frazorth

Britain is a rich country with the world’s 6th largest economy and the highest tax income for decades, which raises a simple question - why do we seem so broke?

I don't want to stop interest in UK TV, however I have seen a few questions about UK TV recommendations (maybe not all in this sub).

I remember seeing this happen a lot in the UK TV subs on Reddit which always ended up being the same 20 shows giving a low signal to noise, so I was wondering whether we could preempt it by making a mega thread to point people to to improve the quality of recommendations. Perhaps have some rules, such as only a single show per comment so people can vote on what they did or didn't enjoy and end up with a ranked list?

Other thoughts I had were a mega thread per type of show, so popular sitcoms or police procedurals don't drown out interesting dramas, and therefore an index pinned to point people to?

[Edit] Maybe each comment should contain the location where it can be watched? Might be hard as region restrictions mean that folks outside the UK wouldn't add iPlayer URLs.

A multi-million pound theme park proposing to build a new site in Oxfordshire is formally "scoping opinions" and has revealed the earmarked location.

Puy du Fou declared its interest last year in wanting a site to be built in Oxfordshire near Bicester.

It currently has a site in Spain and France and is planning on opening two more locations before 2030, which includes the site in Cherwell.

The multi-award winning theme park has no rides. Instead, it is a unique concept which offers a multitude of live shows and immersive experiences, all set in historical time periods.

Savills submitted a "scoping opinion" report to Cherwell District Council on behalf of Puy du Fou earlier this month.

This follows public exhibitions held in Bicester in July, which gave residents, businesses and officials the opportunity to share their thoughts, raise concerns and to learn more about the theme park.

The Rugby Football Union has announced an independent review of its controversial executive pay scheme as a growing grassroots rebellion threatens to force out bosses Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube in a matter of weeks.

...

In November it was revealed that Sweeney was paid £742,000 in the year up to June 2024, significantly up from the £430,000 he received in the Covid-affected year of 2019-20 after taking office in 2019.

However, his 2024 pay was also supplemented by a bonus of £358,000, as part of a 'long-term incentive plan' (LTIP) scheme signed off by chairman Ilube and intended to recognise the salary sacrificed by senior leaders during the pandemic, while being linked to various parts of the organisation's performance.

In total, Sweeney was paid £1.1m.

The RFU declared record £37.9m operating losses last month, only a few weeks after announcing plans to lay off more than 40 staff in the latest round of redundancies.

The RFU also shed jobs in 2018 and 2020.

I'm always looking for ways to reduce my plastic waste, and manufacturer's always seem to be trying to find ways to trick me.

I normally get the Lidl dishwasher tablets as they are the only brand that appears to come plastic free, cardboard box, and tablets wrapped in a dissolvable cellulose film. However sometimes I can't get there as its not always convenient.

Latest was CoOp that sold a cardboard box of tablets, but then each tablet was bloody wrapped in plastic, which is probably worse than just a plastic bag of the bastards.

Does anyone else know of brands that are safe to buy because they won't try to trick you with hidden plastics?

Twenty firearms have been seized from a suspected gun factory and a man has been charged.

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) recovered four Glock pistols, nine shotguns, six long-barrelled firearms and a deactivated Bren machine gun during a house raid in Kingsclere in Hampshire on Tuesday.

Philip Maylen, 57, of Penny's Hatch, Kingsclere, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and was due to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

NCA branch commander Chris Hill said it was "a very significant haul".

Officers also recovered 11 imitation firearms - an AK-47, an MP40 sub-machine gun and nine revolvers, along with a range of gun component parts.

The agency said tests were ongoing to verify if one of the Glocks and one of the shotguns were viable.

Mr Hill said the weapons "had the potential to cause devastation" within the community.

"This is a very significant haul," he continued.

"We've identified and prevented a large number of lethal weapons reaching the streets of the UK.

"Protecting the public from the threat of the criminal use of firearms remains a key priority and we work with partners at home, and abroad, to combat their importation into the UK."

How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk

Reporting Highlights

• An Insurer Sanctioned: Three states found United’s algorithmic system to limit mental health coverage illegal; when they fought it, the insurer agreed to restrict it.
• A Patchwork Problem: The company is policing mental health care with arbitrary thresholds and cost-driven targets, highlighting a key flaw in the U.S. regulatory structure.
• United’s Playbook Revealed: The poorest and most vulnerable patients are now most at risk of losing mental health care coverage as United targets them for cost savings.

An article from a month ago about United Heathcares problematic coverage, which I believe is relevant again.

Wales fans and players are celebrating after they made history by reaching a major women's tournament for the first time.

After a level first leg in Cardiff, Wales came out on top against the Republic of Ireland in the second leg, securing their place in the 2025 Euros.

Wales' record goalscorer and cap holder Jess Fishlock described the win as being the "proudest moment of her life".

The British band Sports Team have been robbed at gunpoint on the first day of their US tour.

The indie group, who have scored two top 10 albums in the UK, lost their passports, stage equipment and personal belongings in the incident, as a thief looted their tour van in the city of Vallejo, in the Bay area of California.

American Olympic bronze medallist Ilona Maher has signed for Bristol Bears for the rest of the Premiership Women's Rugby season.

Maher is the most followed rugby union player in the world on social media, with 4.5 million Instagram followers and 3.2 million on TikTok.

Bears head coach Dave Ward said Maher's arrival is a "huge coup" for the club.

"Ilona is one of the biggest names in women's sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field," said Ward.