2012-08-19

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Sunday Night
19th August 2012 1 hour Season 2012 Episode 19

Heading Down Under A huge armada of rickety boats, stacked with hundreds of desperate people, is setting out from Sri Lanka: destination Australia. They’ve paid up to $8,000 each to sit huddled in the hold of tiny fishing boats, up to 12 people crammed into a 1 x 2 metre space, for the two week journey to what they hope is a better life. For every one of the 29 boats to have arrived in Australian waters this year carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers, many more are turned round and seized by the Sri Lankan navy. The rush is sparked by fears Australia will soon pass new laws re-introducing off shore processing – so the race is on to get here before the legislation hits. While our politicians fiddle and fight over how to tackle the crisis, in this special Sunday Night investigation from the high seas, reporter Tim Noonan boards the boats and speaks to the new wave of illegal immigrants about their Australian dream, and entertainer Kamahl shares what he believes we should do next. Assistance Animals Forget the traditional guide dog, this is the truly remarkable story of animals transforming the lives of humans. From Cali the guide horse who accompanies her blind owner on a plane, to Kasey the monkey who brings the phone, puts on a DVD, turns the pages of a book, and even scratches her owners itch. The pictures of what these animals do for their owners have to be seen to be believed. Join Sunday Night as we visit the special animal training school where Kasey learnt her incredible skills – the only one of its kind in the world. Hearing for the First Time Sunday Night was overwhelmed by viewer responses to our videos of children hearing for the very first time. Little Cooper’s bright smile and cheeky laugh when he heard his first sounds melted hearts around Australia. Mark Ferguson caught up with a bright and bubbly 3-year-old Cooper a year after that switch-on video. Now, his parents reveal the real story about his diagnosis and what the future holds for Cooper. Meet Australian children who have received the gift of sound thanks to the hard work of Professor Graeme Clark. This week Sunday Night hands our show to the audience – these are your stories, and the videos you sent in. It’s not to be missed.

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2012-08-26 still
Season 2012 · Episode 20

2012-08-26

Murder on the Dance Floor Zahra Abrahimzadeh was a caring and loving mother, who for years protected her three children from her violent husband. When she left him, he was vengeful. She was in hiding, protected by a restraining order – until the courts made a fatal mistake. They gave her husband Zialloh permission to attend a function she would also be at. The police said she would be safe in a public place, protected by the crowd. How wrong they were. He sat at a nearby table, then acted out his promise – stabbing Zahra to death in front of their daughter. Alex Cullen presents a special Sunday Night investigation into a family failed by the system. Kerri-Anne in Africa In her first major television report since her cancer diagnosis, Kerri-Anne Kennerley travels to the wilds of Africa on a deeply personal crusade. Deep in the heart of Kenya, a dangerous battle is being waged to try to save the world’s last few wild rhinos from extinction. There are only eight northern white rhinos left on the planet. Kerri-Anne and an Aussie banker track down the only four that can still breed, and bring them to safety. Elsewhere in the vastness of Africa, rhinos are transported like teabags, sedated and dangling from helicopters in an operation to de-horn them and thwart armed poachers. It’s a dangerous mission, and this is the ultimate Sunday Night adventure, an assignment close to Kerri-Anne’s heart. Medical Tourism Australia’s public health system is bursting at the seams, with long waiting lists for elective surgery and many people suffering prolonged pain. Last year alone, two million Australians put off getting expensive dental treatment. It’s led to a booming business in medical tourism – package deals that combine cut price treatment abroad with a resort holiday. Sunday Night reporter Rahni Sadler follows one Aussie tour group as they travel to Bangkok for everything from boob jobs to hip replacements, root canal work to face lifts – for roughly half the price it would cost in Australia. Australian medical authorities warn patients are taking a risk, but are the results worth it? Glen Campbell One of the bravest and most heart-wrenching celebrity interviews you will ever see. Forty-eight hours after Alex Cullen interviewed country and western legend Glenn Campbell at his US home, the singer’s management team cancelled his Australian tour. It is doubtful he will ever return, and his appearance on Sunday Night could well be his final interview ever. For it has been revealed that Glen Campbell, who has sold 50 million records in a 50 year career, is battling Alzheimer’s disease. That he’s been able to continue performing for the past year, despite his short-term memory loss, is down to the love and support of his wife Kim and their children. A tender look into the home and family life of this musical legend.

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