Best Of

$50k here, $10k there, it hard to remember...

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/peter-mandelson-pictured-half-dressed-36649432

Mandelson really has no defence that I can think of for his associations here. Unlike others he cannot even pull the 'I didn't know what he was like' line, given he continued associating with him after initial conviction.

But, laughably, that is Mandy’s defence in The Mirror today. “Yes I knew Epstein was a little bit bad, so I carried on being best mates after his initial conviction for pervy sex crimes, but I never ever realised he was REALLY bad until he died, just like everyone else”

That’s literally what Mandy says

And as a gay, well I would never know what went on....never saw any young ladies, not my scene.

Picture of him in his pants with young lady.

Okay something is seriously kicking off in Iran. But it’s good that a comedian has some of the best takes on the situation.

https://x.com/omid9/status/2017631358030381188

Absolutely nothing confirmed and currently zero on the mainstream TV channels. But news of multiple bombings targeting IRGC strongholds is flooding in on the Telegram channels. At the risk of sounding like Gillette soccer Saturday, these are the cities:

Bandar Abbas
Ahvaz
Khorramshahr
Abadan
Qasr-e Shirin
Parand
Qeshm
Dezful
Reports of explosions in places like Qeshm and at the Qom Governor's Office building.

Just to cover my tracks currently waiting for Chris Kamara to verify.

So what sparked the recent unrest in Iran? Could it have been foreign interference? My Dad has these books in his office room I read when I was small, where, before Sov Bloc attacked Mega City One, they sowed chaos and lawlessness in Mega City One, to soften it up and it take its eye off what they were up to.

Block Mania. Still never forgave Orlok for killing Judge Giant

#competition @Benpointer

1) Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the House? 7
2) Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the Senate? 3
3) Number of MSPs won by the SNP at the Holyrood election? 53
4) Number of AMs won by Plaid Cymru at the Senedd election? 38
5) UK Party recording the largest poll lead during 2026 and by what percentage (British Polling Council registered pollsters only)? Reform, 14% lead.
6) Labour’s Projected National Share of the vote based on the 2026 local elections according to the BBC? 15%
7) Number of Reform MPs on the 31st December 2026? 12
8) The name of the UK Prime Minister on 31st December 2026? Keir Starmer
9) Will Andy Burnham will be an MP on 31st December 2026? No
10) UK borrowing in the financial year to November 2026 (£132.3bn to November 2025)? £135.6bn
11) UK GDP growth in the 12 months to October 2026 (1.1% to October 2025)? 0.9%
12) Winners of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup? France

If the Dems gain 3 Senate seats, then I can't see how they aren't +20 in the House.

(Although I guess Alaska is a complete wildcard.)

This is the danger of trying to predict things I don't really understand. I've fairly little interest in US politics beyond a bit of ammused rubber-necking at stuff like their complete inability to organise efficient elections (I mean, how badly run is it that it isn't usually obvious who will be president by 3am the morning after the vote?), so I hate questions like these.

I much preferred last years game of guessing the UK polling highs and lows for the main parties, at which it turns out I was reasonably good (if less good at submitting my answers in the right order!).