Podcast appearances and mentions of simon maybin

Lucy Connolly is a 42 year old woman from Northampton who is currently serving a custodial sentence for stirring up racial hatred after she posted on X on the day of the Southport attacks last year, calling for "mass deportations now" and referring to setting fire to asylum hotels. Her case has caused controversy online, with some describing her as a "political prisoner" and claiming that the justice system is treating some people more harshly than others. But to others, Lucy Connolly is being appropriately punished for an incendiary post at a time of high tensions. Are heftier sentences meted out to some people more than others? Are some groups treated differently in the courts because of their ethnicity or political views? Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Josephine Casserly, Simon Maybin and Beth Ashmead-Latham Studio manager: Andy Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Bridget Harney

Deaths have outnumbered births in the UK for the first time in nearly 50 years, new figures show. Should we encourage people to have more babies?With an ageing population and not enough babies born to fully replace the older generations, some people are warning of population collapse. It was a hot subject at this year's Conservative Party Conference - one fringe meeting discussed how to encourage people to have more children - and the phrase ‘Breed for Britain' was soon trending on X. Some people say that conversations like this are bad for women, and our total population is still growing - thanks to net migration. Others argue that immigration isn't the solution, and we need to increase our fertility rate.What do the figures show about demographic trends? How have other countries tried to boost their birth rates, and have they succeeded? And how has a conspiracy theory about the so-called ‘Great Replacement' shifted into the mainstream? Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Ellie House, Simon Maybin, Caroline Bayley Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Penny Murphy

There are more empty homes than homeless households in this country. Why?Filled with cobwebs, windows broken, and rats scurrying about in their overgrown gardens, the UK has hundreds of thousands of ghost houses - properties where no one lives. The UK also has the worst homelessness problem in the rich world. So could we use those empty homes for the people in dire need of a home?Simon Maybin investigates the phenomenon of empty homes and, over nine months, follows the work of someone trying to turn unused properties into homes for families among the record numbers who are now homeless.Reporter/producer: Simon Maybin Technical producer: Neil Churchill Production coordinators: Ellie Dover & Tim Fernley Editor: Richard Vadon

Should the term “Anglo-Saxon” be dropped because it's been adopted by racists?People online are angry because a history journal has dropped “Anglo-Saxon” from its title. Critics say it is pandering to American academics who are unduly worried about the term being used by white supremacists. The journal says that's got nothing to do with it. It's part of an ongoing debate about whether “Anglo Saxon” is useful and appropriate. How did the argument start? Where did the term actually come from? And how has it been used in modern times to talk about race?Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Natasha Fernandes Editors: Bridget Harney, Sam Bonham

A photo of a school corridor, showing three posters describing a particular teaching ethos, has started a debate about the right level of discipline in classrooms.Some suggest the instructions, which include ‘sit up', ‘eye contact' and ‘smile', are indicative of a super-strict approach some schools have taken, which might be distressing for children, especially those with special needs. We find out where this approach came from, and hear about the American educator who popularised the all-important acronym ‘SLANT.' Supporters of the approach say strict discipline is essential for learning, and that it generates better outcomes. What evidence is there to back this up?Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Jay Gardner Editor: Richard Vadon

Harry Potter actor Miriam Margolyes has told adult fans of the franchise to grow up, prompting a discussion about whether younger generations are delaying the responsibilities of adulthood.It's a debate that spans culture and economics, so we look at what the data and the history tell us. Is there evidence that the ‘kidult' is a real phenomenon, where do our ideas of adulthood actually come from, and what on earth is a ‘Disney Adult'?Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Nathan Gower Editor: Penny Murphy

The clash between the rights of LGBT people and freedom to express Christian views.An employment tribunal is set to rule on whether a mental health charity in Leeds was right to withdraw a job offer from a Christian social worker who thinks homosexuality is a sin. How can employers - and our legal system - balance the sometimes competing rights of different minority groups? How Christian is Britain these days anyway? And what is “minority stress theory”?Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Jameel Shariff Editor: Penny Murphy

