The conflict in Iran – but also the war in Ukraine – show not only that AI is radically changing the economics of war (which may be good news), but also that we may be heading towards some kind of “Chernobyl moment”. We may soon experience a disaster that will force us to belatedly realise we should have drawn up some shared rules to govern a technological development that we ourselves triggered.

Even Dario Amodei, the founder of AI company Anthropic, who seems passionate about taking action to prevent Armageddon, acknowledges that he doesn’t have the answer we desperately need.

One of the most interesting attempts to regulate the use of artificial intelligence may have been the one drafted during the second world war by a PhD student at Columbia University who was then temporarily employed by the US Navy. His name was Isaac Asimov, and in his early short story Runaround (1941), he postulated three laws that are still surprisingly inspiring for anyone thinking about how to solve the intellectual and political problem that is AI in warfare.

Unlike recent attempts by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and the EU to draw up regulations, Asimov’s laws are admirably concise. They state that a robot (what we now call an “artificially intelligent agent”) shall never harm a human being (or allow harm to happen through inaction. It shall always obey the orders given by humans unless they conflict with the first prohibition. And it will always protect its existence unless this conflicts with the first and second provisions.

In his story, Asimov himself shows how the three laws can create internal contradictions, leading to paralysis. And yet, Asimov’s three principles can still be useful as a starting point for the strategy we now need.

Anthropic takes a ‘stance’

The biggest merit of the note Dario Amodei wrote recently on the perils of a technology which is still in its adoloscence is the acknowledgement that Anthropic, the firm that Amodei founded, is using its own large language model (called Claude) to develop further versions of itself.

Artificial intelligence is generating even more intelligent robots and this brings us near to that “singularity” first theorised by the great mathematician John von Neumann – the moment when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence and renders us irrelevant. If the technology is an adolescent, it is growing very fast and will soon be out of the control of its creator.

Amodei does not, however, appear to have a concrete proposal on how to manage this problem. He has said that Anthropic’s contracts with the US Department of War should never include the use of the company’s models for empowering either “mass domestic surveillance” or “fully autonomous weapons”.

It is a request that has brought Anthropic into a bitter dispute with the US government. And yet it seems a rather narrow response that covers just one dimension of a much wider problem. Amodei focuses predominantly on the safety of US citizens when it is people elsewhere in the world who are currently most affected by the use of autonomous weapons. We need a bolder vision – and Asimov’s intuitions may help.

New rules

One approach would be to ask all developers of AI models to introduce in their foundational codes three simple and bold commands along the lines of: “You will never kill a human being (unless for self-defence)”; “you will always try to work for the betterment of mankind (unless such a provision entails the violation of the first command)”; “when you doubt that your actions may violate the first or the second commands, you will choose inaction and ask what to do”.

Most likely, this initiative will have to come from a group of countries following a pattern similar to the treaties of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. And it would be good to have a debate on some new ideas before we are forced to do so by some AI-empowered nuclear unintended consequence.

Like all other attempts to regulate a future that we still cannot even envisage, the three commands will have some drawbacks. A robot may have refused to kill Iran’s former leader Ali Khamenei, but that may be a price worth paying if it means we can avoid setting a precedent for other discretionary and dangerous interpretations. Robots may not always be successful at identifying human beings (as Asimov himself acknowledged in later writing) and yet this may well be one of those intellectually fascinating problems that models born to make sense of human language will solve.

More importantly, it will take not only information but a lot of wisdom to understand what is good for humankind. Robots may end up sitting frequently idle waiting for instructions. And yet efficiency is not a religion we have to follow when the challenge is about the survival of our species. Making sense of what increasingly appears to be one of the greatest technological revolutions of all time requires careful thought and forward planning.

It’s one of the world’s most famous octopus that turned out not to be an octopus at all.

This 300-million-year-old fossil was thought to be the earliest known example of one of the eight-legged sea-dwellers, and even features in the Guinness Book of Records.

But in what amounts to a prehistoric case of mistaken identity, the preserved creature turns out to be an entirely new species.

The sample’s true nature, hidden because of decay before fossilisation began, was revealed after researchers used synchrotron imaging to search inside the rock.

A University of Reading team discovered tiny teeth, which proved that Pohlsepia mazonensis was not an octopus at all. Instead it is most closely related to a modern nautilus – a multi-tentacled animal with an external shell.

