The mayor says he does not think a bedbug infestation will spread across the Tube or bus network.

David Warner and Steve Smith hit half-centuries to give Australia a solid start against the Netherlands in a World...

Since her breakthrough album in 2019, Lizzo has been a vocal advocate of body positivity and self love – but now the pop star has been hit with a lawsuit claiming that she weight-shamed her backing dancers. The singer, real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson, is also facing claims of sexual harassment, and of creating a hostile work environment via racial and religious harassment, in a suit filed by three of her backing dancers. The claims, which are not all against Lizzo personally, have taken many fans by surprise. The singer has not commented on the allegations. Here are the details, and why they matter. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Who is making the claims? Two of the claimants are Arianna Davis and another former dancer, Crystal Williams, who began performing with Lizzo after competing on her Amazon reality show, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, in 2021. They were fired earlier this year, the suit says. The third dancer involved in the lawsuit, Noelle Rodriguez, was hired the same year after performing in the video for “Rumors”. She resigned earlier this year. What are the claims? The suit accuses Lizzo of calling attention to the weight of one of her dancers, Arianna Davis, after an appearance at South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in 2022. The singer allegedly told the dancer that she seemed “less committed” to her job. The suit describes the comment as a “thinly veiled” concern about Davis’ weight. Amsterdam strip club incident Earlier this year, the suit claims, Lizzo and her dancers went to an Amsterdam strip club called Bananenbar, where the singer allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas”. Lizzo then allegedly pressured Davis to touch one of the strippers’ breasts. Davis eventually did, despite being “visibly uncomfortable”, the suit says. A week later, after a performance in Paris, Lizzo allegedly invited her dancers to a club so they could “learn something”, but failed to mention that it was a “nude cabaret bar”. The suit described the performance as “artful,” but the dancers were “shocked that Lizzo would conceal the nature of the event from them, robbing them of the choice not to participate”. Racial harassment claims The racial harassment claim is aimed at comments made by employees of Lizzo’s touring company, which the suit describes as “charged with racial and fat-phobic animus”. The former dancers say they asked to be paid for their downtime at 50 per cent of their weekly pay, but an accountant allegedly declined, offering half of that and calling their request “unacceptable and disrespectful”. “Only the dance cast — comprised of full-figured women of color — were ever spoken to in this manner,” the suit said. ‘Religious harassment’ Meanwhile, Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley allegedly harassed the dancers with her religious beliefs. According to the suit, she preached her Christianity and “took every opportunity to proselytize to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations”. After discovering that Davis was a virgin, Quigley discussed the subject in interviews and posted about it on social media, the suit says. When cast members asked her to stop pressuring Rodriguez – who Quigley regarded as a “non-believer,” according to the suit – about her faith, Quigley responded: “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord”. Fractious firings Two of the dancers were fired in April and May 2023. According to the suit, Williams lost her job first, after speaking up in a meeting where Lizzo had allegedly claimed the dancers were drinking before performances. The previous day, Lizzo had forced the group to audition for their jobs again, which resulted in an “excruciating” 12-hour rehearsal. Five days later, on April 26, Lizzo’s tour manager fired Williams in a hotel lobby, the suit says, putting the move down to budget cuts. The suit noted that nobody else was fired in that instance. The next day, Lizzo allegedly raised the incident with the dancers in a meeting, telling them she had “eyes and ears everywhere”. The suit continues that Davis recorded the meeting on her phone, which made Lizzo “furious” when she later found out. When Davis told the singer she hadn’t meant any harm, Lizzo allegedly responded “There is nothing you can say to make me believe you,” and fired Davis. Before Lizzo left the meeting, Rodriguez then told her that she felt disrespected and would resign. As she left, the singer allegedly raised both her middle fingers and yelled a slur. Why it matters Lizzo has long been a beacon of hope for the body positivity movement, and has spoken out against bullying multiple times in public. Earlier this year, she said online videos which fat shamed her were “starting to make me hate the world.” “I’m tired of explaining myself all the time,” she added. She also said that all the talk of her weight made her feel like quitting her music career. Meanwhile, songs including the hit 'Good As Hell' feature lyrics about valuing oneself, which has prompted Lizzo's live performances to be themed around boundless positivity. That is why the claims have taken fans aback. The dancers’ lawyer, Rob Zambrano, said: “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.” The lawsuit doesn’t say whether Lizzo knew about the behaviour of Quigley, the dance captain. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has defended his negotiations with China during a grilling by House Republicans before he sets out on his next climate mission to Beijing

The world's top management consultancy McKinsey & Company is using its position as a key advisor to the UN's COP28 climate talks to push the interests of its big oil and gas clients, undermining efforts to end the use of the fossil fuels driving...