One of the UK's biggest Eurovision parties has been cancelled in protest at Israel's inclusion, so how worthwhile is a boycott of the event as a response to the war in Gaza? The song contest's organisers say the event is non-political, but this isn't the first time global events have had an impact on participation and even lyrics - we chart the key moments. And it's not the first time Israel's participation has sparked debate - a Eurovision expert talks us through the ups and downs of its long association with the event. We'll also hear about the controversy around Israel's song this year and how it's changed, plus the view from the Middle East on what Israelis and Palestinians are saying. Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House and Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Penny Murphy

Number 10 deny a cover-up over Boris Johnson's Covid Whatsapp messages. The Covid inquiry has demanded that the former PM hand over unredacted messages, diaries and notebooks by Thursday. Adam talks it all through with political correspondent Alex Forsyth and the Institute for Government's Catherine Haddon, who also teaches ministers the do's and don'ts of doing official business over WhatsApp. Plus the BBC's former China correspondent John Sudworth and producer Simon Maybin talk about their new Radio 4 series which explores Covid's origin. Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Ben Carter with Madeleine Drury, Rufus Gray and Jack Taylor. The senior news editor was Sam Bonham.

What we eat has a massive impact on global warming. Meat and dairy are among the biggest drivers of the climate crisis - creating more planet-warming emissions than all the cars in the world. As we all try to reduce our carbon footprints, it's not surprising that the global market for meat alternatives that come from soy or pea protein is growing at a huge rate. In fact it's estimated that by the end of the decade it will be worth nearly 20 times what it was in 2018. But are these meat substitutes as good for the planet as we'd like to think? Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Simon Maybin are joined by: Reporter: Paul Furley BBC Radio Gloucestershire Dale Vince, Chair of Forest Green Rovers, UK Gustavo Guadagnini, Director of the Good Food Institute in Brazil Dr Ximena Schmidt, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Brunel University, UK Nick Jacobs, Director of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Georgia Coan Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Production Coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

What would happen if the government of a country decided to try to find everyone who was homeless and living on the streets and offer them a place to live? That is exactly what happened in England as the coronavirus pandemic hit. The government says 90% of rough sleepers were offered rooms in hotels that sat empty because of the lockdown. Simon Maybin spent the past year and a half following the lives of some of the people who came to live in a Holiday Inn hotel in Manchester. Image: A guest at the Holiday Inn.

A year after rough sleepers were given emergency accommodation during the first coronavirus lockdown, has the unprecedented operation had a lasting impact? In March 2020, Simon's life was transformed, from sleeping in shop doorways in Manchester to an en suite room at the Holiday Inn. He was one of thousands of homeless people across the country offered somewhere to stay as the Covid-19 pandemic reached the UK. The highs and lows of Simon's experience were captured in Radio 4's The Homeless Hotel as he dealt with the challenges of his addictions, illness, and the fear of ending up back on the streets. In Return to the Homeless Hotel, reporter Simon Maybin asks where Simon is now. What's happened to the hotel? And has the radical approach to accommodating people who are street homeless resulted in a radical reduction of rough sleepers - or a return to the status quo? Reporter/producer: Simon Maybin

How ready are we for the next pandemic, cyber attack, volcanic eruption, or solar storm? Our world, ever more interconnected and dependent on technology, is vulnerable to a head-spinning array of disasters. Emergency preparedness is supposed to help protect us and the UK has been pioneering in its approach. But does it actually work? In this edition of Analysis, Simon Maybin interrogates official predictions past and present, hearing from the advisers and the advised. Are we any good at anticipating catastrophic events? Should we have been better prepared for the one we’ve been living through? And - now that coronavirus has shown us the worst really can happen - what else should we be worrying about? Presenter/producer: Simon Maybin Editor: Jasper Corbett

