Canada's Frank Dancevic beat Japan's Go Soeda 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-1 on Friday to leave the teams at 1-1 following the opening singles matches of their Davis Cup World Group clash.

Japan's Kei Nishikori earlier beat Peter Polansky 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to open the first meeting for the two nations since 1938.

While Sochi's Olympic venues are now among the most tightly guarded facilities in the world, the rest of this sprawling Black Sea resort looks more vulnerable.

With about 100,000 police, security agents and army troops flooding Sochi, Russia has pledged to ensure "the safest Olympics in history." But terror fears fueled by recent suicide bombings have left athletes, spectators and officials worldwide jittery about potential threats.

Phoenix handed Indiana only its second home loss of the season by beating the Pacers 102-94 on Friday, led by 28 points and seven assists from Goran Dragic.

In the day's other big game, Golden State dominated the boards and in the key to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

Johan Franzen will not play hockey for Sweden at the Sochi Olympics because of a concussion.

The Detroit Red Wings forward missed a month before returning for one game on Sunday.

A new study finds that people in nations where the population is aging less swiftly, such as the U.S, are less likely to be worried about their old-age futures than those in parts of Europe and East Asia that are grappling with swiftly shrinking workforces and increasing pension costs.

The survey by the Pew Research Center covers 21 nations.

Pope Francis' status as a superhero has bit the dust.

Rome police early Thursday scrubbed the wall near the Vatican where "SuperPope" had been displayed, showing Francis as Superman in flight and clutching his black satchel of values to spread to the world.

"Je ne regrette rien." ("I don't regret a thing.")

That's what France's former first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, told the weekly Paris-Match amid the drama of being dumped by French President Francois Hollande for a younger actress.

Want to sell that masterpiece for a fortune? It might help if it's red.

That's just one trend from an art market that has come roaring back from the global financial crisis, with buyers from emerging markets such as China molding tastes and driving top-end prices ever higher.

Beyoncé is one of the world's most scrutinized pop stars, and now that study is moving to academia.

The Department of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University is offering a course called "Politicizing Beyoncé."

A Utah ape that has correctly picked the Super Bowl winner for six straight years predicted Thursday that the Seattle Seahawks will be the next NFL champion.

Eli the ape ran into an enclosure Thursday morning and swiftly knocked down a papier-mache helmet bearing the Seahawks logo, signaling his pick, said Erica Hansen of Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City.