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24 Episodes 2023 - 2023
Episode 1
30 mins
After decades of peace, Japan is now confronting the possibility of war. With concerns over a resurgent Russia, North Korea and crucially, a more powerful China in the region, Japan is embarking on its biggest military spend since the Second World War. On Foreign Correspondent, reporter James Oaten has gained unique access to the Japanese military as it fortifies its remote southwest islands with new military bases. The popular tourist destination of Ishigaki, an island that is closer to Taiwan than Tokyo will soon be home to hundreds of soldiers, stockpiles of ammunition and missiles that could one day strike mainland China. The local farming and fishing community is divided over the base, and what it means for their idyllic way of life. The population paid a high price in the dying days of World War II, fuelling fears that they will once again become a target.
Episode 2
30 mins
On the eve of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the propaganda war being waged by President Putin has become more extreme. Russian citizens are being repeatedly told that Ukraine is being run by LGBT Nazis and President Vlodomyr Zelensky is a drug addict and a sexual pervert. Independent Russian journalists forced to flee the country have found sanctuary in neighbouring Latvia where they are now broadcasting factual news about the war into their former homeland via YouTube. On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Eric Campbell, also on Russia's banned list, travels to Latvia to meet the journalists who have taken great risks to fight the propaganda war. In the capital Riga, Eric interviews Latvian President Egils Levits, one of Ukraine's most ardent supporters. His government is allowing NATO troops to train in his country amidst fears Latvia too could suffer the same fate as Ukraine.
Episode 3
30 mins
In the dead of night in Manila, police officers track down criminals responsible for delivering online child abuse to a growing number Australian customers. This scene has played out dozens of times across the Philippines as cases hit unprecedented levels. The demand for live streaming child sexual abuse is so high in Australia that AFP officers are now based permanently in the Philippines working with an international task force investigating this distressing cyber-crime. On Foreign Correspondent reporter Stephanie March has been given exclusive access to the Filipino police and the international task force as they hunt down the abusers and rescue the children. Parents are often involved in arranging the abuse and in a frank and confronting prison cell exchange Stephanie interviews a mother accused of facilitating the abuse of her own child for money.
Episode 4
30 mins
The extraordinary Sepik River region in Papua New Guinea, known as the second Amazon, is under threat.Tensions are running high over logging and a mine proposal amidst claims of land grabs, police brutality, even killings.
Episode 5
28 mins
What happens when you fall victim to a cyber scam? And who's really at fault? In Cambodia, Chinese organised crime syndicates, with strong ties to the Hun Sen regime, are running widespread cyber scam operations in the city of Sihanoukville. Hundreds of scammers in complexes surrounded by barbed wire work 15-hour days targeting vulnerable people with fake information to access their money. But the workers in this billion-dollar corrupt business are also victims. Reporter Mary Ann Jolley meets the scammers who are lured to Cambodia with the promise of a good job, only to find they have been sold to scam syndicates. They are then held against their will and forced to scam across the world. Complaints to Cambodian authorities fall on deaf ears with allegations officials are complicit in the operations.
Episode 6
30 mins
Somalia is one of the most dangerous places on earth. Almost two decades of conflict with the al-Qaeda backed terrorist group al-Shabaab has taken a huge toll on the country. Now Somalia is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years. With the world distracted by the war in Ukraine, the crisis is escalating away from the public gaze. This week on Foreign Correspondent reporter Stephanie March and producer/cinematographer Matt Davis travel to Somalia where makeshift camps have become home to more than a million hungry children and their families. There, they meet mothers with babies who have walked for days without food and very little water. They hear incredible stories of courage and survival in a landscape that is unforgiving and unsafe. And they also face their own safety problems when their security team worries al-Shabaab has been told of their whereabouts. As the Somali government fights back against al-Shabaab, another threat, which they have no control over, is driving the extreme weather: climate change. In the midst of this turmoil, the Foreign Correspondent team meets extraordinary people who are determined to make their story one of survival.
Episode 7
27 mins
When the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Brexit supporters predicted the UK would boom. Three years later and the nation is at breaking point with high inflation, an energy crisis and concerns about a recession fuelling a healthy dose of Brexit regret. No more so than in Wales where something remarkable is happening. The Welsh are finding their voice, and the famous red dragon is awakening. This week on Foreign Correspondent reporter Nick Dole explores the new push for independence and meets the leaders of the movement campaigning for Wales to break up with Britain. He travels to the city of Wrexham where the locals are riding high on a wave of pride as their football team gains global recognition thanks to the popular TV streaming show "Welcome to Wrexham". The club was recently bought by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and it's put Wrexham on the map. But as well as a growing confidence in their team for some there's also an increasing belief that Wales can achieve much more as an independent nation, away from the rule of Westminster. With a major push now on to preserve the Welsh language one question is getting louder: A fyddai cymru yn well ei byd ar ei phen ei hun? (Would Wales be better off on its own?)
