Four Corners

“We can’t get any help…the truck is burning.” NSW Fire crew, Nowra They are the videos that stopped the nation and stunned the world - images from the firegrounds capturing the ferocity of the bushfires that have raged around Australia this black summer. These videos have been viewed tens of millions of times, but who filmed them and how did their stories end? On Monday Four Corners brings you the people and the stories behind the heart-stopping footage seen around the world.

It should have been a day of celebration - a picnic on the White House lawn with President Trump and his inner circle. But as the TV cameras filmed the mingling guests, a Republican Congressman and prominent Trump ally was pacing up and down on his phone. Congressman Chris Collins was a long-time investor and board member of a Sydney based company engaged in therapeutic drug development. On that fateful afternoon, he received confidential information that a crucial drug trial had failed and his investment was at risk. On Monday night Four Corners investigates the insider trading scandal that went on to engulf the Congressman and the major questions it raises for Australian regulators.

Last year, St Kevin's found itself in the middle of a public relations nightmare when a video emerged of "Skevies" boys shouting out an offensive chant on a public tram. The school says it "challenges its young men to become the saints and scholars of the modern era". But a Four Corners investigation has uncovered other incidents that point to a systemic problem. Despite the school's insistence that it does not tolerate bad behaviour, Four Corners has uncovered evidence of how a desire to protect reputation at all costs has allowed a toxic culture to flourish.

It's likened to a scene from an apocalypse. Empty streets, overflowing hospitals and an overwhelming sense of fear in a city of 11 million people placed in "lock down". In China, almost two thousand people have died as a result of coronavirus with tens of thousands more infected. Authorities are resorting to extreme measures to try to halt the contagion. On Monday Four Corners charts how the outbreak occurred and investigates whether a cover up by Chinese authorities allowed the virus to spread.

From the moment expectant parents announce they're having a baby the question is asked: are you having a boy or a girl? On Monday Four Corners meets young Australians who do not identify as either male or female to gain an understanding of their lives and experiences. In their own words they explain how they negotiate the world and the judgement of others. All are acutely aware that they are often judged for being different, but in this thought-provoking Four Corners, these young Australians have a question: "I ask, what does it matter to you if I don't identify as a boy or a girl?"

Jeffrey Epstein was the wealthy financier with celebrity friends, unmasked as a serial sexual predator of underage girls. One of Epstein's famous friends was Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, who had holidayed in Epstein's houses on numerous occasions. On Monday Four Corners examines allegations made by one of Epstein's victims who says she was trafficked to Prince Andrew for sex. The Prince has strenuously denied the allegations. Featuring interviews with key players in this scandal, including Prince Andrew, the story pieces together the sordid details of Epstein's offending and the allegations made against Prince Andrew.

Exposing killings and cover ups by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. On Monday, Four Corners will detail explosive revelations about the conduct of Australia's elite special forces during the war in Afghanistan. "They're going to look back and see that we were the guys in there murdering and invading and not there to do something that was honourable." Former Australian soldier In an investigation months in the making, drawing upon sources in Australia and Afghanistan, the program will expose a culture of impunity and cover-up among members of Australia's special forces who served in Australia's longest war.

On the frontlines of the fight to preserve the world's largest tropical rainforest. "The Amazon holds the largest biodiversity on the planet. The Amazon is the home of hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species." Nobel prize winner The Amazon is one of the most precious natural habitats in the world and plays a vital part in regulating the planet's temperature. So when alarming pictures emerged last year of the Amazon on fire, the world was shocked. These fires were so big they could be seen from space, leaving many to ask how could this have happened? Why wasn't the forest being protected? On Monday Four Corners takes you on an epic journey through the Brazilian Amazon to investigate.

"The health battle is the battle that all Australians are enlisted in as we fight this virus." Prime Minister Scott Morrison, 22 March The Prime Minister has effectively placed Australia on a war footing to fight the coronavirus pandemic. For some, the realisation of the deadly danger posed by COVID 19 is only now sinking in. Others have been sounding the alarm for weeks. On Monday, Four Corners investigates how coronavirus spread to Australia, laying the groundwork for the crisis that is now unfolding.

From BBC Panorama (UK). Amazon is a corporate colossus that dominates the global retail landscape. As a company, it has changed the way commerce operates to emerge as a corporate superpower. It’s propelled its founder, Jeff Bezos from a small-scale book seller to a tech titan. He’s now the richest man in the world. On Monday, former high-level Amazon insiders reveal how the company has achieved its success. What emerges is a portrait of a company that gathers staggering amounts of deeply personal data about its customers.