Saying no to dating is part of a growing ultraconservative social movement in Indonesia being spread through Instagram and WhatsApp. “When I look at couples, I see my old self, how I used to be affectionate in public, holding hands, hugging,” says 23-year-old Yati, “and now I think that’s disgusting.” When Yati broke up with her ex, she didn’t just swear off dating; she joined Indonesia’s anti-dating movement - Indonesia Without Dating. Its leaders say dating is expensive, gets in the way of study, and - most importantly - is against religious teaching. For Assignment, Simon Maybin discovers it is part of a wider youth-led surge in conservative Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. Opponents see the phenomenon as a backwards step for women and a threat to Indonesia’s religious pluralism. Presenter: Simon Maybin Producer: Josephine Casserly Editor: Bridget Harney Music at the end of the programme was Tubuhku Otoritasku by Tika and The Dissidents (Image: Yati at an “Indonesia Without Dating” demo. Copyright: Simon Maybin/BBC)

Saying no to dating is part of a growing ultraconservative social movement in Indonesia being spread through Instagram and WhatsApp. “When I look at couples, I see my old self, how I used to be affectionate in public, holding hands, hugging,” says 23-year-old Yati, “and now I think that’s disgusting.” When Yati broke up with her ex, she didn’t just swear off dating; she joined Indonesia’s anti-dating movement - Indonesia Without Dating. Its leaders say dating is expensive, gets in the way of study, and - most importantly - is against religious teaching. For Crossing Continents, Simon Maybin discovers it is part of a wider youth-led surge in conservative Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. Opponents see the phenomenon as a backwards step for women and a threat to Indonesia’s religious pluralism. Presenter: Simon Maybin Producer: Josephine Casserly Editor: Bridget Harney Music at the end of the programme was Tubuhku Otoritasku by Tika and The Dissidents.

The psychedelic powers of a traditional Amazonian plant medicine called ayahuasca are attracting more and more tourists. It’s becoming big business in countries such as Peru where backpackers and travellers, as well as rich Silicon Valley types are spending weeks and sometimes thousands of dollars to drink an indigenous cocktail. It makes them vomit and hallucinate, but is said to bring spiritual enlightenment and help with addiction, depression and trauma. But a string of allegations suggests there's a darker side to the ayahuasca scene. In this episode we speak to BBC journalists Simon Maybin and Josephine Casserly who travelled to the Amazon to investigate. Listen to Simon Maybin and Josephine Casserly's documentary Ayahuasca: Fear and Healing in the Amazon on BBC Sounds. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Duncan Barber and Katie Gunning Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

