Four Corners

It was a voice of desperation, an urgent SOS to the world. A Saudi teenager, trapped in transit, on the run from her family and the Saudi state, hoping to make it to Australia. Four Corners reporter Sophie McNeill flew to Bangkok, slipped past security and joined Rahaf Al Qunun as the young woman barricaded herself inside a hotel room. Rahaf is one of the lucky ones; not every woman gains her freedom. In this dramatic investigation, Four Corners reveals how Australia has become a hotspot for women attempting to escape the oppressive Saudi regime.

Their voices are persuasive, their emails insistent and they have proven to be remarkably successful at conning countless people into handing over their money. Internet scamming began in the early days of email with appeals from Nigerian 'princes' asking for help to regain their missing money. From those amateurish beginnings, the scammers watched, learned and refined their techniques. What started out as a simple scam from West Africa has now morphed into a global enterprise, conning people on an industrial scale.

As China has transformed itself into an economic powerhouse, billions of dollars have been illegally spirited out of the country. A large amount has made its way here to Australia. Chinese authorities want the money back, and they've sent a clear message to anyone who has broken their rules - we will find you and your money. Now China has opened up a new front in its war on those accused of financial crimes. On Monday Four Corners will reveal the new tactics being used by Chinese authorities to take back money they believe has been stashed illegally in Australia.

Across the nation, there are now more women in prison than ever before. And once they're out they're very likely to reoffend and end up back inside. On Monday Four Corners investigates why so many women are going to jail by meeting three women who know exactly what it's like. Filmed over three months, Bekki, Fran and Donna give raw and compelling accounts of their lives as they begin again on the outside.

Four Corners reveals how Australia's highest ranking Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, was brought to justice.

Most Australians had probably never heard of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum till his horse Cross Counter won the Melbourne Cup last year after a two-decade campaign. Now he's in the headlines again, for a very different reason. Last year, his daughter, the Princess Latifa, then aged 32, ran away to escape a life of regal confinement in the hyper wealthy financial hub and tourist destination of Dubai. After fleeing first by car and then jetski, Latifa was dramatically re-captured on a boat in international waters by armed men. In heart stopping interviews, those on-board recount how the events unfolded.

Uber is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. It's embedded itself in our language and revolutionised the way we think about transport. Since emerging nine years ago on the streets of San Francisco, the edgy digital disruptor has upended an entire industry business model and made ride sharing cool. But Uber's ride to success has been far from smooth. Behind the slick marketing an aggressive corporate culture has been at work. On Monday Four Corners investigates how Uber has been outfoxing regulators and outmuscling its competitors in Australia and around the world.

The terror attack in the New Zealand city of Christchurch appalled the world. The indiscriminate shooting of 50 Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers was calculated to spread fear and a message of right-wing terror. The plot was intricately planned, harnessing the tools and the power of the internet, to amplify the terror to a global audience. On Monday, Four Corners investigates how the Australian born accused killer was able to operate under the radar.

Climate change policy has been one of the most divisive issues in modern Australian political history. It has brought down governments and toppled political leaders. At times the debate has become so polarised that the average Australian could be forgiven for tuning out. With a Federal election looming, Four Corners brings the debate back to what is actually happening in the nation right now.

A joint investigation by Four Corners, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reveals fresh and compelling evidence of covert Beijing-backed political activity taking place in Australia. The investigation has uncovered secret information gathering operations targeting sensitive Australian intelligence analysis. It also reveals how Chinese authorities are stifling dissenting voices by targeting members of the Chinese-Australian community who fail to toe the party line.

On Monday Four Corners exclusively brings you the story of the Sharrouf children and their grandmother's epic fight to find them and bring them home to Australia. If there was one family that represented the alarming tide of Australians flocking to the black flag of Islamic State, it was the Sharroufs. Reporter Dylan Welch and producer Suzanne Dredge have documented the family's experience for four years, travelling with the children's grandmother as she tries to convince the authorities in Syria and Australia to release the family into her care and allow them to return home.

