Background Briefing

The explosion of online and mobile sports betting is producing a new cohort of problem gamblers, largely younger men who are being given inducements, free offers and giveaways from betting companies to keep them gambling on their favourite sports. Ann Arnold investigates.

The federal government says a huge Chinese coal mine it has approved on prime NSW farmland can be stopped at any time if it damages the underground water supply. Opponents say by then it would be too late and the risk of damage is too great. Wendy Carlisle investigates.

They create copycat 'science journals', exploit academic authors and publish junk 'peer reviewed' science. Hagar Cohen investigates one of the biggest of the alleged 'predatory' publishers, and the dubious tactics used in this growing sector.

ISDS, a provision in trade agreements that allows foreign investors to sue host governments, has become a ticking time bomb inside trade agreements like the soon to be signed Trans Pacific Partnership. Jess Hill investigates. (This program was originally broadcast on 14 September 2014)

Burning native timber for renewable energy could prop up an ailing native forest industry but the forests could earn millions in carbon credits if they’re not logged. Both options are hotly disputed and the argument opens a new front in the long running and politically-charged ‘forest wars’. Gregg Borschmann investigates.

While Italy and Greece struggle with waves of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, further north many are trying to make it to the UK. Jane Deith follows their route to the French port of Calais, where they join the 'New Jungle’ of homeless migrants desperate to buy or steal a ride across the English Channel.

Gambling techniques are permeating free online and mobile app games. Social casino games that mimic real slot machines are among the most popular, with no restrictions on children playing. Ann Arnold investigates the convergence of gambling and gaming, which is rendering Australia’s interactive gambling laws obsolete.

More than 7,000 disabled Australians under 65 languish in nursing homes because of a lack of proper housing, leaving them isolated from loved ones and surrounded by death before their time. Rachel Carbonell entered the world of young people in aged care.

Ancient rock carvings on the Burrup Peninsula are among more than 1,000 sites the WA government removed or blocked from its Aboriginal heritage register in the last two-and-a-half years. In 2012 the government created a narrower definition of sacred sites. The Supreme Court has thrown out those changes, but the government now wants a single public servant to determine sacred sites. Sarah Dingle in...

In a number of Family Court cases, where claims of child sexual abuse have been made against a father, the court has switched care from the mother to the father after a recommendation by a child psychiatrist or psychologist. Jess Hill investigates the role of expert report writers in the way the court decides on claims of abuse.

The government has declared an ice epidemic, but users who want to go to rehab face long waiting lists unless they can afford costly private treatments. Recovering addicts speak to Background Briefing about their descent into addiction, and their recovery, while New Zealand’s emphasis on affordable treatment offers a model for others to follow. Anne Connolly reports.

The height of the coal boom has passed and Background Briefing returns to the Queensland mining town of Moranbah to find local job losses, collapsed house prices and business failures. Is the prevalence of fly-in, fly-out employment arrangements to blame? Nance Haxton reports.

As governments step up efforts to counter IS propaganda, Dominic Casciani travels to Canada and Jordan to find out how the online threat is being met there. He speaks to a mother whose son was recruited in Canada and killed in Syria, and to an e-mufti in Jordan who’s trying to challenge IS online.    

Many children are being let down by the education system as the rise in autism and behavioural disorders strains the resources of mainstream and special schools. Ann Arnold follows the story of 11 year old twins Jake and Cooper, and finds serious shortfalls in the schooling options for children with disabilities.

Homophobia is rife in Australian sport. Whether playing at the local park or representing their country, gay and lesbian athletes routinely hide their sexuality to avoid abuse while pursuing the sport they love. Sarah Dingle investigates how difficult it is to come out on the field.

A man bashing a woman is the domestic violence stereotype, but just as typical is the man who uses other forms of abuse to exert control over his partner. Jess Hill entered the lives of perpetrators and their partners to investigate the cycle of violence.

The financial links between audiologists and hearing aid manufacturers are so common in Australia, there’s a good chance the audiologist testing your hearing is on a bonus to sell you a hearing aid. So why has a practice that’s not acceptable in other parts of the health profession become industry standard in audiology? Hagar Cohen investigates.

The huge jump in Ross River virus cases in Queensland and NSW is a sign of things to come, as climate change extends the mosquito breeding season and new suburbs push further into prime mosquito habitat. There’s a safe and effective vaccine but it’s not yet publicly available, as Ian Townsend reports.

Surgical work done every day in cosmetic and skin cancer clinics does not require specialist training and the victims of poor surgery are left with little recourse. William Verity reports on a growing medical industry that is not governed by the medical regulator.

They’re called the farmer’s friend, but research indicates that 15-20 people are killed and more than 1,000 are seriously injured each year in quad bike accidents. The industry blames rider behaviour, while safety experts say the bikes are inherently unstable and want increased safety measures. Ann Arnold investigates.

How do you turn people away from joining extremist groups like Islamic State? In the second of a two-part special investigation Sarah Dingle reveals the programs being run by Muslim community groups in Australia with no government support, and she tracks down a former violent extremist who’s trying to de-radicalise young Muslim jihadists.

What makes young men and women from the suburbs of Australia decide to go and fight for Islamic State? In the first of a two-part special investigation Sarah Dingle takes us inside the process of radicalisation. Australian Muslims talk openly about the pull of IS and we discover new cases of people leaving Australia to fight in Syria.      

Cruise liners berthed near homes on Sydney harbour are burning a carcinogenic fuel banned in US and European ports. Residents say they’re getting sick but the cruise companies have refused to burn cleaner fuel and the government says it won’t act to stop the dirty ships for at least another year. Anne Connolly investigates.

The prime minister has called for an urgent national approach to tackle domestic and family violence and yet crucial services for victims are being cut. The loss of support services is causing alarm, especially in regional areas where victims are already isolated. Hagar Cohen travelled to Broken Hill and Mildura to investigate.

The NSW Rural Fire Service is the biggest volunteer fire-fighting force in the world and enjoys hero status in the community but the RFS is facing serious questions about soaring costs, accountability and its fire-fighting strategies. Gregg Borschmann investigates.