Your afternoon Briefing

Good afternoon, readers. Tuesday has delivered politics, Barry Humpries and some biased whales.

Good afternoon, readers. Tuesday has delivered politics, some biased whales, and, in case you missed it, Barry Humphries on the gift of giving ­offence.

Pollies heat up sunshine state

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at Toonpan, 30km south east of Townsville where the new pipeline from the Burdekin Falls Dam to Ross River Dam will be built. Picture: Evan Morgan

The Queensland election campaign is ramping up ahead of Saturday’s vote, with Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk denying she’s favouring inner-city Greens preferences over regional jobs and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson declaring “I think even just to win one seat is going to be a big win for us.”

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Retired Major General Jim Molan who was a senior officer in the Australian Army at his home in NSW.

Jim Molan set to take Fiona Nash’s Senate seat

Former army general Jim Molan is a step closer to becoming a senator and replacing former minister Fiona Nash. The AEC announced it will conduct a special recount tomorrow after Ms Nash’s initial replacement Hollie Hughes was ruled ineligible.

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Portrait of Australian icon Barry Humphries. He has just announced that he will appear in a personal show aware from his many faces. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The art of outrage

Professional provocateur Barry Humphries says people are getting “touchier than ever” as he speaks to arts editor Ashleigh Wilson about his upcoming tour.

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Myanmar's Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi poses with other counterparts of members of the Asia Europe Foreign Ministers (ASEM) for a group photo before their meeting at Myanmar International Convention Centre Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

Suu Kyi blames illegal immigrants

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has blamed ­illegal immigration for instability and conflict in the world. Ms Suu Kyi refusal to condemn ­violence against Rohingya civilians has prompted calls for renewed international sanctions on Myanmar.

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(FILES) This file photo taken on March 26, 2009 shows a blue whale swimming in the deep waters off the southern Sri Lankan town of Mirissa. Blue whales, the world's largest animals, usually favor their right side when they lunge to catch food -- a preference similar to right-handedness in people, researchers said on November 20, 2017. But on certain occasions while moving upward in shallow water, these righties will almost always shift to their left to keep a good eye on their favored prey -- tiny crustaceans known as krill. / AFP PHOTO / Ishara S. KODIKARA

Deep down, blue whales go to the right

Scientists have discovered that while whales have leftist tendencies on the surface, deep down they roll to the right.