The outbreak of coronavirus in Australia has created a public health emergency like no other. It’s also unleashed a financial wrecking ball right through the Australian economy. On Monday Four Corners investigates the political scramble to contain the enormous financial damage caused by COVID-19. With access to the key players in this financial battle, Insiders host David Speers reports for Four Corners and captures history in the making. Featuring a rare interview with the Governor of the Reserve Bank, the program gives a unique insight into the planning and execution of the financial rescue attempts.

It was the height of the summer cruise season and for many on board the Ovation of the Seas it was the trip of a lifetime. But on the afternoon of December 9 the dream holiday turned into a deadly nightmare when a group of cruise ship passengers and other day trippers became trapped in the middle of a volcanic eruption. On Monday Four Corners investigates what the tourists were told, and what they understood about the dangers of visiting New Zealand’s most active volcano. The program examines whether more could have been done to prevent the tragedy, that has left so many dead and others with lifelong traumatic injuries.

Six weeks ago, Australia’s health professionals were bracing for the worst medical crisis in decades. From those tense early days to the flattening of the coronavirus curve, Four Corners has been documenting the fight against COVID-19 in hospitals and GP clinics around Australia. In this powerful Four Corners, the program brings you the deeply personal accounts of Australian medical workers filmed as the pandemic crisis has unfolded. The film captures the remarkable turnaround from catastrophic predictions to a manageable health problem, thanks to the extreme lockdown measures we are all enduring. Health workers are grateful for the respite but warn this crisis is far from over.

Right from the start President Donald Trump has sent confusing and sometimes contradictory messages about the danger posed by the deadly outbreak of COVID-19. More than a million Americans have been infected and over 60,000 people have died. And as the crisis has escalated, the President has gone to war with the leaders of many of the worst affected areas. The story, from the American Frontline program, traces the halting federal response, identifying early warnings and missed opportunities to potentially save lives as the outbreak spread.

For more than a decade the climate wars have raged in Australian politics. In Canberra’s corridors of power, the nation’s most senior public servants have been there through it all. Usually they keep their thoughts private, but now several of these former mandarins, who have worked with the highest levels of government, are speaking out. They describe cases of flawed decision making and reveal how parties on all sides of the political spectrum have squandered important opportunities in pursuit of their short-term political interests. Many of them look back upon their time working with government with regret that they could not achieve more.

On March 19, thousands of passengers disembarked from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in Sydney harbour. Their 'luxury' cruise holiday had been cut short after authorities announced cruise ships would be banned from Australian ports as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus. Far from protecting people, the release of the Ruby Princess’s passengers instead triggered a public health emergency with the cruise ship now named as the single largest source of Australia’s coronavirus infections. On Monday Four Corners investigates how the Ruby Princess became an incubator for infection, leaving its passengers and staff dangerously exposed.

North Korea is one of the most secretive nations on earth. Despite severe financial sanctions, the nation has defied international pressure and developed a costly nuclear weapons program. The question is, where is all that money coming from? Officially, Bureau 39 does not exist. But leading experts on the North Korean regime say it’s essentially the cash making machine for the Kim regime. In this investigation, from Germany’s ZDF, the story reveals the extensive web of operations carried out at the instruction of Bureau 39. From money laundering to arms smuggling, insurance fraud and human trafficking, the scale is extraordinary.

Coronavirus restrictions are starting to loosen and our cities and towns are showing more signs of life than they have in months. But health authorities and the federal and state governments insist that without an effective vaccine or treatment for coronavirus, life cannot fully return to normal. Australian scientists are at the forefront of this hunt for a vaccine, working around the clock on several promising contenders. The stakes are high, and the degree of difficulty is intense. On Monday Four Corners takes you into their world, where they face extraordinary scientific hurdles as well as extreme moral and ethical dilemmas.

From PBS Frontline (USA). AI, or Artificial Intelligence, will be one of the defining developments of the 21st century. The ability of machines to ‘think’ at a speed and depth far beyond the capacity of any human is unleashing incredible possibilities. China is emerging as an AI superpower, staking its reputation on catching up then overtaking America for AI supremacy within the decade. Critics say the Chinese Communist Party is using AI as an instrument of authoritarian control. Outside of China, even long-term backers of the tech industry say the rise of the global tech giants is a threat to us all.