This revelation, shared in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, solves a long-running puzzle in the understanding of octopus evolution that has confused scientists for decades.

It also provides evidence of the oldest nautiloid soft tissue preservation known in the fossil record and means that the record-holding ‘oldest octopus’ should be quietly removed from of the Guinness Book of Records.

Dr Thomas Clements, lead author and lecturer in Invertebrate Zoology at the University of Reading, said: ‘It turns out the world’s most famous octopus fossil was never an octopus at all.

‘It was a nautilus relative that had been decomposing for weeks before it became buried and later preserved in rock, and that decomposition is what made it look so convincingly octopus-like.

‘Scientists identified Pohlsepia as an octopus 25 years ago, but using modern techniques showed us what was beneath the surface to the rock, which finally cracked the case.

‘We now have the oldest soft tissue evidence of a nautiloid ever found, and a much clearer picture of when octopuses actually first appeared on Earth.

‘Sometimes, reexamining controversial fossils with new techniques reveals tiny clues that lead to really exciting discoveries.’

Found in Illinois, the first analysis of the fossil was published in 2000 and was later used in studies of how octopuses and their relatives evolved.

Scientists thought the fossil showed eight arms, fins, and other features typical of an octopus, pushing back the known history of octopuses by around 150 million years.

Doubts had been raised about the identification for years, but without a clear way to test them until recently.

The scientists in the new study used synchrotron imaging – a technique that uses beams of light brighter than the sun – to scan for structures invisible to the eye beneath the surface, revealing hidden details inside the rock.

They likened the process to giving a 300-million-year-old suspect a modern forensic examination.

What they found was a radula, a ribbon-like feeding structure with rows of teeth only found in molluscs.

With at least 11 tooth-like elements per row, the shape and number ruled out an octopus entirely. Octopuses have seven or nine, while nautiloids have 13.

The teeth matched those of a fossil nautiloid called Paleocadmus pohli, already known from the same site where it was found, and the researchers concluded the animal had partially rotted before fossilisation, causing it to look very different from its true self.

The nautilus is a shelled sea creature still alive today, with its ancient origins leading some to describe it as a ‘living fossil’.

The Paleocadmus fossils found at the Mazon Creek site in Illinois now represent the oldest known nautiloid soft tissue in the fossil record – beating the previous record by around 220 million years.

These findings change the picture of when octopuses first evolved. The data now supports octopuses appearing much later, during the Jurassic period.

Scientists now believe the split between octopuses and their ten-armed relatives such as squids happened in the Mesozoic era, not hundreds of millions of years earlier as previously thought.

Dr Clements concluded: ‘It’s amazing to think a row of tiny hidden teeth, hidden in the rock for 300 million years, have fundamentally changed what we know about when and how octopuses evolved.’

MORE: Shroud of Turin mystery deepens after it’s found to be covered in carrot

MORE: Incredible discoveries in city that’s ‘older than the pyramids’ could rewrite history

MORE: There’s a chance aliens are hitching a ride on the moons of rogue planets

Red light therapy has long been used by humans to improve skin health, slow signs of ageing and soothe sore muscles – now the treatment is giving a glow-up to one of our most vital pollinators: bees.

It works by stimulating the mitochondria – the powerhouses of living cells – boosting efficiency and catalysing tissue regeneration.

The brains behind Beefutures, an agritech outfit based in France and Norway, claim studies show bees enjoy the same benefits when exposed to red and near-infrared light.

Colonies given the red light treatment were better able to cope with stressors like heat, extreme weather and pesticides than those without, living longer and pollinating more effectively, the company said. The company has since launched Onibi light, a world-first, in-hive therapy light for bees, developed in partnership with University College London (UCL).

According to Ecowatch, nearly 60% of US honeybee colonies were lost last winter, with French beekeepers reporting losses of up to 50%. “When the bees stop buzzing, our food stops growing. That’s the real story. And this is what Onibi Light is all about,” said Christophe Brod, CEO of Beefutures.

Trials by UCL showed that colonies exposed to pesticides or transport stress got back to being busy bees within days when supported by the gadget.

“Our research shows that treated bees experience enhanced cellular respiration, improved visual acuity and stronger immunity,” said Glen Jeffery, professor of neuroscience at UCL.

