Anthony Albanese, science expert? Labor environment spokesman Anthony Albanese yesterday talked about how “just as the dinosaurs were wiped out by the ice age there’s a need for the dinosaurs in this building to be wiped out politically by the age of global warming”. Eh? Poor bloke must have been hit on the head by an asteroid and been all befuddled when he came up with that.

‘Ullo, ‘ullo, ‘ullo. Copper wit courtesy of the five former plods in the Government. They’re arranging a little piece of Christmas cheer under the name Handcuffs in the House. The invite even comes complete with their old nicknames from the force – Richo, Pazza, Woodsy, Rosco and Dutto.

A curious contribution on Islam and the West. The former president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, has been in the UK for a speech at Chatham House. He is the most senior Iranian politician to visit Britain since the 1979 Islamic Revolution – but what really makes the visit a standout are these comments as reported by the BBC:

During the speech he… urged British Muslims to obey UK law, saying they are “British first”. He said that the wearing of the scarf or veil was a woman’s personal choice, and she should not be obliged to do so.