As Southeast Asia suffers deadly new outbreaks of COVID-19, thousands of tonnes of medical waste are piling up, overwhelming nations ill-equipped to deal with this mounting pandemic side effect. In Cambodia, workers wearing little protection sort through used bandages, gloves and syringes before incinerating them. In Indonesia, syringes and medical bottles are turning up in landfills as health clinics struggle to dispose of their pandemic waste. 101 East investigates the hidden medical...

In Hong Kong, dissent has become a dangerous business. Activists have been jailed and many opposition politicians have been imprisoned and are facing criminal charges. As the political crackdown intensifies, 101 East follows three Hong Kongers who refuse to be silenced, despite the risks. Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu declined 101 East's invitation to appear in this film, but did offer the following statement: "Hong Kong residents enjoy the freedoms of...

The Taliban has seized control and fears for the women of Afghanistan are rising. In recent years, women have been assassinated across the country, targeted by those who believe they should stay at home and stay silent. Dozens of female students were killed by bomb blasts at their school; judges and journalists shot by gunmen; activists killed by car bombs. With no one held accountable for many of the deadly attacks, the killings are a stark warning of what the future could hold. 101 East...

New Zealand is famous for its unique birdlife, including the iconic kiwi. But the South Pacific nation has one of the world's worst extinction rates; introduced predators kill an estimated 25 million native birds each year. Now, an ambitious plan is in place to save the country's feathered friends. "Predator Free 2050" aims to rid the island nation of all rats, possums and other pests by 2050. 101 East travels to New Zealand to witness first-hand the extraordinary efforts being made to hunt...

Hainan - a tropical island in the country’s south, known as the "Hawaii of China" - is a playground for the rich and a sought-after destination for retirees. Once dominated by sleepy fishing villages, it’s undergoing a rapid transformation, with new marinas for luxury yachts, five-star resorts and duty-free shopping. After pro-democracy protests engulfed Hong Kong, Beijing has embarked on an ambitious campaign to draw tourists and foreign companies to Hainan. But not everyone is putting out...

The sounds of classical instruments and the voices of impatient teachers resonate through South Korean music schools. The country has become a breeding ground for young performers making their mark on the world stage. South Koreans have won lots of recent international classical music competitions. But behind these success stories are childhoods crammed with endless hours of practice, with some starting lessons at just two years of age. 101 East goes backstage to meet South Korea’s musical...

Mount Everest is the ultimate mountaineering challenge. Climbers come from around the world seeking glory, but for those helping them scale the world’s highest peak, it can be deadly work. Sherpa men die in disproportionate numbers, leaving behind widows who struggle to survive. Forced to become breadwinners, some women are defying tradition by breaking into the male-dominated world of Himalayan climbing. Taking on Everest is part of a larger battle to overcome centuries of discrimination...

When the world went into lockdown, international trade continued to thrive as people turned to buying online. But for the workers keeping the shipping industry alive, it marked the beginning of a nightmare. Closed borders have left many seafarers without a way home. Stuck at sea for months, many are struggling to carry on, with mental health concerns rising and reports of seafarers taking their own lives. One shipping business simply deserted its crew during the pandemic leaving them at...

People are dying at the gates of New Delhi’s overwhelmed hospitals. Inside, patients beg for oxygen as, increasingly, tanks run empty. Across the city, crematoriums and burial grounds are overwhelmed. But as COVID-19 wreaks a deadly path across India, front-line heroes continue to show up for work, putting themselves and their families at great risk in this unprecedented crisis. With rare access to one of Delhi’s busiest hospitals, over the course of a year, 101 East follows the nurses and...

Since a military coup in February, a climate of terror has settled over Myanmar. Thousands have been detained and hundreds allegedly killed by authorities, following widespread protests against the military takeover. Disappearances, detention without charge, alleged torture and mysterious deaths are just some of the acts under the spotlight. This special 101 East investigation uses witness testimony, forensic analysis, and leaked documents to reveal how the Myanmar military is creating a...

In May 2020, armed men stormed a maternity clinic in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, killing indiscriminately. Midwives, pregnant women and newborns were shot. Twenty-five lost their lives and many more were injured. The tragedy shocked the nation. As violence escalates across the country, 101 East travels to Afghanistan, where even newborns have become targets of war. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on...

Across Geneva, Switzerland, tens of thousands of undocumented Filipino workers cook meals, clean homes and care for wealthy families. But their own accommodation is a daily struggle. At the mercy of so-called “slumlords”, they are forced to pay exorbitant rates in a sordid trade in which apartments are rented out by the room. More than 10 people are often crammed in a small one-bedroom flat. 101 East exposes the exploitation of vulnerable Filipino workers in one of the richest countries in...