The idea that anyone would willingly confess to a crime they didn't commit sounds unbelievable, particularly when the punishment may be life in prison or even the death penalty. But a series of high-profile cases across America has revealed a slew of wrongful convictions based on false confessions and placed the spotlight on a widely used police interrogation technique designed to make people confess.

Across Australia the university business is booming. Higher education institutions that only a few years ago were cash strapped are now flush with billions of dollars brought in from fee paying international students. But there are growing concerns about the consequences of the overseas student boom. On Monday, Four Corners investigates how Australia's higher education system is being undermined by a growing reliance on foreign fee-paying students.

It's almost three years since Four Corners exposed shocking revelations of mistreatment in the Northern Territory's Don Dale youth detention centre in Australia's Shame, sparking a Royal Commission. Now the program is set to reveal a new child detention crisis in another part of Australia, where children as young as 10 have been held alongside adult criminals in maximum security facilities. With exclusive access, the program goes behind the locked cell doors to reveal how young people, most of whom have not yet been convicted of a crime, are being held, sometimes for weeks at a time.

Tony Abbott has been many things; a Rhodes scholar, an MP, a brutally effective Opposition leader and a triumphant Prime Minister, only to be deposed by his colleagues. He is seen as one of the most combative figures in politics and a warrior for conservative voices. Now, after 25 years in federal parliament, the Liberal MP for Warringah says he is in the fight of his political life. Ahead of Saturday's vote, Four Corners has been documenting the unfolding campaign. On Monday the program will examine how the seat was won and lost and what that means for the future of the Liberal Party.

On the 15th of April, the world watched on in horror as one of France's most famous landmarks, Notre-Dame Cathedral caught alight. The Cathedral had stood for more than 800 years, through revolutions and world wars, but as the flames took hold, the architectural icon was in peril. What took place over the next nine hours was an epic battle by some 400 firefighters to save the building. In this dramatic film, those leading the operation explain how events unfolded.

Thirty years ago, in the centre of China's communist capital, millions of students and citizens staged weeks of protests calling for democracy. The students and their fellow protesters stared down their government in the full gaze of the world's media, demanding an end to totalitarian rule. Then, the People's Liberation Army turned its guns, and its tanks, on its own people. Three decades on, Four Corners vividly brings the story of these momentous times to life, drawing upon a trove of vision and audio captured by ABC reporters and crews in that astonishing spring of 1989.

James Gargasoulas was a 26-year-old heavy drug user with an extensive criminal record when he drove a car at high speed through central Melbourne killing six people, including a baby boy and a 10-year-old girl. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for the January 2017 attack. Despite a guilty verdict there are still outstanding questions about why James Gargasoulas was able to carry out such a crime. On Monday, Four Corners investigates how James Gargasoulas was out roaming the suburbs of Melbourne despite facing serious criminal charges and clear warning signs that he presented a grave danger to others.

From PBS Frontline. US President Donald Trump has ignited a massive trade war with China, slapping billions of dollars worth of tariffs on Chinese goods. In doing so, he says he's delivering on his promise to Make America Great Again. Despite the rhetoric, questions are being asked about who has the most to lose from the conflict. On Monday Four Corners examines the forces behind the conflict, on both sides.

Australia boasts a stunning array of unique wildlife. They feature on our coat of arms and they're placed front and centre in our tourism campaigns. But the reality is, many of our native animals are in danger. Australia has one of the worst extinction rates on the planet and the problem is growing. There are currently more than 500 animal species under threat. On Monday Four Corners investigates how Australia has found itself in the midst of an extinction crisis.

In increasingly alarming scenes, the United States and Iran are facing off in the Middle East. Tensions have been escalating steadily for the last two months, driven by concerns over the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities. There are concerns that the two nations are headed towards military conflict. The key figure in Iran's strategic manoeuvring, and one of the most powerful military figures in the Middle East, is a shadowy figure in Iran's feared Revolutionary Guard. In this timely program from the BBC, a portrait of Iran's military ambitions, and the man masterminding them emerges.