The Iranian government held an official funeral on Tuesday for General Qassem Soleimani killed by a US airstrike in Baghdad. There were emotional speeches in the general’s home town of Kerman in southeast Iran and so many mourners turned out that at least 50 were killed in the crush. On Twitter the Iranian Foreign Minister had a message for President Donald Trump: "Have you seen such a sea of humanity in your life?... Do you still think you can break the will of a great nation and its people?" But were the huge crowds really a sign of national unity? Lois Pryce who wrote a book about crossing Iran on a motorbike and who has friends both inside the country and across the 2 million strong Iranian diaspora finds public opinion far from unanimous. Ever since independence from the USSR almost three decades ago, there’s never been an Uzbek election which outsiders were willing to call free or fair. But this time was meant to be different. On the 22nd of December, Uzbekistan ran its first elections to the parliament and local councils since the country’s long-running authoritarian president Islam Karimov died three years ago. Uzbekistan has long been one of the world’s most repressive countries and under Karimov voting was more of a ritual than an exercise of choice. But some hoped that the man who took over, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, (Meer-zee Yoi -yev) might allow some real reform. A record 25 million dollars were earmarked to run the elections, and Ibrat Safo found a real buzz in the air but wondered what lay beneath. Germany has long been considered a leader in renewable energy – a model even for others to follow with its subsidies for wind and solar. But its so-called “Energiewende” (Ener - GEE -vender ) or energy transition” from fossil fuels to renewables has stalled and it still relies on coal for 40 per cent of electricity generation. That will be phased out within the next eighteen years and nuclear energy will end too by 2022 and some worry whether there will be enough energy to heat homes and keep the lights on. Caroline Bayley has been to one former coal town in the industrial Ruhr region which is under-going its own energy transition. The gargantuan Palace of the Parliament built by Romania’s communist-era dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, still looms over the centre of Bucharest. About one-fifth of the capital was bulldozed to make way for the so-called House of the People, its satellite buildings, and the grand avenue leading up to it which was supposed to be a longer, wider version of Champs-Élysee in Paris. Forty thousand residents were forcibly rehoused. The building was long reviled as an evil fortress, a symbol of oppression but it now houses the country’s parliament and Romanians are learning to love it and put it in their Instagram feeds says Tessa Dunlop. More and more tourists are travelling to the Amazon rainforest to drink – and later vomit - a foul tasting liquid containing a natural hallucinogen called Ayahuasca [a-ya-wass-ka]. Indigenous people have been brewing the concoction for thousands of years, mostly for religious or spiritual purposes. It’s considered a medicine, a way to heal internal wounds and reconnect with nature. But, as Simon Maybin’s been finding out in a remote part of Peru, not all the plant’s traditional users are happy about the wave of Westerners in search of a slice of the psychedelic action.

Paper money is going out of fashion in China, but is the rise of mobile payments about convenience or control, asks Celia Hatton? Mark Lowen reflects on the 5 years he has spent reporting from Istanbul and beyond. Juliet Rix travels to the far east of Russia, where she finds a community trying to reconcile tradition with modern-life. 'Gravity biking' involves hurtling down precipitous mountain roads on specially-modified bikes. Simon Maybin meets a group of 'gravitosos' in Colombia and finds they have a complicated relationship with death. Presented by Caroline Wyatt.

Precipitous mountain roads, specially modified bikes, and deadly consequences. Simon Maybin spends time with the young men who race down the steep roads of Colombia’s second city Medellin. Marlon is 16 and he’s a gravitoso - a gravity biker. He hooks onto the back of lorries or buses climbing the precipitous roads to reach high points around the city. Then, he lets gravity do its thing and - without any safety gear - hurtles back down the roads, trying to dodge the traffic. This year, two of his friends have died gravity biking and Marlon has had a near-fatal accident. But he’s not quitting. So what drives young men like him to take their lives into their own hands? And what’s being done to stop more deaths? Produced and presented by Simon Maybin.

Precipitous mountain roads, specially-modified bikes, and deadly consequences. Simon Maybin spends time with the young men who race down the steep roads of Colombia’s second city Medellin. Marlon is 16 and he’s a gravitoso - a gravity biker. He hooks onto the back of lorries or buses climbing the precipitous roads to reach high points around the city. Then, he lets gravity do its thing and - without any safety gear - hurtles back down the roads, trying to dodge the traffic. This year, two of his friends have died gravity biking and Marlon has had a near-fatal accident. But he’s not quitting. So what drives young men like him to take their lives into their own hands? And what’s being done to stop more deaths? Presenter/producer: Simon Maybin (Image: Marlon with his bike ready to ride back down into Medellín. Credit: Simon Maybin/BBC)

In Israel and Gaza, Tom Bateman hears how rocket and air strikes are ruining lives. With no end to the conflict in sight, what has the impact of the latest violence been? In France, Joanna Robertson considers how Parisian weekends are being thrown into disarray as the Gilet Jaune - or yellow vest - movement, now six months old, continues. Jonathan Dimbleby first visited Ethiopia 45 years ago. He tracks the country's history of political repression, military coups, and people protests. Might genuine change now, finally, be on the cards? Giant oil fields have been discovered in Guyana. Simon Maybin unpicks the country's political response and asks who will benefit from the new wealth. And in Dresden, Jenny Hill watches the unveiling of a newly restored Vermeer masterpiece and talks to the art lovers who have a long and complicated relationship with the painting.

