Background Briefing

Monika Chetty died from severe chemical burns three weeks after she was found in bushland. Police have not yet identified her attacker but there is mounting evidence that she was involved in a fraudulent marriage visa scheme. Hagar Cohen investigates.

The health star rating website was part of a federal government initiative to help consumers identify healthy foods. It was two years in the planning but one phone call was enough to pull it down after 'big food' complained. Ann Arnold investigates.

A fire in Hazelwood's giant open cut mine raged out of control for nearly a month. It dumped toxic smoke over the 12,000 residents of Morwell, forcing many to flee. The question now being asked is did the Victorian government do enough to protect the citizens of Morwell from this disaster? Wendy Carlisle investigates.

Environmental offsets are supposed to compensate for ecosystems and biodiversity that are bulldozed to make way for development. But there’s mounting evidence the policy is being subverted, as governments approve controversial offsets across Australia. Di Martin investigates.

On the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, Abbot Point is set to become one of the world’s biggest coal ports. But the yet-to-be-developed coal mines it's supposed to service look increasingly unviable and the environmental risks are enormous. Jess Hill investigates.

Traumatised police are shunned, isolated and put under secret surveillance. They lose their careers, friendships and often their homes, marriages and children, and a growing number are taking their own lives. William Verity investigates the silence around police, post traumatic stress and suicide.

Claims that Australia spied on East Timorese negotiators during oil and gas treaty talks are at the centre of a legal row that could throw the treaty into doubt. Did Australia seek and gain an unfair advantage for itself and the petroleum company Woodside? Hagar Cohen investigates.

Fuel tankers are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road, carrying loads that make them vulnerable to roll-over and explosion. Two recent, fatal accidents involved tanker rollovers, but recommended safety measures specifically designed to reduce rollovers haven’t been followed through.

Research by two of Australia’s leading nutritionists has found no connection between our consumption of added sugar in foods & drinks and our obesity crisis. The food & drink industry uses the research to campaign against a sugar tax. But persistent criticism of the findings has forced Sydney University to open an inquiry. Wendy Carlisle investigates. UPDATE: Soft Drink study ignores fast-growing Frozen Coke market

Queensland’s Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act—VLAD—is designed to eradicate criminal bikie gangs but its many critics say the new law will sweep up innocent people as well and is already being used to harass.