A group of Mexico fans have had an unusual companion on their travels through Russia to follow their team in the World Cup - a life-size cardboard cut-out of their friend who pulled out of the trip of a lifetime at the last minute.

Moscow's shops are stocking up on beer to slake the thirst of World Cup fans after some bars reported shortages.

U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who killed himself in a French hotel room earlier this month, had no narcotics or alcohol in his body when he died, a local prosecutor said on Friday.

In the basement of the British Library, curator Andy Linehan inspects the latest addition to a massive archive of wax cylinders, cassettes, LPs and CDs - a vinyl record that made musical history.

Joe Jackson, patriarch of the singing Jackson family, was reported on Friday to be hospitalized with a serious, possibly terminal illness.

Barely 20 months ago a Russian couple were oblivious of the basic rules of soccer. Now they are ardent fans and the transformation can only be attributed to Messi -- not Argentina's World Cup captain but a pet puma.

Charlie Sheen's "Two and a Half Men" character was run over by a bus and got a full-scale funeral. "Glee" actor Corey Monteith died in real life and had a tribute episode. "House of Cards" will return minus scandal-tainted Kevin Spacey, with his screen wife taking center stage.

It might seem like there are two on every corner in Paris, but old-style bistros and street cafes are dying out to such an extent that a movement has started to try to protect them.

Emilio Cuenca makes a living taking portraits of pets but in his spare time snaps rescue animals, hoping that his pictures will encourage people to adopt mistreated and abandoned dogs and cats.

Residents of China's southern city of Yulin defended eating dog meat to celebrate the summer solstice on Thursday, as animal rights activists seek new ways to pressure organizers to cancel the annual festival.