Uruguay's anti-drug laws were never as strict as expected - and its path to decriminalisation of cannabis has also been full of paradox. Simon Maybin explores why the country's taken a slow and steady path to regulate marijuana growers and sellers - and visits a greenhouse full of legal weed. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. In Nepal, joining the ranks of the British Army's Gurkhas has long been one of the few options for a stable income. Regimental wages have kept some whole villages, not just families, solvent - so there's a lot riding on the selection process. Hannah King of BFBS witnessed the most recent intake and saw how these young men are prepared for a drastic change in their lives. Over recent weeks the streets of Haiti have simmered with discontent, with protesters confronting police and the army in the capital, Port au Prince, over systemic corruption, rising food prices and enduring inequality. Thomas Rees describes how the rising tensions made themselves felt on the streets. On the Karakorum Highway, Chris Haslam sat down to talk business with the driver of one of Pakistan's famous painted trucks - the elaborately-decorated palaces on wheels which haul goods and passengers along one of the highest-altitude roads in the world. But times are changing for them, with competition from "vast Chinese behemoths" now plying the same route as part of the Belt and Road expansion. And as the world worries over reports of deforestation and dwindling insect numbers around the world, Emilie Filou has a rare tale of revival from Madagascar - with the story of how one NGO has brought back the art of weaving a special kind of silk, made not by worms but by a unique local moth.

“Something once whole, broken into so many pieces,” Anna Foster reflects on the toll conflict in the Central African Republic is having on its people. In the capital Bangui, she visits PK5 a Muslim enclave in the mainly Christian city and scene of regular violence. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. As a proudly homophobic, far-right president assumes office in Brazil, Simon Maybin meets some of the country’s gay footballers. Chris Bowlby visits a bastion of loyal Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland. The Orange Order hall may have been refurbished with money from Dublin but it is proudly British. Peter Robertson heads to the hills in Uzbekistan to try and get a clear view of what’s changed there under Shavkat Mirziyoyev who became President following Islam Karimov's death. And Vivienne Nunis encounters a scarlet snouted, goblin-like spirit as she examines the damage caused by a recent typhoon in Japan.

The Azov Sea off Crimea has become increasingly militarised and seen tense exchanges between Russian and Ukrainian coastguards. Jonah Fisher joins the Ukrainian Navy in these troubled waters. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. In Colombia, Simon Maybin meets a group of Venezuelan migrants who’ve turned to busking on the streets of Cucuta in the hope of raising enough money to feed their starving families back home. In Hungary, Nick Thorpe visits Mohacs where invading Ottoman forces defeated those of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th century. What can it tell us about relations between Turkey and Hungary today? In Spain, Lottie Gross finds herself mesmerised by competing towers of people at the 27th Concurs de Castells in Tarragona. And in Brussels, Adam Fleming takes a break from reporting the negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU to play ‘Brexit the board game.’

Why does South Korea have the lowest fertility rate in the world? The average South Korean woman is expected to have 1.05 children in her life - exactly half the rate needed to maintain a population. That means a shrinking workforce paying less taxes and more elderly people who will need expensive care. South Korea's government has pumped tens of billions of pounds into dealing with the problem over the past decade, but the fertility rate is still going down. In this whodunnit, Simon Maybin finds out who's not doing it - and why. Producer: John Murphy Presenter: Simon Maybin. (Image: South Korean school children in class with teacher. Copyright: BBC)

Why does South Korea have the lowest fertility rate in the world? The average South Korean woman is expected to have 1.05 children in her life - exactly half the rate needed to maintain a population. That means a shrinking workforce paying less taxes and more elderly people who will need expensive care. South Korea's government has pumped tens of billions of pounds into dealing with the problem over the past decade, but the fertility rate is still going down. In this whodunnit, Simon Maybin finds out who's not doing it - and why. Producer: John Murphy Presenter: Simon Maybin.

