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

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Chris Pratt has asked the question almost every parent wonders when raising their children: Is it okay to throw away childhood trophies? The Guardians of the Galaxy star, 44, recently posed the question to his social media followers after he and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, came across all her childhood trophies kept by her parents, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. Pratt took to Instagram on 24 October, where he shared several photos of the children’s book author, 33, holding up some of her many childhood trophies - including “Problem Solving Super Star 4th Grade 2000” and “most improved two-year-old in swim class”. In the lengthy caption, the Parks and Recreation alum explained that Schwarzenegger’s mother had been “storing special items” from her daughter’s childhood for years, which he noted was “so very thoughtful”. “To see my darling wife beaming with sentiment as she opens these crates of meticulously organised keepsakes, remembering her cherished youth, makes me grateful for the efforts her folks put into archiving,” Pratt wrote. “I suppose that’s the payoff for the work it took to store this stuff, the smile on her face as she relives moments of her youth. To pray one day that your children will look back on their childhood with glee is a blessing. It is the hope of parenthood.” However, as the couple - who have been married since 2019 - perused Schwarzenegger’s prized possessions, it got him thinking about how long he’s supposed to hold onto his own children’s mementos. Pratt shares an 11-year-old son, Jack, with ex-wife Anna Faris and two daughters - Lyla, three, and Eloise, one - with Schwarzenegger. “Real talk,” Pratt said. “Once your kid goes through the stuff, is it okay to toss? I mean… do we need the ‘I was on a sports team trophy?’ Can they be donated? Repurposed? How many do we gotta keep? Not all of them right? Any of them? Is there a grading scale? Like, did you win? Were you a champion? Is there a specific sentimental connection? Help me out here. Do they go back in storage?” His relatable question prompted many parents in the comments section to sound off on how long they’ve kept their children’s trophies. Some users admitted that they wished their own parents had held onto their accolades for so long. “Wait this is amazing. I’ll be saving my children’s stuff for sure,” one person commented. “Well, I have no keepsakes from childhood and I wish I did. So there is that,” another said. “I had my boys go through their boxes and they kept what was special to them. I tossed the rest,” a third fan wrote. “FREEDOM!!!” Others revealed what they did to cherish their children’s precious memories while still saving some room in the storage bin. “I donated all my old trophies to an organisation that removes the labels and repurposes them for fun awards,” wrote one fan. “For those sentimental ones, we peeled off the engraved part and kept it in a plastic pocket notebook and tossed the trophy part,” said someone else. Another user suggested: “Give them out as prizes when your friends come over for game night.” Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger joked that her husband was simply jealous she’s acquired so many trophies over the years. “Feels like someone is a litttlllee bit jealous of my natural athleticism from birth and ability to solve problems,” she commented. Pratt’s mother-in-law also weighed in on the debate, as she applauded herself for saving almost every prized possession for her four children. “Omg I’m so happy,” Shriver commented. “Here’s to story trophies and school work and dresses and party outfits I feel vindicated.” The Jurassic World star was married to Faris in 2009. The former couple announced their split in August 2017 and finalised their divorce in October 2018, four months after he began dating Schwarzenegger. He proposed to the author in January 2019 and they were married in June that year. Pratt has often shared glimpses into his life as a father of three on social media. Most recently, he went viral when he posted a photo of the glittery makeover he received from his two daughters. He shared two photos of his new look, including one where his forehead was bedazzled with teal, purple, and silver gems. The other photo showed Pratt with pearl-like gems dotting his face, as well as a teal manicure. “All I have to say is… Jack would never do this to me,” he captioned the post. Read More Gym maths: How to optimise 22 minutes exercise a day according to fitness experts Jasmine Harman tearfully recalls mother’s struggles with hoarding Neglecting women’s health at work could cost UK economy £20.2bn a year – analysis Gym maths: How to optimise 22 minutes exercise a day according to fitness experts Jasmine Harman tearfully recalls mother’s struggles with hoarding Neglecting women’s health at work could cost UK economy £20.2bn a year – analysis