Episode 8
29 mins
With tourism back and booming, Fiji is again a number one destination for travellers seeking an island paradise experience. And while water lapping on the shoreline might make for an Instagram-worthy picture, for the people of Fiji, it presents a threat to their way of life. This week on Foreign Correspondent, special guest reporter Craig Reucassel travels across the islands of Fiji to see how the nation is combating climate change. With his trademark style, Craig goes off the tourist track and shows what living with climate change actually means for those who don't have the luxury of arguing about it. More than 800 villages are now on a government climate risk list - some communities have already been moved to higher ground but others are resisting. And many are asking: who caused the problem and who should pay to fix it?
Episode 9
26 mins
Every weekend in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, thousands of young Saudis flock to the city to party. Here they can do things that would be utterly forbidden just over the "Johnny Walker" bridge. This week, Foreign Correspondent takes you to a place in the Middle East that few people know exists. Bahrain wants to be a liberal oasis in a conservative region and it's selling that image to the world to attract tourists and real estate investors to the smallest country in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain is reinventing itself now because its rich oil reserves are beginning to run out and it needs ways to diversify the economy. From the nightclubs to the luxury car garages of the super rich, this story shows the "modern" Bahrain and contrasts it with those who are trying to preserve a more traditional way of life.
Episode 10
29 mins
The US state of Florida has become the epicentre of a nation-wide culture war and a model for the country's right-wing conservative movement. Led by Governor Ron DeSantis, the only serious Republican rival to Donald Trumps's presidential bid, the state has become the place where "woke goes to die". This week on Foreign Correspondent the ABC's Washington bureau chief Jade Macmillan travels to the sunshine state to see how this war is playing out. The battlegrounds are schools and universities where new laws on the teaching of issues like race and gender are bitterly dividing communities. While other US states are watching closely, and some even following suit, all eyes are now on Ron DeSantis who is expected to announce a run for the Republican presidential nomination. The question is will the Governor's "anti-woke" blueprint take him all the way to the White House?
Episode 11
29 mins
They're the refugees from North Korea's hermit kingdom who overcome huge odds to escape to a new life in South Korea. Most of them are women and the journey they undertake is a perilous one. Many are influenced to leave after viewing smuggled South Korean TV dramas which showcase a life of freedom and opportunity. But the reality is often very different. Instead of finding happiness they are overcome with loneliness and isolation. On arrival, often after harrowing experiences at the hands of human traffickers, they are placed in a training school and taught how to live in the modern world, South Korean style. Once on the outside, their accent, clothing and behaviour often make them stand out, and they struggle to assimilate, some often barely surviving. Those who do escape are known as defectors and they rarely speak out publicly. This week on Foreign Correspondent reporter Naomi Selvaratnam meets some of the North Korean women who are trying to make new lives for themselves in South Korea and asks them: Has their escape been worth it?
Episode 12
29 mins
Fentanyl is the main source of drug overdoses in the United States, supplied by the infamous Mexican Sinaloa cartel. The drug is making a fortune for the cartel, we go inside to see the luxurious lifestyle. (Midseason Final)
Episode 13
30 mins
It's almost a decade since ISIS forces swept through Iraq and Syria but the legacy of their brutal caliphate remains. The Yazidis of northern Iraq were slaughtered and enslaved by ISIS. Today the search continues for the missing Yazidis who have still not returned home.
Episode 14
30 mins
It's been called the biggest art theft in history - thousands of statues stolen from temples across Cambodia and sold to private collectors and international museums, including here in Australia. Now a team of art sleuths, on behalf of the Cambodian Government, are on a mission to bring home the country's cultural heritage. In this episode of Foreign Correspondent, the inside story of how Cambodia's stolen antiquities are being tracked and returned in a global treasure hunt. South-East Asia correspondent Mazoe Ford travels with the restitution team as they journey across the country and over borders to identify, trace and reclaim Cambodia's missing treasures.
