Maryanne Taouk

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Janine Cohen |Mary Fallon |Dylan Welch |Maryanne Taouk

Pod 12 at Silverwater remand centre is bigger than the other pods. Prisoners say this makes it perfect for brawls. It's won the nickname the "octagon". Adam Watt strides into the jail courtyard and immediately feels out of place, slumping against a chain link fence. Like many of the other detainees, he claims he's innocent. When he was arrested, a few weeks earlier, he remembers thinking how embarrassed the police would be when they find out how wrong they've got it.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Dan Oakes |Kirsten Robb |Mayeta Clark |Maryanne Taouk

It takes less than 30 seconds after entering a store in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs before we have a pack of illicit cigarettes in our hands. There are no screening questions. No suspicious looks. In fact, the black-market tobacconist — on Buckley Street in the bustling suburb of Noble Park — is having a sale on Manchester cigarettes. "It's still on special — $13," the cashier says. The store quickly fills with more people waiting to be served. Metres away is another tobacconist.

Oct 20, 2024 | abc.net.au | Pat McGrath |Maddy King |Dylan Welch |Maryanne Taouk

Drivers are paying more than ever on toll roads, but some suburbs are feeling the pain more than others. One company, Transurban, owns 18 of Australia's 21 toll roads. With the price of tolls pegged to inflation, it is reaping the rewards of the cost-of-living crisis. Who is feeling the pinch most? Four Corners analysed commutes in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. We found rising toll road prices are hitting residents in outer suburbs the hardest. Sydney is threaded with toll roads.

Aug 26, 2024 | abc.net.au | John Lyons |Nick Wiggins |Maryanne Taouk |Mridula Amin

As we walk through the heart of Iran's capital we see a large digital clock nestled among several shops. It's counting down to what it claims, is the time left until the state of Israel is destroyed. The clock overlooks Palestine Square in Tehran as cars and vendors come and go in a country that is in conflict internationally and at home. Across the square is a billboard, several stories high, depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a straitjacket.

Jun 3, 2024 | abc.net.au | Bronwyn Herbert |Maryanne Taouk

In short: Legal firms have seen a sharp rise in calls for assistance over wage theft claims. The Fair Work Ombudsman answered 330,000 enquiries related to underpayment in the past financial year. What's next? Some workers are getting compensated, but not everyone has been so lucky. A phone call from his university was the final straw for international student Ali Syed.