Albert Costa is stepping down as Spain's Davis Cup captain to become the coordinator of the Spanish federation's national teams.

After three years and two Davis Cup titles, Costa will now preside over the captains of Spain's Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Olympic teams.

The fastest man on legs is taking on the fastest on wheels for the top prize at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Usain Bolt, who won two gold medals at the 2011 world championships, and Sebastian Vettel, who became Formula One's youngest two-time champion in November, are among the nominees for the 2012 honors.

With the unofficial title of "winter champion" nearly secured before the visit of Cologne on Friday, Bayern Munich is uncharacteristically calm ahead of the year's last weekend of Bundesliga play.

Bayern is three points ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, and a vastly superior goal difference should ensure the top spot going into the league's four-week break.

Eliminated from the Champions League and with its unbeaten run in the Premier League over, Manchester City's mettle will be tested by in-form Arsenal on Sunday as the battle for the English title hots up this weekend.

City's defeat by Chelsea on Monday blew the title race open ahead of the traditional busy schedule of Christmas fixtures, with four teams now within nine points of the leaders.

Chris Paul will supply the Los Angeles Clippers with so much more than alley-oop passes to Blake Griffin when he arrives in Hollywood on Thursday night.

A bold trade for New Orleans' superstar point guard on Wednesday just might alter the entire sports world's perception of the Clippers. After managing just six winning seasons in their first 41 years of existence, the bumbling Clippers suddenly look slick and scintillating after swinging arguably the biggest trade in franchise history, giving them two of the NBA's elite players and a capable supporting cast.

Asian stocks fell Thursday as Japanese business confidence and Chinese manufacturing both slipped, but European shares rose as data showing the region's economic output contracted less than anticipated.

Benchmark oil rose to near $96 per barrel after a big slide the day before while the dollar rose against the euro but fell against the yen.

A psychedelic gecko and a monkey with an "Elvis" hairdo are among 208 new species described last year by scientists in the Mekong River region of Southeast Asia, a conservation group announced Monday.

The animals were discovered in a biodiverse region that is threatened by habitat loss, deforestation, climate change and overdevelopment, the WWF said in a report.

More than three years since it arrived in its final port of Dubai, the storied cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 will soon be welcoming well-heeled guests once again — at least for a night.

The event marks the first time the ship's government owners are throwing down the gangplank for a large group of visitors since the vessel pulled into port in November 2008.

Michael Jackson's daughter says she was inspired to be an actress after seeing her father in the film "Moonwalker."

Paris Jackson spoke to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres about her acting aspirations and the lengths that her father took to protect her identity. The episode airs Thursday.

An Andy Warhol painting of Elizabeth Taylor sold for over $662,000 at auction in New York.

The painting was included in Christie's auction house sale Wednesday of jewelry and other items from the collection of the late actress, who starred in "National Velvet" and "Cleopatra." A wedding dress worn at her second marriage to Richard Burton sold for over $62,000.