Brod added: “Stronger bees mean stronger food systems. With Onibi Light, we are giving beekeepers and growers a practical tool to protect the very foundation of agriculture.”

Main image: Aaron Burden

Ian Tonks was diagnosed with kidney disease and spent years managing a failing transplant before his father-in-law saved his life

Advertisement

A man has been given a fresh start after his father-in-law donated his kidney, becoming Britain’s oldest donor.

Ian Tonks, 49, had spent years managing a failing transplant and long periods on dialysis.

He initially received a kidney transplant 12 years ago, but complications arose after six years due to an autoimmune condition.

For years, Ian’s life was on pause as the life-threatening condition left him unable to work, enjoy his hobbies or even drink more than half a glass of liquid a day.

Despite concerns surrounding his age, Ian’s father-in-law Graham Sisson, 84, volunteered to undergo testing and was subsequently approved for the transplant, reports the Mirror.

He proceeded to have the procedure at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Over a year later, Ian and Graham featured on Thursday’s (April 9) instalment of This Morning and discussed how he now shares a profound connection with his father-in-law following the transplant.

READ MORE: I’m A Celeb’s Gemma Collins makes tearful admission before she’s confronted by SinittaREAD MORE: What is microscopic polyangiitis as Scrubs character gets devastating diagnosis

Speaking to presenters Rochelle Humes and Joel Dommett, Ian remarked: “We’ve got an amazing bond now. We always got on well for obvious reasons but we are very close now.”

Graham revealed the motivation behind his decision to offer his kidney, stating: “I could see him deteriorating virtually on a daily basis. Several members of the family have already tried to donate him for various reasons but were unable to do so.”

He continued: “I felt that if someone else didn’t step in, he was literally going to die. So I spoke to my wife and said, ‘I think I might put myself forward’ and at that point, we had never thought about the age issue.

“So I just rang Ian and ‘I’d like to have a try and see if it works.’ And surprisingly, we found that we were compatible.”

He acknowledged they were forced to act swiftly, as Ian was at one stage given just 12 hours to live, revealing: “The operation was planned for August 2024 but he was too ill to have the operation. He nearly died in September.

“He was given 12 hours to live in September so when we got to October we snatched up (the next date) and the hospital carried out the operation.”

In November 2024, the pair made their way to Manchester Royal Infirmary for the procedure, remaining there for several days. The transplant proved successful and both men made a complete recovery.

A thankful Ian expressed his gratitude, saying: “I’d like to say a big thank you to the NHS at Manchester Royal Infirmary, it wasn’t just the surgeons but it was the coordinators, it was the dialysis team, it was everybody that was underneath that helped and kept me alive.”

He further added: “Also made this happen and changed a lot of peoples lives. I mean, you know, it’s like a life lottery. You don’t win the lottery but it’s like a life lottery having this.”

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX

Use the Jubilee line from Waterloo to Westminster, then change for the District line to Richmond.
The reverse route is also available via Westminster
From Richmond, take the District line to Embankment, then switch to the Bakerloo or Northern line to Waterloo.
Piccadilly line options via Hounslow, Hatton Cross or Green Park, connecting to Jubilee or Northern lines.
Northern line services also run between Battersea Power Station and Waterloo.

This roundup of The Conversation’s environment coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine.

In 1968 a photo of the Earth was taken by the crew of Apollo 8 as they orbited the Moon.

It’s hard for us to imagine today what that would feel like for both the crew and the public who first saw the shot of Earth snapped from so far away. All those years ago this was a fantastic, and perhaps shocking, picture taken from somewhere many people would never have imagined humans could go.

That Earthrise shot from 1968, the first colour image of the Earth from space, showed our planet from a perspective we had never seen before, from the Moon in the foreground and the globe of the Earth in the distance. And for many people, it seemed more fragile than they had ever realised.

This image from space provoked a massive reaction, and is credited with prompting the creation of Earth Day, and a wave of environmental activism.

Nearly 60 years later we are inundated with images of space, planets and even AI-generated sci-fi stories. So it came as somewhat of a surprise to find myself caught up in the whirl of excitement and emotion around the Artemis II journey, and drawn into watching and discussing what the astronauts were seeing and saying.

