Content from CNA

2024 marks a century since the opening of the Causeway, the iconic bridge that seamlessly connects Singapore and Malaysia, shaping the lives and histories of both countries. These are the untold stories of characters from different periods – from the early 1920s with Hedwig Anuar as her family fled Johor during World War II, to the men who witnessed the British blowing up the Causeway and its eventual reconstruction. How the change in the passport was a turning point, and more recently, the COVID-19 border shutdown that saw an enterprising man deliver 64,000kg of breastmilk across the Causeway for more than 500 working mothers in Singapore.

Zohra, Afghanistan’s award-winning first all-female orchestra, has captivated audiences around the world with its musical talent. However, the return of the Taliban, with its rigid and damaging views on women and music, now puts the ensemble in grave danger. With the fall of Kabul, members still in the country have gone into hiding, while those who fled are advocating internationally to rescue their fellow musicians. The question remains: despite the challenges, will they be able to keep their music alive?

This is the untold story of the 2019 Mount Everest tragedy, where 11 people died trying to scale the world’s highest summit. An image that went viral showed a glimpse of what happened that day - a long, continuous line of hundreds of climbers bottlenecked on the summit ridge of Everest, all trying to take advantage of a narrow window to get to the top.

A passionate TV crew goes on one of the most ambitious and dangerous shoots of their lives, following groups of Chinese migrants making their journey from Ecuador into America. To reach the Land of the Free, the crew tails the migrants on a most treacherous journey across South and Central America often full of organised crime and corruption. It also requires them to trek through the ‘most dangerous jungle in the world’, the Darien Gap. In this documentary special, the CNA crew bring to light why the Chinese migrants been driven to such desperation, and if the American Dream is all it’s made out to be.

From drug trafficking to gold smuggling to dealing in battlefield weapons, there was no criminal venture that Paul LeRoux would not embark on. We reveal for the first time how one man ran a criminal empire spanning the globe from his penthouse in the Philippines, and became the world’s most prolific, yet least known crime boss. For too long LeRoux was able to hide behind a cloak of computer encryption, protected by corrupt officials and an army of hired killers. We reveal the astonishing sting operation that brought elite law enforcement agencies from the USA and Southeast Asia together to take down the Big Boss.

There’s a dark side to the internet, and you probably don’t even know it exists. Go behind the positive veneer of social media, communication apps and platforms that have made our lives easier and more connected, and you’ll find criminals using the same apps and platforms to run illicit and dangerous activities. Sextortion syndicates target global victims through social media. Illegal wildlife trades thrive on social consumer marketplaces. Digital black markets operate anonymously using software designed for press privacy and freedom. Secret child pornography rings run rampant in secret, closed groups and private chats.

Singapore’s reserves are more than just an emergency fund. This online series hopes to lift the lid on the ‘secret sauce’ instrumental to the prosperity of the most successful city state of our time.