Two years on from the Four Corners investigation into water theft in the Murray-Darling Basin that sparked a royal commission, the program returns to the river system to investigate new concerns about how the plan to rescue it is being carried out. The river system is the lifeblood of Australian agriculture but right now it's in crisis. It's experiencing one of the worst droughts on record, and with mass fish deaths capturing the headlines and farmers struggling to survive, many are saying the scheme is failing to deliver. On Monday, Four Corners investigates whether the contentious Murray-Darling Basin plan has become a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.

It's a remote corner of the world, but what is taking place there is nothing short of breathtaking. Xinjiang province is a vast area of deserts and mountains where the ancient Silk Road once ran. Today its Uyghur population is being systematically rounded up with estimates of as many as a million citizens being held in detention. In this investigation by reporter Sophie McNeill, Four Corners uncovers disturbing evidence of how China is effectively operating the world's largest prison.

Julian Assange is one of the most influential figures to emerge this century. The Australian born founder of WikiLeaks has harnessed the technology of the digital age to unleash an information war against governments and corporations. Now Julian Assange is in the fight of his life. In April this year he was dragged, protesting, from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, nearly seven years after seeking diplomatic protection. On Monday Four Corners investigates the prosecution of Julian Assange in key interviews with those at the heart of WikiLeaks and those who have sought to bring him to US justice.

In the 2016 race to the White House, presidential candidate Donald Trump took a shine to the whistleblowing site WikiLeaks, led by its Australian founder Julian Assange. Now, as President, Donald Trump has performed a spectacular flip, presiding over an administration determined to imprison the publisher of the leaks. On Monday Four Corners investigates Julian Assange’s activities conducted during the nearly seven years he spent sheltering in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

From BBC Panorama. Three years ago, Britain had a new Prime Minister and a promise to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union by delivering on the people's vote for "Brexit". What had been presented as a simple proposition - for the UK to leave - has turned into a political nightmare, dividing former allies, British political parties and the people of an increasingly dis-United Kingdom. Now Britain's new PM, Boris Johnson, is making bold promises to "leave". In this revealing account, key negotiators and politicians on both sides of the Channel tell the inside story of the Brexit debacle.

The elevation of Boris Johnson to the Prime Ministership of Great Britain has been greeted with elation in some quarters, with undisguised horror in others. Elected by members of his own party, not by the people, Britain's 77th Prime Minister has ridden into office on the back of the big bold promise to deliver Brexit come hell or highwater and the stakes couldn't be higher. On Monday the ABC's chief foreign correspondent and former long-time Europe correspondent, Philip Williams, reports on the rise of Boris Johnson.

For 20 years the nation's city skylines have been changing with the building of more than 650,000 apartments across the country. Glossy advertising has wooed buyers away from the traditional Aussie dream of a house with promises of sophisticated apartment living and high-end finishes. But the shine has well and truly come off the apartment property boom. On Monday Four Corners investigates Australia's apartment building crisis, from shoddy workmanship to lax laws, leaving owners out of pocket and in some cases out of a home altogether.

In a Canberra court room one of the most controversial trials ever to be held in Australia will soon get under way. The case is highly sensitive, with key evidence central to the allegations unlikely to ever be heard by the public. A former spy and his lawyer have been charged with conspiring to reveal secret information relating to an Australian intelligence operation aimed at a friendly foreign government. On Monday Four Corners investigates the extraordinary steps the Australian government has taken to prosecute these men and to keep them silent.

For the past 12 weeks, the metropolis of Hong Kong - normally one of the world's most vibrant yet orderly cities - has been convulsed by turmoil, as its people rise up against mainland Chinese rule. Pro-democracy protestors have repeatedly seized control of key parts of the city, including its airport. These "flash mob" actions are designed to create maximum chaos and embarrassment for the city's political leadership and their masters in Beijing. It has become an epic battle of wills. On Monday Four Corners goes on the frontline of the protests, capturing the full force of the escalating violence with extraordinary footage.