Bali's natural beauty and culture have long made it a magnet for tourists from around the world. But since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and borders closed, putting an abrupt stop to international travel, the island has been struggling without the income that millions of visitors usually bring. Locals are questioning their dependence on tourism and the over-development that led to congestion, pollution and rubbish problems. Some Balinese want to see a more sustainable type of tourism when...

Every year, thousands of Thai workers comb Sweden’s forests in search of berries. It is a job that Swedes will not do, but for the migrant workers, it is a potentially lucrative alternative to toiling in rice paddies at home. Paid by the kilo, they have to hope for a good harvest. They work long, gruelling days during their two-month contracts. But it can take a month or longer to pay off the loans they take out to cover living expenses. From Thailand to Sweden, 101 East follows the berry...

Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is regularly ranked one of the most dangerous cities in the world. From armed robberies and car-jackings to murders, the gangs who rule the streets are known to be ruthless. They often recruit young people from the countryside, who move to the city in a desperate bid to escape poverty. The gangs target the country’s wealthy elite, many of whom have become rich thanks to PNG’s rich natural resources. With rare access to gang members and the...

One-third of the Himalayas' glaciers are forecast to disappear by the end of this century, threatening the supply of water to nearly two billion people across South Asia. Disturbing signs of what can happen when people are unable to get enough water are emerging in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. For many residents, the taps are already running dry as demand for water soars, heatwaves strike more frequently and water infrastructure is deteriorating. Some resort to stealing water for their...

In Japan, sumo is more than just a sport. It is akin to a religion, with its stars hailed as demigods. But it’s a world closed to outsiders, one where professional athletes live together 24 hours a day, women are considered unclean, and scandals are covered up. Young wrestlers spend their days in intense training, punctuated by consuming mountains of food, all in pursuit of glory in stadiums packed with die-hard fans. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes access, 101 East goes inside the...

From regulating the length of students' hair to what they wear and how they behave, Thailand’s schools have long been a place where one must abide by strict rules. In some schools, the power imbalance between students and teachers has left children exposed to abuse, bullying and humiliating punishments. Now, after security camera footage emerged of a teacher violently beating a young child, students are taking to the streets to protest against a system they say fails to protect them. 101...

On March 15, 2019, the New Zealand city of Christchurch was shattered when a gunman opened fire at two mosques, killing 51 people and wounding another 40. In the following days, flowers and messages of support flowed in from around the world amid a public outpouring of grief. But two years later, the world’s media and international attention have moved on, while those at the heart of the tragedy are still finding ways to deal with the trauma. 101 East returns to Christchurch to follow the...

Content warning: This film contains footage of physical abuse, shootings and deceased people. Myanmar is once again under the absolute control of the country’s powerful military. On February 1, the army staged a coup and declared a state of emergency for one year. The generals detained members of the civilian government and their supporters after accusing them of committing voter fraud during national elections in 2020. In the ensuing month, anti-coup protests and worker strikes have...

An escalating diplomatic feud between Australia and China is exposing the risks of doing business with one of the world’s biggest superpowers. Beijing, incensed by a series of perceived slights from Canberra, including a call for an investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic, has hit major Australian export industries with crippling sanctions. In Australia, concerns Beijing is infiltrating politics to secure critical infrastructure have led security agencies to launch raids against suspected...

More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic started, its origins remain shrouded in mystery. Scientists from across the world are searching for clues on how the coronavirus jumped from animals to humans. In China, public data on the virus’s source is tightly controlled. As cases rise, conspiracy theories abound, with the US accusing China of manufacturing the virus and leaking it in a laboratory accident. Other virologists are investigating if exotic animals could be to blame, with wildlife...

They are Australia's elite special forces. For more than 10 years, they were on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. But explosive revelations expose a series of killings by some of these highly trained soldiers. In this revealing programme, a special forces operative who was on these covert missions speaks out about what he saw. What he has to say will shock and appal. In an investigation that was months in the making, drawing upon sources in Australia and Afghanistan, 101 East...

Content warning: This film contains images of deceased children. When the Philippines rolled out a vaccine to protect against the mosquito-borne virus, dengue, in 2016, it marked a world first. But within months, parents claimed their children had died due to the vaccine, and the programme was cancelled. The damage was done. As fierce opposition to vaccinations spread throughout the country, preventable diseases like polio and diphtheria re-emerged, while a deadly measles epidemic killed...