A quote from former correspondent Eric Campbell taken from the 30th Anniversary Special in 2022:
"I’d unsurprisingly argue the program is now more important than ever.”
Was part of a longer quote talking about how the program’s future at time’s hasn’t always been certain due to budget cuts, etc
I would say it’s in the schedule for this year. Next year looking doubtful.
It’s a big call to get rid of it.
TUESDAY 21 JULY 8.00PM
In China an electric revolution is taking place. Across the country, electric cars Australians might consider to be luxury items are now standard issue vehicles in China. Massage seats, big screens and even fridges are the minimum requirement for Chinese EV drivers and with charging stations at shopping centres that can recharge a battery in under five minutes, there’s no such thing as range anxiety.
On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Allyson Horn, now based in the ABC’s reopened China bureau, examines how this nation became the dominant global force in electric vehicles. With 75 per cent of the world’s EVs being made in China she gets an inside look at what’s rolling off the production lines in record time and she previews the newest range of EVs including a futuristic flying car that will be on sale by the end of the year. With a global shortage of oil and increased petrol prices in the wake of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, China’s long term EV strategy is leaving the rest of the world behind with surging demand and record-breaking profits.
Tuesday 28 July at 8PM
How Norway sold the world on salmon
Norway is the biggest salmon producer in the world. It invented the farmed salmon industry, creating an 18-billion-dollar business to meet the growing global appetite for the pink fish. Norway was even responsible for introducing salmon sushi to the Japanese. But that success and growth have come with consequences and there’s an environmental reckoning threatening its pristine fjords and sustainable image.
On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Naomi Selvaratnam travels to Norway to see first-hand the challenges for an industry producing popular fish on a massive scale. Climate change, pollution from open net farming and the ongoing battle with diseases are urgent problems in need of solutions. Naomi also meets the families who have been fishing the rivers of Norway for generations and who are worried about the impact the farmed salmon industry is having on salmon in the wild.
Tuesday 4 August at 8PM
Inside the closed world of Japan’s enigmatic icons.
In Japan the geisha community is a closed world. The way of life behind the iconic women with striking makeup, bold black wigs and exquisite silk kimonos is largely unknown – even to many Japanese. So how do geisha operate in the modern era? What is life really like for a geisha in 2026?
On Foreign Correspondent reporter Natalie Whiting takes us into the private lives of the geisha. With incredible access we meet one of Japan’s most famous geishas and the young women who have given up the freedoms their friends enjoy to devote their lives to one of Japan’s ancient artforms. Once, more than 13,000 geishas lived and worked in Tokyo. Now there’s only around 200. And they’re on a mission to open up to the world in an attempt to save this ancient performing arts tradition.
Tuesday 11 August at 8PM
Could the South China Sea become the next battleground?
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes - much of what the world buys and sells passes through this single stretch of water. But who controls this sea is hotly disputed. The Philippines says part of the sea falls into its economic exclusion zone, but China has a very different view. And that’s led to an increasing number of confrontations at sea.
On Foreign Correspondent reporter Timothy Swanston travels to the disputed territory on board a Filipino vessel and witnesses first-hand the tense interactions with the Chinese Coast Guard. At a time when the world is impacted by critical maritime routes being closed due to the US/Israel war on Iran, the Philippines Defence Minister tells him the rest of the world should be concerned by China’s actions if they want to preserve the freedom of this vital sea lane.
Tuesday 18 August at 8PM
The libertarian experiment on a Caribbean Island backed by Silicon Valley.
On the tourist island of Roatan, a Reddit thread has seemingly come to life. Tucked away in the tropical jungle is Prospera, a libertarian proto state run on cryptocurrency with a choose-your-own-adventure legal system. It’s backed by allies close to Donald Trump, and the fight for its very existence has helped see Honduran governments rise and fall.
On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Lauren Day goes inside the very strange alternate world of Prospera. She meets the biohackers trying to cheat death with experimental medical treatments, as well as prospective investors who see Prospera as a place to get rich through avoiding taxes and government regulations.
Tuesday 25 August at 8PM
A new battle ground has opened up in the Middle East. In northern Yemen the Iran backed Houthi militia group is now waging war against its arch enemy Saudi Arabia, effectively blocking Saudi vessels from transiting through the critical water way of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The Red Sea had been a vital alternative shipping route for the Saudis after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
So who are the Houthis? Foreign Correspondent examines the evolution of this once small militia from the remote regions of Yemen to a sizeable military force now posing a significant threat to global trade.