Hospitals are supposed to be a place of care where patients are treated by highly trained staff well versed in dealing with emergencies and a vast range of illnesses. But not every hospital is delivering first class care. On Monday Four Corners reveals concerning evidence about the standard of hospital care many Australians are receiving. Medical staff say it's time to speak out about a series of catastrophic incidents where patients have died or been permanently disabled.

Social media has transformed the way we communicate and how we express our thoughts and emotions. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any number of digital platforms, there are more ways than ever for people to make their views known. Now the concern is that social media sites have morphed into the perfect platform for orchestrated disinformation campaigns. As governments around the world grapple with calls to regulate what is published on social media, and with tech companies fiercely resisting attempts to curtail their business model, this timely program explores these key issues.

With their soothing tones and soft-focus advertising, funeral directors promise to take care of our loved ones after they have died. But few of us know what really goes on behind the closed doors of funeral parlours around the country. "Treating the person who's passed away with dignity is incredibly important. At times (I) shudder to think (what will happen) when I pass away, if nothing has changed." Mortuary driver On Monday Four Corners reveals the dubious tactics being used by some in the funeral industry, from price gouging and unethical conduct, to the questionable treatment of bodies.

In a baking hot detention camp in Syria, a large group of Australian women and children are being held indefinitely. They're the remnants of the Australian contingent who lived under Islamic State. The Australian Government has branded them a "significant security threat" and made it clear it does not want them back. There are 20 women and more than 40 children stuck in the al-Hawl camp. Who they are and how they got there has until now, remained secret. Now for the first time, their stories are being told. In this exclusive Four Corners investigation, the former brides of Islamic State reveal the extraordinary details of their lives in the IS caliphate.

From ITN (UK). "This young lady was callous, sadistic. She was attacking children after children. They were vulnerable, innocent, defenceless and yet she had no emotion whatsoever and no remorse." Former detective It was a shocking betrayal of trust - a serial killer working in a children's ward, committing acts of murder on the patients in her care. "She was quite calm, quite confident for somebody who's just been arrested for murder." Retired Detective Superintendent British nurse Beverley Allitt was convicted of killing four children in small regional hospital in 1991. Another nine children survived her attempts to kill them.

Australia's universities are embroiled in a growing geopolitical storm amid rising concerns over expanding Chinese power abroad. Is Australian technology and know-how being used to help strengthen China's repressive regime?

Informer 3838 was the secret police weapon in the fight to end Melbourne’s murderous gangland wars. For years the public only knew of her as Lawyer X until she was unmasked as the high-profile barrister, Nicola Gobbo. Her clients were a who’s who of the “underbelly” world, including infamous gangsters like Carl Williams and Tony Mokbel. As the body count in the deadly criminal war climbed, she worked hard and partied hard, playing a dangerous double game.

From the BBC. The promises are big, bold and enticing: massive salaries, cars, holidays and life as an ‘influencer’. Job advertisements inviting young women to join online selling schemes are sweeping through social media feeds and attracting millions to sign up. It's sold as a dream job where you can work flexible hours from home and earn a commission on what you sell. What’s not clear from the advertisements is the true business model.

Bill Spedding, a washing machine repair man, was accused of abducting three-year-old William Tyrrell. The little boy, dressed in a Spiderman suit, vanished without a trace in 2014 from the front yard of a family home. After initially treating his disappearance as a missing person case, the police zeroed in on Bill Spedding as their key ‘Person of Interest’, believing he had taken the child. Four Corners investigates how the police built their case against Bill Spedding.

There’s no more precious resource in Australia than our children. Equipping them with the reading and writing skills to face the future is vital, not only for their own success but for the nation's prosperity. Alarmingly, a number of test results and international benchmarks indicate some of our children are slipping behind in the key area of literacy. On Monday, Four Corners examines the way reading and writing is being taught in our schools to find out what is going wrong.