Nick Dunstone, a science fellow at the Met Office, is a big fan of the Earthrise photo. He has had it stuck on his wall for years. The Artemis II mission prompted him to think about how much the climate around the Earth has changed in the decades between the Earthrise photo and the one taken by 2026’s astronauts from the dark side of the moon.

He points out that one of the legacies of the 1960s space race is a set of satellite observation platforms which have allowed us to monitor, understand and predict changes to our global climate. Unfortunately, many of these reveal worrying trends. For example, more frequent heatwaves on land and sea, loss of Arctic sea-ice, melting glaciers and sea-level rise.

À lire aussi :
Earthrise to Earthset: how the planet’s climate has changed since the photo that inspired the environmental movement

It can seem like nothing is getting better in these days of global upheaval and endlessly escalating conflicts. It’s easy to despair about whether any small actions that we can take will make any kind of difference.

Bee stories

I ended up in a conversation with my running buddies at the weekend about whether there is anything that can cheer us up. I talked about new research that shows that queen bumblebees can survive underwater. In what seems like a story that could be made into a Pixar film, academics at the universities of Ottawa and Guelph discovered this purely by accident.

Sometimes scientific discoveries are prompted by happenstance. In this case, some tubes were accidentally filled with water and the bees which had been assumed to have died were discovered to be still alive. Queens, it turns out, can stand submersion for up to a week. This matters because climate change is bringing more rain during winters when these bees must survive underground. And the queen’s survival is vital, for she must found a new colony the next spring. Without her, there is nothing.

À lire aussi :
Queen bumblebees can breathe underwater — for days. We discovered how

Then there’s the discovery by Oxford researcher Sophie Lund Rasmussen that hedgehogs can hear. Rasmussen set off to find out if there were any ways to warn hedgehogs of the dangers of crossing the road. With up to 300,000 hedgehogs killed per year on UK roads, and the same situation across Europe, this mammal which has featured fondly in many of our childhood stories, is incredibly threatened.

Rasmussen’s research opens the door for ultrasound hedgehog warning systems to be put in place to try and warn hedgehogs away from roads, and potentially save thousands from a messy death.

À lire aussi :
Hedgehogs can hear high-frequency ultrasound – that knowledge could help save them

Moss, many people might think, is quite a dull subject. But in the past few weeks, after chatting with University of Limerick’s Pedram Vousoughi, I’ve become the biggest fan of this green stuff that we find on the sides of trees and on our garden paths. As it turns out, moss has almost magical qualities that could be a great help to humanity in the next decades.

For someone who had not paid much attention to this plant in the past, the abilities of this low-to-the-ground greenery was a revelation. Moss can absorb several times its own body weight in water and release it over time. This makes it ideal for helping the world cope with increasing rainfall and flooding, especially along busy roads.

Moss also absorbs air pollution and could play a role in increasing biodiversity along major roads. I’m now boring on about moss in various social situations – and it’s making me feel a bit more positive about the world.

À lire aussi :
How moss could help roads cope with heavy rain and reduce air pollution

Sun spotting

One of my favourite places is a long pebbly beach on a thin spit of land on the Suffolk coast, where you can watch the sun go down as well as the sun rise (although as a night owl I’m less likely to see the second). I have come to realise the value of sitting somewhere incredibly quiet and just looking at the sea and the sky.

That’s why the Dutch trend of dusking – coming together with friends to watch the sun go down – struck a chord with me. As Jenny Hall and Brendan Paddison from York St John University explain, watching the light of the day disappear over the horizon can be a way of connecting with nature’s rhythms and disconnecting from your worries, bringing the work day to a natural close. This also links with studies suggesting that focusing on nature can enhance feelings of wellbeing.

In these complex times, recognising small discoveries (as well as large ones) can be vital.

We are now entering the top 10, and the arguments will be even stronger for each position. Anyone at this stage could lay claim to being the greatest

On one of the busiest sporting weeks of the year, we are bringing you our list of the top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars of all time.

Rory McIlroy may be the talk of the sporting world right now, but that is nothing new as iconic Northern Ireland figures like George Best, Alex Higgins and AP McCoy have been houselhold names around the world.

We are now entering the top 10, and the arguments will be even stronger for each position. Anyone at this stage could lay claim to being the greatest.

