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Woman's Hour: The Queen's funeral, Male friendships, PM Liz Truss as diplomat, Death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

The Queen's funeral, Male friendships

The Queen's funeral, Male friendships, PM Liz Truss as diplomat, Death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, The Queen's funeral, Male friendships, PM Liz Truss as diplomat, Death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

We speak to one of the community volunteers invited to attend the Queen's state funeral.

183 key workers and community volunteers were amongst royals, politicians and world leaders in Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s state funeral on Monday. One woman who was asked to be an eyewitness to this historic day was Lynn McManus, from North Shields, in Tyne and Wear. She's the founder of The Tim Lamb's Children's Centre and Pathways4All, a parent-led charity providing play and leisure for disabled children.  She was recognised in the Queen's last Birthday Honours List in June 2022 with an MBE for her services to children with disabilities.

A 2019 YouGov survey found that one in five men have no close friends — twice the proportion for women. What pressure might this be putting on their female partners, to fulfil the role of best friend and hold the social calendar? And what tools can men learn to help maintain friendships? Max Dickins is an author, playwright and comedian, and has written Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem.  He joins Emma to discuss.

Liz Truss is heading to New York today, making her first foreign trip as Prime Minister as she attends the annual United Nations General Assembly.  During her two-day trip she is due to have meetings with US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. This will be her first test in building international relationships and trust in the UK.  So does the former foreign secretary have the interpersonal skills to build strong relationships? Joining Emma to discuss are deputy political editor for the Spectator Katy Balls and Bronwen Maddox the new director and CEO of Chatham House.

A 22-year-old Iranian woman has died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. Eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van after being picked up in Tehran last Tuesday, and died on Friday after spending three days in a coma. It is the latest in a series of reports of brutality against women by authorities in Iran in recent weeks.  Tehran's police chief says the death of a woman in custody was an "unfortunate" incident he does not want repeated.  BBC Woman Affairs correspondent for the Near East, Faranak Amidi joins Emma with the latest.

The Married Women’s Association was formed in 1938 by a former suffragette and its main aim was to ensure that men and women would be treated as equals in the union of marriage - both legally and financially.  Their members included the first female barrister and the first female BBC executive, as well as the writer Vera Britain, so why are they not well known, and how influential were they? Dr Sharon Thompson, presenter of the Quiet Revolutionaries podcast, who has also written a book of the same name, joins Emma.

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The Queen's funeral, Male friendships, PM Liz Truss as diplomat, Death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

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