60 Minutes

Law Unto Themselves As protectors of the community, police are expected to be tough. But what happens when they take their aggression home and are violent with the people they're supposed to love? On 60 Minutes, brave victims tell disturbing accounts about domestic violence perpetrated by police officers. It's something most people find unimaginable, but cops crossing the line is a growing problem in Australia. As Nick McKenzie reports, equally concerning is the apparent willingness of many of their police colleagues to look the other way when it comes to investigating these crimes. Sick and Tired It seems the scab has well and truly been ripped off the sore that is rural health. Many of the 7 million Australians who live outside the big cities are sick and tired of the way they're being treated and are quite rightfully demanding action. Liz Hayes knows their pain. Three months ago, she reported the horrific story of the death of her own father, who tragically was an all too familiar example of the dangers of falling ill in the country. In the weeks following her report, 60 Minutes was swamped with more stories about medical failings in regional and rural Australia, including from many dedicated doctors and nurses working on the front line. Their blunt assessment is a major worry: they say they can no longer prop up our ailing rural health system.

20/20 Hindsight For all the torment and unprecedented upheaval we've endured in 2020, every Australian should also be mightily proud of the way they've coped. In decades to come, this year will be remembered as a defining time for the nation. In a special edition of 60 Minutes, reporters Liam Bartlett, Liz Hayes, Tara Brown, Sarah Abo and Tom Steinfort reflect on a tumultuous year, from the first early reports of a mysterious form of pneumonia striking people down in China to the realisation the world was battling a catastrophic pandemic, the monumental economic implications of the virus, and the frantic race for vaccines. The program includes expert analysis about how far we've come, what the road ahead will look like, and why Australia is the envy of the world in terms of overcoming coronavirus COVID-19's destruction. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in lockdown at The Lodge in Canberra, also provides the latest information on when an effective vaccine will become available not only for Australians, but also for our Pacific neighbours.

Terminal Hell Qatar is a small but wealthy country in the Persian Gulf. It promotes itself as a modern and progressive state that welcomes and respects foreign visitors. But that's far from the truth. In reality Qatar is a dangerous destination, especially for western women. Even transiting through its international airport is risky. As Sarah Abo reports, the problem is a culture of entrenched misogyny, which seven weeks ago resulted in an appalling incident where a large group of women, including 13 Australians, were snatched off flights and physically violated by Qatari authorities. For the first time one of the victims, a brave young woman from Victoria, tells of her nightmare at Doha International Airport. And the story of how she was assaulted is so unbelievable that not only will it outrage all Australians, it's sure to make people reassess future travel to or via Qatar. A Few Bad Men The shame brought upon the entire country by a few bad men from our military's special forces is a brutal truth Australians now have no choice but to handle. On Thursday the findings of a four-year-long Australian Defence Force inquiry into the war in Afghanistan were released. The report detailed shocking crimes, including murders, allegedly committed by men who were supposed to be our best-trained, most elite soldiers. What's staggering is the scale of the wrongdoing - 39 potentially unlawful deaths including Afghan civilians and children. Nick McKenzie has been at the forefront of the reporting of this story for three years. In an exclusive interview with 60 Minutes he asks the chief of army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, to explain how this disaster was ever allowed to happen, and how far up the chain of command responsibility for it should rest. McMaster Class Just when we thought our relationship with China couldn't get any worse, Beijing has delivered Australia another punch. It's in the form of a list of 14 grievances it has with us and is polished off with an almighty threat: if you make an enemy of China, China will be the enemy! When that belligerence is combined with the upheaval of a new administration in Washington, it's clear we are facing a dangerous new world order, and the Pacific is likely to be an especially vulnerable region. For the best analysis of what the immediate future might hold, Tom Steinfort speaks with HR McMaster, a highly respected military man and former US national security adviser. But his expert assessment includes a grim warning. Australia, he reckons, has a battle on its hands. Game of Thrones: Update Everyone knows royal scandals rarely end well. But on 60 Minutes we have an unlikely exception. A few weeks ago, Liam Bartlett reported the dirty little secret of the Belgian royal family: that the former king, Albert the second, had had an 18-year affair and fathered a love child. His illegitimate daughter, Delphine Boel, kept quiet for years until she decided she had a right to be called a princess. When she took her case to court - and won - there was enormous embarrassment in the palace. But now in this intriguing game of thrones comes an unexpected rapprochement, and maybe even a fairytale ending.