Mike Seccombe Following revelations about inappropriate dealings with irrigators, the first of six inquiries finds a regulator captured by vested interests.

Karen Middleton A senate inquiry into illicit tobacco is hearing evidence of huge losses in tax revenue, hidden smoking rate increases and higher criminal profits than in the drugs trade.

Denham Sadler A marching band in Melbourne comprising young refugees from Syria is helping its members adjust to their new home, while providing a connection with their community.

Drew Rooke As Australia’s first Aboriginal press photographer, Mervyn Bishop created history, helping to take control of how Indigenous people were portrayed in images. Five decades later, his passion for observing the human side of daily life has not diminished.

Annie Smithers To anyone who will listen, I am often heard banging on about the importance of mastering basic techniques. Often we will come across a recipe that will interest us but may be scant on instructions, or even a picture of something delicious on a picture-only social media site. It is here that the understanding of basic techniques enables us to apply our knowledge of these techniques and cook something beautiful without too much stress.

Kelly Glanney Look beyond academia’s well-intended fixation with linguistics and inclusivity and you’ll find huge body of historical and empirical evidence clearly demonstrates gender variance, non-binary gender identity and gender expression have been an intrinsic part of natural human diversity for millennia.

Paul Bongiorno The tragedy for the nation is that Abbott is not framing his arguments in terms of ending the energy wars. Rather, he wants to inflame them. His only focus: the next election and drawing a sharp distinction between an affordable and reliable energy target against Labor’s dearer clean energy target. Forget warnings from Finkel, the Australian Energy Market Operator and others that without a long-term policy on emissions, electricity will cost more rather than less.

Richard Ackland Gadfly leaps out of bed every day embracing the credo of Lady “Mary” Fairfax: “Touch every life with good.” Sadly, the old clothes merchant from Broken Hill won’t be leaping out of bed anymore but the good she inflicted on the mighty Fairfax media stable was touching indeed.

In Tony Abbott’s mind, he is the vanquished leader of a silent majority. In reality, he is a fringe figure who has spent his life clinging to the leftovers of debates other people have won.

Karen Middleton City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on standing up to state and federal governments and how to make access to housing fair.

Hamish McDonald Jacinda Ardern gets Labour closer in NZ. Kurds seeking state. Aung San Suu Kyi evasive on Rohingya.

Patrick Hartigan At Sydney Contemporary, the commercial realities of the art fair dissolve as he apprehends the elemental power of Rover (Julama) Thomas’s works.

Kate Holden A chat with urban planner, author and artistic director of the theatre company Mammalian Diving Reflex Darren O’Donnell.

Dave Faulkner A ‘sense of duty’ took the author to the Bigsound music festival, but it was the talent of up-and-coming artists that truly ignited his passion.

Lindy Alexander Australian researchers have made a significant breakthrough in the long-lasting treatment of peanut allergy.

Richard Cooke Melbourne’s Tenille Dashwood on being drawn in by wrestling’s theatrics and big characters, and turning herself into the WWE Superstar Emma.

Cindy MacDonald Test your general knowledge with our weekly quiz.