Farewell to the Daily Mail Australia trainees

Wade Zaglas with the newsquiz champagne in front of fellow trainees (left to right) Mary Mrad, Wade Sellers, Thomas Duff, Tom Place and Shive Prema

I said goodbye to the Daily Mail trainees in Sydney on Friday. They had an intense final few days getting stories published, covering a breaking news story in real time and drawing up a newslist for their start in the newsroom on Monday. They enjoyed sessions with senior journalist Stephen Gibbs, executive editor Lachlan Heywood, social media editor Cameron Carpenter and former trainees Matilda Rudd and Holly Hales. The trainees also had another five stories published on the Daily Mail Australia site - bringing their total during the course to 11. 

Shive Prema wrote about the dark secrets behind the song Waltzing Matilda. Read it here.

Thomas Duff found a story about a 3D graphic which shows a Japanese submarine that was sunk in Sydney Harbour during World War II. Read it here.

Tom Place wrote a story for Femail about the odd things an escort carries to work each day ... including a pacifier. 

Wade Zaglas had two stories published. One about a grieving mother who is upset with the Australian government after her daughter was killed while backpacking. Read it here. 

Wade also wrote a fun story for Femail about the petty reasons people give for ditching their dates. His story is here. 

On Wednesday evening the trainees joined the senior staff for drinks at the All Hands Brewing House on Darling Harbour. A good night was had by all. I have really enjoyed my four weeks with the trainees. They are a bright and likeable bunch. I wish them well in their careers and will watch their successes with interest. 

As always we finished the week with the newsquiz ... 25 questions about the week's news stories. This week's joint winners were Wade Zaglas and Tom Place, each with ten points. Wade collected the champagne for being the top scorer over the five weeks ... well done to him.

Here's this week's quiz. See if you can score better than Wade and Tom's ten.

1. Footballer Hakeem al-Araibi returned to Australia after being detained in Bangkok for two months. Which country had asked for him to be extradited over claims he had attacked a police station with petrol bombs?

2. Daily Mail Australia climbed to a unique audience of what figure (to the nearest million) in January, a growth of 18 per cent month on month?

3. A petition, that had received more than 50,000 signatures by Wednesday, demanded who should be fired from Married At First Sight? 
4. Gangster Tony Mokbel was stabbed in which jail? 

5. Australian Tasneem Fakhoury, 20, said that when she was 14 she was sent to which country 'for a holiday' - only to be forced into an 'abusive' arranged marriage?

6. Which airline refused to fly Ian Smith, 67, home from Melbourne after saying he was too heavy?

7. Why was 33-year-old Tara Brooks in the headlines?

8. The medivac bill passed through the Senate on Wednesday by 36 votes to how many?

9. Mohamed Ghanem, 35, who faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to dealing in drugs was previously jailed for being part of which gang of rapists?

10. Senator Brian Burston claimed that who had once 'rubbed her fingers up my spine' while listening to the national anthem?

11. An eight-year-old boy died after becoming entangled on what piece of equipment in a playground near Wanguri Primary School in Darwin?
12. Melbourne-based personal assistant Elisha Bakes said she was attacked by vicious bullies on social media because of what?

13. Why was 27-year-old doctor Gemma Diessel in the headlines?
14. Former rugby league star, Chris Dawson, appeared at Sydney's Downing Centre court accused of doing what 37 years ago?

15. Kate Miller-Heidke was chosen to represent Australia in what?
16. Karito and Ian were the first to couple to leave what?

17. Yvie Jones, Richard Reid and which other contestant will appear in Sunday’s finale of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here? 

18. Which Australian comedian revealed a 'darker' time in her life when a procedure to fix a hole in her heart resulted in her having open-heart surgery at 25?

19. According to real estate data group CoreLogic, Australia's property price crash has worsened with median prices in how many suburbs falling below the $1million mark?

20. Which festival at the Mount Penang Parklands in New South Wales's Central Coast was cancelled - with police saying it was because it breached safety regulations and organisers feared they would not make enough money?
21. Daniel Jones said he doesn't have a 'healthy relationship' with his former band member Darren Hayes - adding that he wouldn't reunite despite 'running out of money’. What was the name of the band?

22. A farmer fired two blasts from his shotgun while confronting vegans from which activist group outside his property in Western Australia?

23. Australian dive instructor Daniel Broadhurst is lucky to be alive after he was almost hacked to death by a machete-wielding attacker on which island?
24. The former North Queensland Cowboys and Cronulla Sharks rugby player Ben Barba, banned from the game earlier this month, began work this week as what?
25. How has Mr Squiggle from the ABC television show been recognised on his 60th anniversary

Answers here