What it is like to be a “different breed from normal punters”
By Martin Banks It is a story about how two young men, back in the 1980s England, realised they had cracked a potential mine goldmine… beating the fruit machines.
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UK NEWS
February 8, 2026 -
TOURISM 
February 8, 2026 Major airline expands its Belgian connection
By Martin Banks Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s cargo arm, has added fast-booming Liege to its freighter network.
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POLITICS
February 8, 2026 Gov.gr portal expands public services
Greece will upgrade its gov.gr digital portal starting in April, introducing a more personalized system that tracks citizen requests and expands available certificates, the Digital Governance Ministry said.
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HISTORY
February 8, 2026 8 February 2026: This day in history
1587: Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot 1672: Isaac Newton reads his first optics paper before the Royal Society in London 1807: Battle of Eylau ends inconclusively between Napoleon’s forces and the Russian Empire, first battle […]
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WORLD
February 8, 2026 7 DAYS REPORT 02/07/2026-02/08/2026
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SOCIETY
February 7, 2026 Campaigners step up efforts on animal welfar
By Martin Banks Campaign group Compassion in World Farming (CWF) has welcomed the Court of Justice of the European Union’s reported decision to grant a hearing to the EtCA Citizens’ Committee and other intervening NGOs on 5 March in Luxembourg.
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EUROPE
February 7, 2026 EC critical of TikTok “addictive designs”
By Martin Banks The European Commission says it has preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for what the EC calls “its addictive design.”
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EUROPE
February 7, 2026 Trend for low and no-alcohol drinks continues apace
By Martin Banks The growing trend, both in Belgium and elsewhere, for low and zero alcoholic drinks shows no sign of abating.
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UK NEWS
February 7, 2026 New resto means “a first” in Canterbury
By Martin Banks It is a world-renowned, historic English city, primarily known for the magnificent cathedral, Roman walls and medieval pilgrims.
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HISTORY
February 7, 2026 7 February 2026: This day in history
1301: Edward of Caernarfon (later Edward II) becomes the first English Prince of Wales 1842: Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia, defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien 1856: Colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the first piece of legislation, the Electoral Act of 1856, anywhere in the world providing […]