On day one, we had international hockey star Katie Mullan, gymnast trailblazer Rhys McClenaghan, rugby legend Mike Gibson, GAA colossus Kieran McGeeney and Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Dan Wiffen.

At number 20, on day two, was soccer legend Pat Jennings. Former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody was in 19th, while Norman Whiteside, ex of Manchester United was in 18th. Three-time All-Ireland winner hero Sean Cavanagh was next in 17th, with boxing legend Wayne McCullough in 16th.

At number 15 was Paralympic legend Bethany Firth. Down GAA hero of the 1960s Sean O’Neill was 14th, while Ireland and Lions rugby icon Willie John McBride was 13th.

At number 12 was Belfast two-weight world boxing champion Carl Frampton and at number 12 was six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea.

Here are numbers six to 10 on our Northern Ireland sport stars list:

6. JOEY DUNLOP

Advertisement

Motorcycle icon Joey Dunlop OBE is widely considered the greatest road racer in history. Dunlop began racing in 1969 and within a few years had established a reputation alongside his colleagues in the ‘Armoy Armada’, he began to win trophies at circuits and road races throughout the British Isles.

His legacy is defined by 26 Isle of Man TT wins, five Formula One World Championships, 24 Ulster Grand Prix triumphs, and 13 North West 200 wins.

In 2015, the Ballymoney man was voted Northern Ireland’s greatest-ever sports star in a Belfast Telegraph poll.

His record of 26 Isle of Man TT wins stood for a remarkable 24 years, until his nephew Michael surpassed the longstanding Mountain Course benchmark.

He died in an accident in Estonia in July 2000, at the age of 48.

7. JACK KYLE

Born and educated in Belfast, John (Jack) Kyle was a central figure in Irish rugby’s post-war resurgence and played a pivotal role in Ireland’s historic Grand Slam victory of 1948, secured at Ravenhill.

Renowned for his instinctive brilliance, pace and vision, he went on to win 46 caps for Ireland and tour with the British & Irish Lions in 1950, captivating crowds in Australia and New Zealand with a style of play that marked him out as one of the game’s true greats.

In 1950, Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the New Zealand Rugby Almanac.

He is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. He was named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002.

8. PETER CANAVAN

The Errigal Ciaran man is one of the most decorated Northern Ireland-based players in Gaelic Football history.

The diminutive Tyrone attacker won two All-Ireland Senior Football titles, six All Stars Awards (more than any other Ulster player), four Ulster titles and two National Leagues. He represented Ireland in the International Rules Series on several occasions.

While Tyrone lost the All-Ireland final in 1995, early in Canavan’s career, he scored 11 of their 12 points in the decider. He did claim Celtic Crosses in 2003 and again in 2005.

He led the line while Tyrone were far from a powerhouse, but ultimately helped them reach the promised land of All-Ireland senior glory and was known as ‘God’ or ‘Peter the Great’ by fans before the end of a legendary career.

9. DANNY BLANCHFLOWER

Advertisement

Northern Ireland’s captain when they reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup, so immense was Danny Blanchflower during his illustrious career that he received three Ballon d’Or nominations.

The closest he came to winning it was in 1957 when he finished 14th in a very tight field behind runaway winner Alfredo Di Stefano.

A First Division winner with Tottenham, Blanchflower also won a European Cup Winners’ Cup and two FA Cups, and in his 56 caps for Northern Ireland he scored twice.

He was the first Northern Ireland player to pass a half-century of appearances for his country.

10. MARY PETERS

An Olympic icon, who built a lasting legacy through her 1972 Munich pentathlon gold medal win and decades of supporting athletes in Northern Ireland.

She established The Mary Peters Trust in 1975, helping hundreds of young sporting stars.

In the 45th pentathlon of her career, the veteran of Spartan Ladies AC achieved the ultimate success by winning an Olympic title with a new world record. English-born Peters spent much of her life in Ireland and her first pentathlon competition was at Ballymena in 1955.

In the 17 years leading up to her Olympic triumph, she won seven WAAA pentathlon titles as well as the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1970, and finished fourth in the 1964 Olympics and ninth in 1968. She also won the WAAA shot put title twice and was the Commonwealth Games champion in 1970.

****

Tomorrow we unveil numbers 1-5 in our top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars of all time.

Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has weathered a fresh ordeal with President Donald Trump, this time over the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, a conflict that does not even involve the world’s biggest military alliance and one it was never consulted about.

Since launching the war, Trump has derided U.S. allies as “cowards,” slammed NATO as “a paper tiger” and compared U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, who is probably best remembered for a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.

That comes on top of Trump’s repeated threats to seize control of Greenland, which have deeply strained relations with U.S. allies in NATO and raised fears that doing by force could spell the end of the organization.

In recent days, the man who is as good as chairman of the NATO board suggested that the U.S. might leave the trans-Atlantic alliance. Trump already threatened to walk out in 2018 during his first term. His complaint now is that some allies ignored his call to help as Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade waterway.

After talks with Rutte on Wednesday, the alliance’s most powerful leader took to social media to show his annoyance. “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump posted.

Peppered with questions later on CNN about whether Trump intended to take America out of NATO, Rutte said: “He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point.”

Keeping America in

Rutte has earned a reputation as a “Trump whisperer,” notably helping to draw up a plan that has seen European allies and Canada buy U.S. weapons for Ukraine, and keep the administration involved in Europe’s biggest war in decades.

Indeed, one of his most demanding tasks since taking office in 2024 has been to keep the mercurial U.S. leader engaged in NATO, particularly as America has set its sights on security challenges elsewhere, in the Indo-Pacific, Venezuela, and most recently Iran.

Rutte has used flattery, praising Trump for forcing allies to spend more on defense. He has congratulated the U.S. leader over the war and refrained from criticizing Trump’s warning that “a whole civilization will die” should Iran not reopen the strait.

“This was a very frank, very open discussion but also a discussion between two good friends,” Rutte told CNN. He declined to confirm reports that Trump is considering moving U.S. troops out of European countries that do not support the war.

Asked whether the world is safer thanks to the U.S.-Israel war, Rutte said: “Absolutely.”

War launched by a NATO member, not at one

The striking thing about the war on Iran is that NATO has no role to play there. As a defensive alliance it has protected ally Turkey when Iranian missiles were fired in retaliation at its territory, but the war was launched by a NATO member, not at one.

Rutte himself has said that NATO would not join the war, and there is no public confirmation that the U.S. had even raised the issue at the organization’s Brussels headquarters, although it cannot be ruled out that the administration made a request on Wednesday for that to happen.

NATO declined to say whether security for the strait has been officially discussed and referred questions to the United Kingdom, which is leading an effort outside the alliance to make the trade route safe for shipping once the ceasefire is working.

NATO has operated outside of the Euro-Atlantic area in the past, notably in Libya and Afghanistan. But there is no appetite to do so again given its chaotic U.S.-led exit from Afghanistan in 2021, which former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg described as a “defeat.”

Trump’s ire seems most directed at Spain and France, rather than NATO itself. Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war and has refused U.S. forces the use of jointly operated military bases.

After the two-week ceasefire was announced, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X that his government “will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.”

“What’s needed now: diplomacy, international legality, and PEACE,” he added.

France has been critical, insisting that the war was launched without respecting international law and that Paris was never consulted about it. No blanket restrictions were placed on the use of joint bases or its airspace, but French authorities have said they’re making such decisions on a case by case basis.

Wendy Smyth travelled from Northern Ireland to Malaga, Spain, where she showcased the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) in full operation, highlighting the contrast for EU and non-EU citizens

Advertisement

A British national has showcased the “reality” of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) that applies to everyone travelling to a destination within the Schengen area of the European Union. The system, which has been operational since October in some locations, is gradually being rolled out across the continent.

The EES is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of these countries and they will gradually replace passport stamps with a digital system that records when travellers enter and exit, making border checks faster and helping staff to work more efficiently.

Wendy Smyth, who hails from Northern Ireland, recently put the EES to the test as she travelled to Malaga. She took to TikTok, where she showcased a very crowded airport in the Spanish hotspot.

“Before you reach Passport Control, if you’re a UK national, you will need to register your biometrics on the system,” she explained. “There’s plenty of staff around to help you do this, and it involves taking your picture, taking your fingerprints and other information.”

Wendy went on to advise the EES is expected to be fully operational across the entire Schengen region from tomorrow (April 10). “There’s plenty of signage around Malaga Airport,” she continued, before highlighting how travellers are then split into two lanes ahead of Passport Control – comprising EU and non-EU citizens.

