News & Blog

Three in four people with hearing loss feel excluded at Christmas get-togethers

With workplace festive celebrations well underway, new research from Bayfields, the UK’s leading hearing and eye care provider, reveals the extent to which people with hearing loss struggle at this time of year – with many experiencing what’s known as ‘Dinner Table Syndrome’. The term describes the familiar situation where someone sits silently at group meals or gatherings, unable to follow overlapping conversations, and feeling increasingly isolated as a result.

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Labour Party restricts trans women’s access to main proceedings at Women’s Conference

Transgender women will be barred from participating in the primary sessions of the Labour Women’s Conference when the event returns in 2026, marking a significant rollback of inclusive practices within the party’s internal structures.

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Plans for New York City to become an LGBTQ+ sanctuary

New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, who secured a resounding victory on a progressive, pro-LGBTQ+ platform, has detailed his ambitious agenda aimed at fortifying the rights and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community within the five boroughs. His vision centres on establishing New York City as an unequivocal sanctuary for all LGBTQ+ individuals.

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Former Today programme presenter Mishel Hussain says some BBC board members are biased

The BBC board is not impartial and some members fail to leave their opinions at the door, Mishal Husain has claimed.

Asked if the BBC was guilty of Left-wing bias, as some of its critics allege, the former presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme suggested to Radio Times that the opposite was true at board level.

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Autistic man sacked by Waitrose after four years unpaid, gets paid work

An autistic man controversially sacked by Waitrose after stacking shelves for four years unpaid has finally been given a job at the supermarket.

Tom Boyd, 28, ended up at the centre of a disability row earlier this year after his mum, Frances Boyd, asked whether he could begin taking on some paid work at the supermarket in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester - and was turned down by head office. He had had volunteered at the shop for four years, accompanied by a support worker.

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Mothercare to pay £68k for maternity discrimination

Baby products business Mothercare created a “sham” redundancy to sack an employee who took maternity leave.

The retailer, which claims its brand “resonates strongly with families the world over”, unfairly dismissed Nichola Osborn, a tribunal ruled.

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Seattle to host first World Cup ‘Pride Match’

Seattle announced it will host the first-ever World Cup “Pride Match” in 2026 at Lumen Field stadium, featuring Egypt and Iran, two countries with anti-gay laws.

The local organising committee in Seattle has confirmed that the match on 26 June will include celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community, coinciding with the anniversary weekend of the Stonewall riots.

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Biased police facial-recognition technology sparks equity concerns

Critics have condemned UK police and Home Office decisions to continue using a facial-recognition system found to be biased against women, younger people and ethnic minorities, even after a review showed significant misidentification disparities.

Civil liberties and anti-racism campaigners have warned this undermines efforts to ensure fairness and equity in law enforcement technologies.

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