The Documentary Podcast29 Nov 2025

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.)

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(2000)

Is Turkey's clothing industry unravelling at the seams?

The Made in Turkey label found in so much of our clothing could disappear as the industry faces competition from countries like Egypt. Turkey is battling huge inflation and hundreds of clothing factor...

31 Aug 17min

The price of peace

Colombia is reeling from the False Positive scandal. Incentivised by the government, soldiers abducted and killed over 7,000 innocent civilians, falsely presenting them as guerrilla fighters in an att...

30 Aug 49min

Hong Kong's bookstore raids

The spoken languages in Hong Kong and Taiwan differ, with Cantonese being spoken in Hong Kong and Mandarin preferred in Taiwan, but the two territories use traditional Chinese characters for reading a...

29 Aug 26min

We will always love you, Dolly

Flags are at half-mast across the United States following the death of Dolly Parton at the age of 80. Born in poverty in a log cabin in rural Tennessee, she went on to sell more than 100 million recor...

29 Aug 22min

Kirk Franklin: Gospel music and my own faith journey

rk Franklin is one of the biggest names in Gospel music, with 20 Grammy awards, and a career that spans over 30 years. From classics like ‘Why we sing’ to the mainstream hit ‘Stomp’, so many of his so...

28 Aug 26min

Bonus: Lives Less Ordinary- Love Stories

Throughout August, the Lives Less Ordinary podcast is sharing extraordinary love stories from around the world. To listen to the season, search ‘Lives Less Ordinary’ wherever you get your BBC podcasts...

27 Aug 42min

Peanuts for the people

In the 30 years since its invention the ready-to-use therapeutic food Plumpy'nut has saved the lives of millions of children and protected countless others from the effects of malnutrition. Jewel Kiri...

26 Aug 23min

Brazil’s gambling addiction

The figures are startling - 2.1 million Brazilians have a clinical addiction to betting and 7.5 million are problem gamblers. Women now comprise 40% of all gamblers, having been 25% just a decade ago....

25 Aug 26min