COLU @ CONCEPTS

Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption The Pussycat Dolls have recently reformed, after a break of seven years The Pussycat Dolls have issued a joint statement denying allegations that the pop group was a "prostitution ring". Kaya Jones, who left the band before they became famous, claimed that she and other members were regularly subjected to sexual abuse. "We are all abused," she said on Twitter, claiming the group were made to "sleep with whoever they say". The band, led by Nicole Scherzinger, said they "were not aware of Kaya's experiences" and offered her support. However, they firmly denied that the remaining members had been abused. "We cannot stand behind false allegations towards other group members partaking in activities that simply did not take place," they said. Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption Kaya Jones says she walked away from the band to escape abuse "To liken our professional roles...

Image copyright EPA A painting thought to be the stolen work of renowned Spanish artist Salvador Dali has been recovered by the Lebanese authorities. Four people were arrested for allegedly trying to sell on the picture, known as Portrait of Mrs Reeves. Police confiscated it last Friday after an investigation in the Cola neighbourhood of the capital, Beirut. Art experts say the picture, if authentic, is a minor work from a series of high society portraits. The piece was probably stolen from a neighbouring country, Lebanese police said. You might also like: 'Mona Lisa nude sketch' found in France Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Neglected Genius The gay Chinese farmer and his cutting edge art Art historian Lawrence Saphire told Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper that such pictures attributed to Dali usually sold "for a few hundred thousand dollars because they are not considered serious paintings". He suggested it was one of the portraits Dali was commis...

Image copyright AFP/GETTY IMAGES Image caption The fire began in the early hours of Thursday morning A massive fire has destroyed an iconic luxury hotel in the city of Yangon in Myanmar, killing one person. Two others were injured in the blaze which began around 03:00 (20:30 GMT Wednesday) at the Kandawgyi Palace. The hotel, which was largely made out of teak and built in a traditional Burmese style, was a local landmark popular with tourists. It took hundreds of firefighters several hours to put out the blaze. More than 140 guests were evacuated. Image copyright AFP/GETTY IMAGES Image caption The blaze at the Yangon landmark lit up the city's skyline It is unclear how the fire began, with varying media reports of either a gas cylinder explosion or an electrical wire short-circuiting. Htay Lwin, a spokesman from the Htoo Group which owns the hotel, told AFP news agency: "It's hard to say why the fire broke out, the cause is under investigation." He added...