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON The number of people who died by suicide in the U.S. hit an estimated

Taylor Swift surprised the audience at her final Eras Tour show of 2023 with two exclusive songs that she hadn't performed live before

Federal prosecutors under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith have reportedly spoken with top election officials in Pennsylvania and New Mexico as part of the Justice Department probe into Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. According to CNN, Mr Smith’s team has in recent months conducted interviews of Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, with both officials providing information on “matters related to the 2020 election”. Mr Schmidt, who spoke with prosecutors in March, is a Republican who served as a Philadelphia City Commissioner during the 2020 election. He was named to his current post by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. CNN reported that prosecutors questioned Mr Schmidt about issues he encountered during the post-election period in 2020, including how he was impacted by misinformation about alleged voter fraud spread by Mr Trump and his allies. Last June, he told the now-defunct House January 6 select committee that he became the target of a slew of death threats from the then-president’s supporters after Mr Trump began attacking him in a series of tweets “became much more specific, much more graphic” after the then-president called him a “RINO” and a “disaster on the massive election fraud and irregularities which took place in Philadelphia”. The special counsel’s team has been speaking with election officials in swing states won by President Joe Biden in his 2020 contest with Mr Trump as part of their probe into the twice-impeached, now twice-indicted ex-president’s effort to remain in office against the will of voters. CNN also reported that Mr Smith’s team has sent subpoenas to officials in all seven of the states — Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that were targeted by Mr Trump as he sought to reverse his losses to Mr Biden in each jurisdiction. Mr Smith and his team has also met with the top election officials from Michigan and Georgia, Jocelyn Benson and Brad Raffensperger. In an interview with the network, Ms Benson said prosecutors she spoke to appeared to be focused on how misinformation spread by Mr Trump’s allies affected election workers, as well as the “threats that emerged from that from various sources”. Read More Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee over alleged obstruction, report says Prosecutors say there is ‘no reason’ to delay Trump documents trial until after 2024 election Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Jan 6, reports say

MEXICO CITY Carrefour Brasil reported a 95.2% drop in its second-quarter adjusted net profit to reach 29 million

It's that time of year again: Yep Halloween when we all attempt to outdo each other with our best Halloween costumes at whatever house party you are attending this year. 2023 has not been short of inspiration for anyone. Maybe you could go dressed as the 'Barbenheimer' meme or Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. If you aren't that into pop culture you could always purchase an outfit (spaghetti and meatballs, anyone?) However, if you aren't into dressing up yourself it's undeniable that the celebrity outfits that appear each year are always worth talking about. The likes of Heidi Klum, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and many, many others go above and beyond in their efforts to put on the best possible display for their fans. This year is no exception with the likes of Kourtney Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Kim Petras and Adele all getting in on the act early. Here are the best from the celebrity world so far. Ice Spice as Betty Boop October 29, 08:56 The rapper left little to the imagination with this outfit. Heidi Klum teases her 2023 outfit October 28, 14:32 The model, known for her extravagant and over the top Halloween outfits, has teased what she'll wear this year on Instagram saying her motto is 'go big or go home.' Chris Brown as the Grinch October 28, 14:30 How did they know it was him? Chloe Bailey as Khaleesi from Game of Thrones October 28, 14:21 The singer/actor did her best rendition of a Song of Fire and Ice. Hailey Bieber as Rachel from Friends October 28, 13:38 Not content with one outfit, Hailey Bieber also did a take on one of Jennifer Aniston's looks from Friends. Ariana Grande as a cat October 28, 13:34 Pop superstar Ariana Grande kept things simple by dressing as a cat. Kim Petras as Cherry from Planet Terror October 28, 12:18 German pop star Kim Petras dressed as Rose McGowan's character from the cult classic movie Planet Terror (complete with machine gun leg). North West as The College Dropout Bear October 28, 12:10 North West dressed as the bear from the front cover her dad, Kanye West's iconic 2004 album. Hailey Bieber as a vampire October 28, 12:07 Hailey Bieber dressed as a vampire for a milkshake tutorial on her YouTube channel. Keke Palmer as The Bride of Frankenstein October 28, 11:49 Nope actor Keke Palmer channeled the Golden Age of Hollywood for her outfit. Adele as Morticia Addams October 28, 11:43 Adele actually performed as the matriarch of The Addams Family during her Las Vegas residency on Friday. Kourtney Kardashian as Pregnant Kim Kardashian at the 2013 Met Gala October 28, 11:40 Heavily pregnant Kourtney Kardashian used her bump to maximum effect by dressing as her own sister Kim in the outfit she attended the 2013 Met Gala in. Paris Hilton as Britney Spears October 28, 11:40 Celebrities dressing as each other seems like a theme as Paris Hilton as dressed as Britney Spears in her iconic 'Toxic' music video. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The tension between Nina Agdal, 31, and Danis has been building for weeks after Danis' upcoming fight with her fiancee, Logan Paul, was announced

By Andrew Chung The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a California woman's bid to overturn