For three months, the elderly and vulnerable residents of the Newmarch House aged care facility have effectively been locked in as coronavirus raged through their home. As the disaster unfolded, Four Corners captured the experiences of several families with loved ones effectively trapped inside. The program investigates key decisions taken by the facility and the state and federal health departments about the care of residents and the treatment of those that fell ill. Health authorities have now announced they believe the crisis has passed. But for these families, the time has come for answers.

Aviation is arguably the highest profile casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and the impact has been enormous. The aviation crisis has driven Australia's second major carrier, Virgin, to the point of collapse. On Monday, the key players explain how things went so wrong so quickly. The program details the battle to keep the airline going, examining why it was vulnerable in the first place and what was driving the refusal of the federal government to step in and directly support Virgin.

During the dark and suffocating days of our Black Summer, fires tore through vast parts of Australia. Six months on, despite all the millions in donations raised and the promises of government assistance, some are still living in terrible conditions without power or water and they fear they have been forgotten. Recovery is a deeply complex and gruelling process. Knowing how to navigate it is hard. Local volunteers have stepped in to effectively run the recovery effort. In this powerful Four Corners, a portrait of a proud community emerges and they have a message for Australia.

On Monday Four Corners brings you a searing and profoundly moving story from special guest reporter Stan Grant in the wake of the shocking killing of unarmed black man George Floyd captured on camera in the United States. In this deeply personal story, Stan Grant gives voice to the frustration and hurt that has defined the life experience of so many Indigenous Australians and explores why the death of George Floyd resonates so profoundly. In this confronting program, other Aboriginal Australians talk of their experiences with authority and government that have left them feeling like second class citizens.

From PBS Frontline (USA). On Monday night, Four Corners brings you a remarkable film that acts as a forceful reminder of how quickly coronavirus can take off and spread. Presented by the Health Report’s Dr Norman Swan, this film from PBS Frontline takes you into the heart of Italy’s fight against the virus. One hospital in the thick of the pandemic, in the city of Cremona, allowed a camera in as the crisis was unfolding. The film follows the daily struggles of an inspirational doctor and her staff, as they battle to keep their patients alive. The program is a testament to the courage and hope of medical staff on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Workers compensation is supposed to be a safety net designed to return injured employees to the workplace and provide assistance to those so badly hurt that they can no longer hold down a job. Australian workers are guaranteed these protections by law, but there is disturbing evidence the system is failing badly. On Monday, reporter Adele Ferguson reveals the scandalous state of workers compensation schemes in Australia, in a joint Four Corners, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald investigation.

Around Australia a vocal band of activists have joined a worldwide protest movement against the arrival of the next generation in wireless technology known as 5G. Activists claim 5G is an invisible and potentially deadly health hazard, blaming the radiation emitted by the technology for a range of long-term health problems. On Monday Four Corners investigates these claims, exploring how the technology works and examining the scientific studies undertaken into whether the technology is actually a threat to our health. The program investigates the rise of the anti-5G movement and the spread of wild conspiracy theories tying the COVID-19 pandemic to the 5G rollout. Piecing together the viral spread of these theories, the program uncovers a sophisticated misinformation campaign.

From PBS Frontline (USA). For decades we’ve been told that we can do our bit for the environment by recycling our waste. But as Four Corners revealed in 2017, much of Australia’s recycling operations have been effectively a sham with mountains of waste being stockpiled with nowhere to go. Now, in this revealing investigation from PBS Frontline, the actions of the American plastics industry are laid bare. The program shows how over decades clever marketing campaigns were created to persuade consumers they should carry the burden of plastic pollution, by recycling, rather than expecting industry to reduce the amount of plastic it manufactured.

For months Australia was the envy of the world, with COVID-19 largely under control. All that changed when the news broke of a breach in Melbourne’s hotel quarantine program. On Monday Four Corners investigates how COVID-19 escaped back out into the Victorian community, wreaking havoc in the state and putting the rest of the nation in peril. After the initial outbreak, the virus spread with alarming speed and took hold in the most vulnerable places imaginable, aged care homes. This investigation reveals the failures by the authorities that were supposed to keep the community safe.

Around Australia there are families carrying an immense burden of grief and loss. They live with the knowledge a loved one has committed a violent crime while suffering a severe mental health crisis. For decades health workers and families have worked together to remove the stigma around mental illness, highlighting how those most in danger are the patients themselves. But the confronting reality is that every year some acutely unwell people kill or commit other acts of violence after failing to get the treatment they need. On Monday Four Corners investigates how the mental health system is failing to protect the community and the patients themselves.

