient way, to benefit both organisations and passengers at scale. “By creating a biometric corridor, we are moving security checks away from the station, saving precious time and space at the border, streamlining the boarding process to one that’s far faster, more convenient, less crowded and stressful, yet even more secure.” Heathrow Airport began trialling facial biometric scanners in 2019 but the project was dropped when passenger numbers collapsed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Hostile states using organised crime gangs as proxies in the UK’ Kim Kardashian, Rylan Clark and Dalai Lama among those joining new app Threads Mastercard helping banks predict scams before money leaves customers’ accounts

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal has extended his contract with the Spanish giants until 2026, the...

No. 17 Tulane is trying to win back-to-back conference titles for the first time in nearly a century when it hosts No. 25 SMU in the American Athletic Conference championship game

The Philadelphia Phillies roster should look much different in 2024, as Dave Dombrowksi knows he has a lot of work to do this winter.

German companies have cut their investment and hiring plans as they see no sign of a self-sustaining pickup

Andrea Pirlo is returning to Italy as coach of Serie B club Sampdoria

Donald Trump’s attacks against Chris Christie turned uglier than ever on Tuesday as the former president spoke at a rally in New Hampshire, the site of the second Republican statewide nominating contest. Mr Trump has long leaned on jabs aimed at making fun of the former New Jersey governor’s weight in Truth Social postings and other comments about his once-ally. But on Tuesday, America’s 45th president took the stage in front of cheering supporters and demeaned his combative primary opponent as a “fat pig”, while mockingly imitating an aide advising him against doing so. “Sir, please do not call him a fat pig,” said the twice-impeached former president, who is currently facing nearly 80 criminal charges in three indictments. It was an otherwise unnotable moment for Mr Trump that is, however, worth understanding as a revealing preview of his debate strategy should he eventually end up onstage with Mr Christie and his other GOP rivals like his former vice president, Mike Pence, later this summer and into the fall. The GOP debates are set to be the bloodiest televised fight for the former president in years, following a largely sleepy set of debates against now-President Joe Biden in 2020 and the tame performance, by comparison, of Hillary Clinton in 2016. There’s no indication that either Mr Trump or Mr Christie, who has made a name for himself in recent weeks with aggressive attacks of his own against his rival, will hold anything back should they come face-to-face in front of the cameras. And there are other Republicans who will be on that debate stage who have likely learned the lessons of 2016 and 2020 and plan to take on Mr Trump in his own commandeering manner, if only to avoid the fates of Jeb Bush and other Republicans who were bullied into submission by him in his first presidential run. Several Republicans including most prominently Mr Christie have attacked Mr Trump over his leadership and electoral track record, blaming him for poor GOP perfomances in the House and Senate. Mr Christie has also taken a sharp edge against the former president’s campaign to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election, which has now resulted in four criminal charges against Mr Trump as well. Mr Christie and to a lesser extent other Republicans like Asa Hutchinson have argued that Mr Trump’s growing legal baggage makes him an untenable candidate for the GOP to field against an incumbent Democratic president, Joe Biden, in 2024. Read More Trump ramps up attacks on indictment at New Hampshire rally as lawyers ignore judge’s orders - latest Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds Trump rails against ‘bulls***’ charges in latest angry rant over indictment Judge rejects challenge to Ohio school district’s transgender bathroom policy Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds Who are the 2024 presidential election candidates? Meet the Republicans and Democrats campaigning

Since the passage of its landmark climate regulations 17 years ago, California has been a leader in the

Joe Rogan was a TV host and a UFC fighter before he started his podcast

New Anaheim Ducks coach Greg Cronin knows what Trevor Zegras can do on the offensive end

Emirates Group announced a record $3 billion annual profit on Thursday, hailing a "full recovery" for the Dubai-based carrier after last year's...

The Boss will be celebrated when photographs and interviews documenting his career go on display in Boston.