Episode 15
30 mins
In India the Modi government is being accused of waging a war on Bollywood, the country's most powerful cultural force, effectively turning it into a propaganda tool. Filmmakers who dare to criticise the government or resist pressure to produce pro-Hindu content face a backlash. This week on Foreign Correspondent, the ABC's South Asia Correspondent Avani Dias goes behind the scenes in Bollywood to meet industry insiders who've risked their careers to speak candidly on camera. In the words of one well-known actor: "If you want to thrive in Bollywood you have to suck up or shut up". It's left some asking whether free speech is at risk in the largest democracy in the world under Modi's reign.
Episode 16
30 mins
Almost a year since widespread protests erupted on the streets of Iran, young dissidents who continue to defy the country's repressive regime have participated in secretly recorded interviews with Foreign Correspondent. The protest movement was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing her hijab too loosely. Inspired and led by women, who took off their hijabs in solidarity with Mahsa, the protests gripped the nation for months. The regime's response was swift and brutal: protesters were beaten, imprisoned and executed. The crowds dissipated but the mood for change did not. For months, Foreign Correspondent has been communicating via encrypted messaging apps with young Iranians who are still involved with Iran's protest movement. Despite the risks they agreed to be interviewed to tell their personal stories, share their acts of defiance and reflect on the huge price they have paid in their fight for freedom. Each one of them wants the world to know what is happening inside Iran. In the words of one young protester: "This is my direct message to friends within Iran and outside of Iran who think these protests have ended. Friends, it has just started."
Episode 17
30 mins
Canada is in the grip of the worst forest fires in recorded history. In recent days, tens of thousands of people in British Columbia were evacuated, as the Canadian government deployed its armed forces to deal with the crisis. Most residents of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, have also fled their homes. An area of almost 14 million hectares has been scorched by more than 6,000 separate wildfires burning all over the country since late April. Almost 5,000 international firefighters have already been flown in, including several hundred Australians. This week Foreign Correspondent travels to British Columbia and Alberta where a desperate battle is underway to save lives and homes. Reporter David Lipson goes inside the fireground to see firsthand how a nation better known for snow and ice is coping with the fire catastrophe. He meets the Canadian smoke jumpers who parachute into difficult terrain to fight fire fronts in remote locations. He also spends time in the makeshift camps that have become home to fire crews from around the world including the Australians - many of whom are veterans of Australia's Black Summer. The camaraderie within the camps helps with the challenges of the difficult work they face and when the Australians leave to face their own summer fire season, they know the Canadians will be ready and willing to return the favour.
Episode 18
31 mins
In December last year an attempted coup in Germany took that nation and the rest of the world by surprise. But the movement behind the coup, the Reichsbürger group, has been fomenting discontent for decades. This week Foreign Correspondent travels to Germany to take a close look at this far-right "sovereign citizens" movement, many of whom believe they are not bound by German laws. Some are now on trial for shooting police and engaging in acts of terrorism. Reporter Eric Campbell visits the state of Thuringia, where a self-styled prince allegedly plotted the coup in his royal hunting lodge. He meets intelligence officials who claim the Reichsbürger are now in a dangerous alliance with a far-right political party, the AfD. Its radical policies to end migration and stop action on climate change have made it the second most popular party in Germany. But State Intelligence chief Stephan Kramer, who is Jewish, describes the AfD as "Nazis in suits" and says he'll take his family out of Germany if they come to power. This is an intriguing and disturbing look at how the far right is surging in support in the one country that has shunned far right extremists since the end of World War Two.
Episode 19
30 mins
A year after the Uvalde school shooting in Texas the community is still traumatised. They're angry about the inadequate police response on the day and they're determined to change the law on the sale of deadly assault rifles
Episode 20
31 mins
Barbados was the first British slave society in the Caribbean. Now, two years after becoming a republic, there is a growing demand for institutions and the descendants of slave owners to make amends for the sins of the past.
Episode 21
30 mins
NBA superstar LeBron James has put his name and his money behind an extraordinary social experiment in his hometown of Akron. Paul Kennedy travels to Ohio to see how the plan is coming to life - and whether it's working.
Episode 22
30 mins
A billion-dollar illegal drug trade is funding the Syrian regime under President Bashar al-Assad. Insiders reveal details of the drug operations and the links to members of the president's family and the Syrian Armed Forces.
Episode 23
30 mins
Argentina is on its knees with inflation rates over 100 percent and 40 percent of the population living in poverty. There's hope that mining the country's vast supply of the rare metal lithium could solve the current crisis.
Episode 24
30 mins
Before the war, 2023 had been the deadliest year for Jews and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 15 years. This program looks at the rising tensions between the two before the brutal terror attack by Hamas.