Secret Sardinia
Secret Sardinia– a story of sickness, secrecy and cover-up ...
Sardinia is an island cut in two. Along the white beach-studded Costa Smeralda, a magnet for the rich and famous, a villa can fetch close to $150 million.
"That house is owned by the head of Volkwagen," says realtor Lorenzo Camillo as he takes reporter Emma Alberici for a sail on his yacht. "Ah there we are - there's the famous Berlusconi villa."
But more than a third of Sardinia – including much of its waters – is off limits to locals and visitors, whatever their celebrity. This area is controlled by the Italian military, rented out for some of the world's biggest war games and home to Europe's biggest bomb test site.
This has many locals riled. "Islands, little islands have disappeared, erased by missiles shot from the land, the sky and the sea," says former Sardinian president Mauro Pili.
Pili has also recorded the destruction of some of Sardinia's unique nuraghe - turret-like stone Bronze Age structures built some 3500 years ago – by test bombs.
But it's not cultural vandalism or restricted movement that most concerns Sardinians. In areas near the test sites, there have been high rates of cancers, birth defects and early death.
Giancarlo Piras recalls what the doctor said when his son Francesco, who had served as a soldier at a bombing range, got pancreatic cancer at age 27: "By any chance has your son been in contact with radioactive material?"
Children were born with deformities including missing limbs. In one village in one year, one in four new born babies had some kind of defect. Sheep grazing on the test sites gave birth to grotesquely twisted lambs. Their shepherds too had phenomenally high rates of cancer.
Tissue samples from man and beast showed high levels of a highly toxic material used in many bomb tests. "The longer they lived in the area, the higher the quantity," a nuclear physicist tells Alberici.
As public pressure grew for a full accounting, the military pushed back. "If they didn't want us to see something they wouldn't show it to us. They feared we could find something unusual," says an MP who headed a parliamentary inquiry.
Generals went on the front foot, blaming people's illnesses on close inbreeding. With much fanfare, they announced a scientific inquiry. But as Alberici reports, evidence shows they nobbled it.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Survivor
Eighteen to twenty castaways will compete against each other on Survivor. All castaways will compete to outwit, outplay, outlast and ultimately be crowned Sole Survivor.
Panorama
Panorama is a current affairs programme, featuring interviews and investigative reports on a wide variety of subjects.
NCIS
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities. Rounding out the team are Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective whose instincts in the field are unparalleled and whose quick wit and humorous take on life make him a team favorite; the youthful and energetic forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose sharp mind matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes; Caitlin Todd, an ex-Secret Service Agent; and Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field; Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
The Americas
The Americas showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world's greatest supercontinent. For the first time, the Americas stars in its own incomparable series, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behavior, and highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world. Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, this groundbreaking series reveals the spectacular landscapes of Earth's most varied landmass - the only one to stretch between both poles. The Americas' unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts; new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep sea hunting and some of nature's strangest stories - even a frog that seems to defy death every day. Each hourlong episode features a different iconic location across the Americas: "The Atlantic Coast," "Mexico," "The Wild West," "The Amazon," "The Frozen North," "The Gulf Coast," "The Andes," "The Caribbean," "The West Coast" and "Patagonia."