“If you’re unsure, there is a map beforehand, which will show you if you are a ‘blue country’ or not, what lane you should go in and likewise for ‘brown countries’,” Wendy said.

The lanes made for harrowing viewing meanwhile. The left – for Brits – appeared incredibly long, while EU citizens were able to stroll down their lane with ease.

“You’re held in this queue before you get to the ramp to go through into Passport Control,” Wendy advised. “This is what may greet you whenever you go through those glass doors.”

“If you’re an EU citizen you are able to walk down past everyone on the ramp and go to this empty space where the E-Gates are now operational – so be prepared – you may have to wait some time before you get through Passport Control.”

Writing in response, one TikTok user exclaimed in shock: “I think this will put a lot of people off travelling.”

A second person shared their frustration: “I had my fingerprints and photo taken in Poland but arrived in Spain today and it didn’t recognise my passport.”

Then a third fumed: “Bet you lot who voted from Brexit back in the day are happy, this is what we need to deal with now.”

While a fourth shared their experience of Malaga: “We went through Malaga on Tuesday and was through passport control in 15 mins. Seen the queues on TikTok and we had nothing!”

The countries in the Schengen area are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The X10 service has come in for criticism from locals over the reliability of the fleet and late cancellations – but a report from the Bus Users UK group has been hailed by the service’s operators.

An under-fire bus route has been praised in a new independent report from a passenger watchdog – despite criticism over unreliability.

A monitoring exercise from the Bus Users UK group focused on the X10 and X10A route which connects Stirling and Glasgow through Milngavie.

The bus is also a vital lifeline for passengers in rural Stirling, with the service making its way through villages such as Strathblane, Balfron and Kippen.

The service was found to have a 97 per cent punctuality rate, with all scheduled journeys successfully operated from the 183 monitored.

Inspectors also highlighted the “consistently high” standard of vehicles on the route and noted their clean and comfortable ride for passengers.

Greig MacKay, Director for Scotland, Bus Users UK, said: “Following a recent monitoring exercise concerning the X10/X10A routes that connect rural Stirling villages to Glasgow and Stirling.

“Bus Users UK recorded an overall punctuality score of 97 per cent.

“This represents a significant improvement in punctuality standards for these two lifeline services. Passengers have also benefited from new investment by McGill’s Midland Bluebird which has contributed to more reliable services for the passengers who use them.”

The state of the X10 has been a running complaint for local bus passengers, with Buchlyvie resident Iain Smith one of those left frustrated by inconsistent arrival times.

Mr Smith wrote to McGill’s Group CEO Tony Williamson in February following a case where he and several other passengers were left out in the cold waiting for an X10 bus at Stirling bus station, with Mr Williamson eventually forced to fork out for a taxi to get home.

The reliability of the fleet operating the route has also come in for criticism after a recent incident where an X10 bus was pictured at the side of the road near Cambusbarron with smoke pouring from the back as traffic built up around the bus.

A spokesman for Midland Bluebird blamed the incident on a “coolant leak” with the issue resolved.

Reacting to the report, officials from McGill’s – who run Midland Bluebird – said it worked as justification for the hard work on making improvements to the X10 offering.

Colin Napier, Group Service Delivery Director for McGill’s Group, said: “This is a strong endorsement of the X10 and X10A services and the effort our drivers and operational teams put in every day, particularly given the level of disruption on the network.

“We’re seeing around 90 per cent satisfaction from our own passenger surveys and a steady five per cent increase in footfall, which shows that customers value the service we’re providing. In the areas where we can continue to improve, we will strive to ensure we do that.

“To build on this progress, we need continued support from local authorities and partners.

“Investment in better infrastructure – such as improved shelters with real-time information, high-access kerbs, traffic light priority and dedicated bus lanes into and out of Glasgow – would make a real difference for passengers and help us deliver even more reliable services.”

Graeme Leslie, Area Director of Midland Bluebird, added: “We’ve made a real effort to listen to the communities along the X10 and X10A corridor.

“The feedback we gathered at our drop-in sessions in Balfron and Milngavie has helped shape practical improvements to the service, and it’s great to see that reflected in both performance figures and independent recognition.

“We’re committed to building on that progress and continuing to deliver a service that people can rely on.”