Children who are able to survive the ongoing civil war have to grow up fast in Yemen. Kate Adie introduces stories, insight, and analysis from correspondents around the world: According to The United Nations, one child under five dies every ten minutes from preventable causes in Yemen. Orla Guerin meets some of the families struggling on and speaks to the President Ab’d Rabbu Mansur Hadi about the conflict. In South Korea, Simon Maybin attends a lesson in the etiquette of dating, kissing and respecting your partner as the country tries to turn around its declining birth rate. In Tunisia, Charlotte Bailey hears why young men are setting themselves on fire – just as Mohamed Bouazizi did in 2010. His death was one of the catalysts of the Arab Spring. In the USA, Christine Finn follows in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau and explores the shores of Walden Pond. And as Justin Rowlatt leaves India and auctions off his belongings, he learns that you can put a price on just about anything.

Kate Adie introduces stories and insight from Iraq, Iran, Israel, Ireland and Spain: Jeremy Bowen is in Mosul for the first elections there since the defeat of Islamic State. An exceptional leader is needed to help Iraq recover, he says, though he isn’t hopeful that one will emerge. Rana Rahimpour explores what the US’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal might mean for the people of Iran - including their taste for toothpaste. Simon Maybin visits a Bible camp where one Jewish Ethiopian student is testing Israel’s approach to citizenship. Vincent Woods attempts to unravel the knots of politics, religion, and morality that lie behind Ireland’s upcoming referendum on changes to its abortion laws. And John Murphy meets the independent winemakers of Catalonia trying to escape Cava’s image problem and low prices.

Is this going to be the moment when China's trajectory changed forever? Correspondents share their stories, wit, and analysis from around the world. Introduced by Kate Adie: With Xi Jinping now effectively allowed to remain in power for life, after the two-term limit on the presidency was removed, John Sudworth reflects on what this means for China and the rest of the world. Steve Rosenberg examines Russia's ever-shifting relationship with the West from the frozen rust-belt town of Karabash. Linda Pressly reports from Tysfjord, where police have revealed decades’ worth of allegations of sexual abuse in the tiny Norwegian community close to the Arctic Circle. Simon Maybin is on the tropical Panamanian island of Carti Sugdub to find out more about plans to move its entire population to the mainland and by doing so escape rising sea levels. And Lindsay Johns tries (and sometimes fails) to make himself understood in South Africa - the proudly polyglot nation.

Ending corruption in Ukraine and the woman enslaved by ISIS now trying to tell her story. Kate Adie introduces insight and analysis from correspondents around the world: Viktor Yanukovych and his associates are accused of stealing billions during his time as president, but are they still be benefiting from corruption? Simon Maybin surveys the scene from a snowy rooftop in Kiev. Stacey Dooley joins a 23-year-old Yazidi woman as she returns to find the house where she was held captive by ISIS in Mosul. She wants to tell her story but finds herself unexpectedly silenced. An assault on freedom of speech or an attempt to protect a nation’s dignity? Adam Easton explores the controversy around a new law in Poland which proposes prison sentences for anyone blaming the country for Nazi crimes against Jews. Simon Broughton meets a Mozambican artist turning bullets, guns and old mobiles phones into works of art. And Megha Mohan confronts a taboo in India: why menstruating women are often denied access to temples. Left out of her own grandmother's last rites, she's left wondering why.

Simon Maybin spends time with daters in New York, Delhi and Nairobi trying to understand how dating apps technology is changing the way people find romance across the world.

A gifted journalist with his finger on the pulse of Middle England? Or 'the most dangerous man in Britain' as the Guardian newspaper has described him? Mark Coles profiles the powerful and influential Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre.Producers: Ben Crighton and Simon Maybin.