Karen Middleton The government’s reversal of funding cuts to community legal centres came after a campaign from across the legal sector and within parliament.

Tom Ravlic As Pauline Hanson wrests control of One Nation’s state branches, the newly incorporated party faces deregistration due to breaches of electoral guidelines.

Mike Seccombe The majority of the Emissions Reduction Fund is poured into questionable abatement schemes to discourage land clearing, while mass deforestation cancels out any climate gains.

Darryn King

Composer Hans Zimmer’s monumental soundscapes have won him an Oscar for The Lion King and powered Christopher Nolan’s films, but their rapturous reception at rock music festival Coachella took even him by surprise.

Andrew McConnell Quality rollmops make themselves known the instant you open the jar. The smell should be briny but not too bracing. Good delicatessens should have herrings imported directly from Scandinavia and I wouldn’t make this without a proper pickled herring.

Guy Rundle With both Abbott and Latham seemingly determined to alienate as many as possible who had supported or believed in them, the start and end points of their parabolic rise and fall neatly contain a period of Australian history in which we lost belief that our existing institutions and structures could produce the sort of movements and figures that had driven earlier political eras.

Paul Bongiorno Malcolm Turnbull has put his prime ministership on a war footing. It worked for a similarly besieged Liberal PM 16 years ago, and it’s definitely worth a shot now. The image of a helmet-wearing, Kevlar-vested Australian leader scurrying out of an RAAF Hercules in Kabul was the perfect visual accompaniment. It nicely reinforced his conflation of migrant workers visas and citizenship with fighting terrorists and national security just five days earlier.

Richard Ackland The relationship between the Greens and the giant roughhouse union the CFMEU is curious. The union has tipped money into the minority party in rather generous dollops. There seemed to be some quid pro quo with Senator Richard Di Natale and his parliamentary colleagues opposing the restoration of the Australian Building and Construction Commission and legislation to reduce the number of union people on the boards of super funds.

Sometimes it comes as numb disgust. There is not much more one can feel when this industry betrays itself, when journalism so forgets its purpose and treats a life as a game. Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a person of thoughtful integrity. She approaches life from a place of deeply felt humanity. She has given herself to making the world a better place.

Rebecca Varcoe He is popular and has a burning desire to champion equality and opportunity. But while Senator Scott Ludlam is a poster boy for the Greens, he’s no career politician.

Hamish McDonald China calls for US restraint; Macron and Le Pen into election second round; Turnbull committed on Afghanistan.

Dave Faulkner

On What Now, North Carolinian electronic duo Sylvan Esso successfully meld voice and instruments in a way that dissolves the distinction.

Jennifer Down Hollie Fifer on documenting the David and Goliath struggles of locals versus industry in Papua New Guinea.

Santilla Chingaipe For a society to be progressive and inclusive, cultural differences must be accepted and celebrated. And that includes hair.

Michele Tydd As the World Health Organisation works on a set of guidelines for ‘healthy housing’, a Melbourne architect is exploring creative ways to help people with health-related requirements.

Jack Kerr Coach Kevin Muscat on the respectful atmosphere and cultural diversity at A-League’s Melbourne Victory.

Cindy MacDonald Test your general knowledge with our weekly quiz.