What is the 'Shadow Fleet'?

What is the 'Shadow Fleet'?

Around one fifth of the world's oil tankers now belong to the 'shadow fleet', more than a thousand ships which Russia uses to skirt sanctions and - increasingly - conduct acts of sabotage and hybrid warfare. BBC Russian's economics reporter Alexey Kalmykov explains how, with its opaque ownership structures and uninsured, poorly maintained ships, the shadow fleet presents an ecological, economic and strategic threat.

On the night of 13th November 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupted, and the resulting landslide of mud and debris devastated the nearby city of Armero, causing twenty thousand deaths in the city itself and a further 5,000 in the wider area. In the aftermath, a baby called Jennifer was left with the Red Cross by her mother, who is then believed to have ventured back to the ruins of the family home to search for her partner. She never returned. BBC Mundo's Jose Carlos Cueto tells the story of Jennifer, who has become known as the 'daughter of the volcano' and continues to search for the truth about her mother.

Chicken 65 is a spicy, crispy chicken dish adored in the south of India. You can eat it in upmarket restaurants and roadside food stalls alike. But how did it get its name? From the BBC's Delhi Bureau, Bimal Thankachan joins Faranak as they eat some Chicken 65 and dive into the story of how it got its name.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.

This is an EcoAudio certified production.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Episoder(2000)

Hungary: The alternative to Orban

Hungary: The alternative to Orban

In April 2026, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces fresh parliamentary elections. He has been in power since 2010, and his party's grip on the Hungarian media and civil society means many felt...

29 Jan 26min

Shepherd's Eye In The Sky

Shepherd's Eye In The Sky

Africa's 250 million nomadic herders, or pastoralists, are the invisible keystone of the continent's food system. They provide 50% of Africa's meat and 75% of its milk, moving livestock across vast ra...

28 Jan 49min

Nigeria: Killings, land and cattle

Nigeria: Killings, land and cattle

On Christmas Day 2025, the US carried out missile strikes on suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria. They came after President Trump said he would intervene to protect Christians amid controversial c...

27 Jan 29min

Mrinalini Mukherjee: Hemp sculptures

Mrinalini Mukherjee: Hemp sculptures

Art from the circle of friends, family and teachers of artist Mrinalini Mukherjee is now on show at London's Royal Academy, alongside her giant hemp sculptures. Sheetal Parmar hears about the planning...

26 Jan 26min

US foreign policy in five doctrines

US foreign policy in five doctrines

Looking back at five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe doctrine in the 19th Century to the post-9/11 strategies of the Bush doctrine in the early 2000s. Justin Webb and his guests examine h...

25 Jan 56min

Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'

Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'

In the face of widespread protests, the Iranian government ‘switched off’ the country’s access to the internet on 8th January. In Uganda, prior to recent elections, the government of president Yoweri ...

24 Jan 26min

Living in Greenland

Living in Greenland

Described by Donald Trump as “a giant piece of ice,” the world’s largest island has found itself at the centre of global attention. The president’s demands to take over the self-governing Danish terri...

24 Jan 23min

Daughters of thunder

Daughters of thunder

In small towns and rural areas across the south of the United States traditional family churches have long been key guardians of black culture, memory and community spirit. Until very recently women c...

23 Jan 26min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
alt-fortalt
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fladseth
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-dannet-uten-piano
den-politiske-situasjonen