Sixty years ago, the world watched in wonder at the dawning of the space age. Humankind's first flights into space and the landing on the moon showed the seemingly impossible was achievable. Now we are on the brink of a new space revolution. Space travel has never been so accessible. The entrepreneurial vision of business tycoon Elon Musk and his Space X business teamed with more affordable and reliable technology has resulted in a space revolution that is giving rise to a whole new world of possibilities. On Monday Four Corners examines the extraordinary opportunities and challenges of the new space age, in which travel beyond our own planet is suddenly affordable.

From PBS Frontline (USA). The aggressive marketing of dangerously potent and addictive opioids by pharmaceutical companies has driven an alarming rise in global drug addiction and death. America has been at the epicentre of this epidemic. Insys Therapeutics was a multi-million-dollar pharmaceutical company which made a fortune from one such drug. Up to one hundred times stronger than morphine, the fentanyl-based painkiller promised fast and effective relief from the most acute pain. Instead of helping those in need, the drug fuelled America's devastating opioid epidemic in the shameless pursuit of profit. Now the lengths this company went to in order to increase its sales have been exposed.

In conflict zones around the world, battles are increasingly being fought, not just by armies, but by private military contractors operating as guns for hire. These mercenaries live in a shadowy world away from the public eye where the normal rules of combat don’t apply. Their work usually remains secret unless something goes very wrong. On Monday Four Corners investigates this murky world and the Australian military men at the heart of it.

From BBC Panorama (UK). Over three years, UK police tracked a family crime group who kept their victims in squalid conditions and stole wages to fund their own lifestyle. The trial that followed unmasked the family as the operators of Britain’s largest modern slavery ring. With exclusive access to both the police investigation and the court case, the BBC’s Panorama program captured the dramatic events as they unfolded. The case provides an insight into the staggering scale of modern slavery across the world.

Australia is in the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression with decades of economic growth brought to a halt as the result of the coronavirus pandemic. More than six months on from the closure of our borders and the extensive restrictions placed on how we work and play, Four Corners investigates the financial fallout for everyday Australians and what the future may hold. The program analyses why specific locations and industries were so vulnerable to the shutdown and explores what it will take for Australia to recover.

On a hot summer evening two months ago in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, a catastrophic explosion ripped through the city. It looked like a scene from a disaster movie, but it was very real. Four Corners pieces together the story of the explosion, tracking down many of the people who filmed the blast as well as those who were dramatically shown on screen. Using previously unseen footage, the program tracks the final minutes of the emergency responders who had no idea what they were walking into. In this city with so many connections to Australia, the pain and grief is immense, as is their anger.

Tinder is the dating app that has reinvented the way we meet new people. Some are looking for love, others, are after a casual fling. The app has been downloaded more than 100 million times worldwide and it's the most popular dating app in Australia. In a joint investigation, Four Corners and triple j Hack reveal that the dating app has become a playground for sex offenders. Multiple women have come forward to speak with Four Corners guest reporter and Hack presenter Avani Dias. They tell their stories of assault at the hands of those they have matched with on Tinder.

Around the world sporting codes have been engulfed in scandal with shocking revelations about the sexual abuse of young athletes by their coaches. Vulnerable young people, and their families, put their faith and trust in sporting coaches in the quest for sporting glory. Instead, many promising young athletes were betrayed by perpetrators who exploited the hold they had over their young charges. Incredibly, even after abusers have been exposed, some sporting federations have tried to minimise the compensation awarded to victims.

Donald Trump was elected to office in 2016 on the promise that he would "Make America Great Again". Four years on, he's presiding over a nation that is bitterly divided with a troubled economy and a population ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. With just over a week to go before polling day, Four Corners examines whether Donald Trump can once again defy the polls and his critics and secure a second presidential term.

For the class of 2020, their final year of school has been challenging in ways they never imagined. On Monday, students from across Australia open up about this year of uncertainty and disruption. Filmed mainly on their smartphones, these young Australians explain what the year of coronavirus has been like for them. Many found themselves questioning their future career plans as they watched the nation fall into recession, and saw the impact of the pandemic on their loved ones. Despite the mental and emotional toll, they want Australia to know that they are ready to face the future.

Parliament House in Canberra is a hotbed of political intrigue and high tension. Leadership challenges and tightly fought votes are covered exhaustively by the media, but what happens after hours has long been governed by the idea that what happens in Canberra stays in Canberra. On Monday, this Four Corners investigation questions the conduct of some of the most senior politicians in the nation.