On the golden breadline

A programme exploring possible causes of the MH17 Flight tragedy. Through eye-witness interviews and expert opinion the film attempts to establish what might have brought down the ill-fated airliner and all 298 people aboard.

Afghanistan is the world’s biggest exporter of black-market opium from which heroin is made. It’s a multi-billion dollar business, responsible for around a 100 000 deaths every year and it’s a major source of income for terrorists. RT Doc travels to the poppy fields where death is harvested to find out why no one can put a stop to this deadly trade.

A year ago, flight MH17 was brought down over the territory of conflict-torn Ukraine. This tragedy shocked the world and affected families in many countries. Today, the investigation still hasn’t reached a definitive conclusion. RTD talks to witnesses, experts and families of MH17 passengers to understand whether the truth of what caused the tragedy will ever be established.

While the MH17 crash investigation is still underway, the absence of real evidence causes theories to be passed off as truth. In an attempt to separate fact from speculation, RTD covers Ukraine, Europe and Australia and talks to international journalists and experts, victims’ family members and witnesses.

Bangladesh has no metal resources of its own, so the shipbreaking yards in Chittagong, its largest second city, generate high profits for their owners. Workers though, enjoy none of the benefits of that profit; wages are barely enough to live on and there are no health and safety regulations to protect them. Injuries are a frequent occurrence and even death is not uncommon.

Mica is a shiny mineral that’s all the rage in modern-day makeup, helping to give beauty products a bright gleam and natural-looking glow. This beauty, however, comes at a price that most are unaware of. Those who pay it are the poorest and the most vulnerable. RT Doc visits India’s illegal mica mines where child labour is rife. 

In modern day Turkey, hundreds from the Kurdish minority in the South-East are said to be dying at the hands of government forces.  The Kurds have long been seeking autonomy for their region. The subject is rarely seen in the Turkish media as journalists who cover the issue have often been detained.

Unmanned drones are the modern weapons of choice in the fight against terrorism. The tribal areas of Pakistan where various militant groups seek a hideout have been hit by numerous CIA drone strikes. The attacks are far from precise and it’s claimed they have often killed or maimed civilians, including children.

In peaceful Nepal a sinister black market is flourishing. Kavre province has become infamous for the shocking numbers of people who have sold a kidney. Poverty and lack of education about the potential impact on health mean villagers are easy prey for unscrupulous dealers. Tricked into undergoing risky surgery and paid a pittance, donors are often left with debilitating consequences.

Can you tell truth from lies in mass media? RT Doc’s Miguel Francis-Santiago delves deep to try to understand the intricacies of information war. He meets media experts and puts together the Mosaic of Facts, showing how public opinion is manipulated, not just over the Ukrainian Crisis but throughout the world.

This place makes some tremble with fear. But in others it sparkles an unexplainable interest. A place where supernatural things are happening. 

The Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Western Africa has been one of Russia's fishing grounds for decades. But these fish-rich waters also draw a lot of international competition, which gets fiercer every year as the number of fish dwindle, and can often cross the line of being legal.

Six months ago RTD first visited the village of Kalachi in Kazakhstan, where people are affected by a mysterious “sleeping sickness”. Have the scientists come any closer to identifying the cause of the curious affliction? RTD returns to the “sleepy hollow” to find out.