The Formula One season comes to an end at the Brazilian Grand Prix with drivers raving about the rule changes that were aimed at encouraging passing and improving racing.

Although Sebastian Vettel dominated the season and easily won the title with four races to spare, there was plenty of excitement on the track throughout the year, with a significant increase in passing in nearly all races.

World stock markets edged higher Thursday as speculation that China might ease its monetary policy soothed fears that the German economy — Europe's strongest — may be succumbing to the continent's debt crisis.

Benchmark oil hovered above $96 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro and the yen.

His body already aching after a season of almost unceasing success, Novak Djokovic ran into a brick wall in David Ferrer.

The fifth-seeded Spaniard's relentless hitting proved too much for Djokovic on Wednesday as Ferrer won 6-3, 6-1 to qualify for the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals.

Barcelona clinched top spot in Group H by beating AC Milan 3-2 on Wednesday despite twice losing the lead in a pulsating Champions League match and allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score against his former club.

Xavi Hernandez ran onto Lionel Messi's perfect pass into the area to slot in the winning goal in the 63rd minute, sealing the group win with one game remaining.

Robin van Persie guided Arsenal through to the next round of the Champions League on Wednesday, scoring his 20th and 21st goals of the season in a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund dominated the opening exchanges and had Arsenal under pressure even after injuries to Sven Bender and Mario Goetze midway through the first half robbed the German champions of arguably their two key players.

Like Santa Claus on that one foggy Christmas Eve, Microsoft has summoned Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to guide some precious cargo — a holiday marketing campaign for its Bing search engine.

The advertisements, debuting online and on TV this week, star Rudolph and other characters from the animated story about the most famous reindeer of all. The campaign is part of Microsoft's attempt to trip up Google Inc., an Internet search rival as imposing as the Abominable Snowman was before Yukon Cornelius tamed the monster.

Manuel Friedrich sent Bayer Leverkusen into the knockout round of the Champions League with an injury-time header Wednesday that secured a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Chelsea and left the London club in real danger of missing out on the next stage.

Friedrich — a defender — managed to beat Alex to the ball and score with a header from a corner that went in off the underside of the crossbar in the 91st minute.

'Tis the season of the tablet. Despite the gloomy economy, shoppers are expected to shell out for tablet computers this December, making them about as popular as candy canes and twinkling lights.

The glossy-screened gadgets are the most-desired electronic devices this holiday season. And, of all the gifts people are craving, tablets are second only to clothing, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. The industry group expects U.S. consumers to spend an average of $246 on electronic gifts, including tablets.

Faye Dunaway is moving on from a fight with a landlord over a New York City apartment — by moving out.

The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/supwCN ) reported Wednesday the "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Chinatown" actress agreed this month to give up her rent-stabilized, $1,048-a-month Manhattan apartment.

Houdini the dog lived up to his name.

The lab-shepherd mix, known as a crafty escape artist, was placed in a foster home by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Despite his new owner's best efforts to keep him close, the dog pushed an air conditioner out of a window and made his getaway.