Greece's economy shrank by 6.9 percent in the third quarter of the year, compared with the same period in 2011.

The national statistics agency says that the decrease was less than the 7.2 percent drop estimated in November, based on new data that wasn't available last month.

A federal judge appeared ready to trim millions from a $1.05 billion jury verdict Apple Inc. won over Samsung Electronics this summer as she urged the top two smartphone companies to settle their myriad legal actions around the world.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said Thursday she would issue a series of rulings over the next several weeks resolving the many legal issues raised at the hearing Thursday. Samsung is seeking a new trial or a reduction of the verdict that resulted from a lawsuit Apple filed in 2011. Apple, on the other hand, urged the judge to add millions more to the award and permanently ban the U.S. sales of eight Samsung smartphone models a jury in August said illegally used Apple technology.

Many fans are eagerly anticipating a return to the fictional world of Middle-earth with next week's general release of the first movie in "The Hobbit" trilogy. Director Peter Jackson and the film's stars speak to The Associated Press about making "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey":

— Jackson on shooting at 48 frames per second instead of the standard 24: "We've seen the arrival of iPhones and iPads and now there's a generation of kids — the worry that I have is that they seem to think it's OK to wait for the film to come out on DVD or be available for download. And I don't want kids to see 'The Hobbit' on their iPads, really. Not for the first time. So as a filmmaker, I feel the responsibility to say, 'This is the technology we have now, and it's different ... How can we raise the bar? Why do we have to stick with 24 frames? ...'"

India's parliament on Friday approved the government's plans to open up the country's massive retail sector to international big-box companies such as Wal-Mart.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's beleaguered government won the vote in the upper house of parliament on Friday, two days after it had won a similar approval in the powerful lower house.

Ray Emory could not accept that more than one quarter of the 2,400 Americans who died at Pearl Harbor were buried, unidentified, in a volcanic crater.

And so he set out to restore names to the dead.

In the lush hills of northern Thailand, a herd of 20 elephants is helping to excrete some of the world's most expensive coffee.

Trumpeted as earthy in flavor and smooth on the palate, the exotic new brew is made from beans eaten by Thai elephants and plucked a day later from their dung. A gut reaction inside the elephant creates what its founder calls the coffee's unique taste.

A sharpshooting New York Knicks team connected on 18 3-pointers to dominate the suddenly struggling Miami Heat for the second time this season, winning 112-92 on Thursday.

Raymond Felton scored a season-high 27 points as the Knicks easily beat the reigning NBA champions despite the absence of the injured Carmelo Anthony.

Corinthians coach Tite doesn't think Chelsea's recent form struggles will boost his team's chances of winning the Club World Cup.

European champion Chelsea and Copa Libertadores winner Corinthians have a bye into the semifinals of the tournament that features the champion clubs from FIFA's six confederations, plus a team from the host nation.

Roger Federer said he won't play as often in the next few years and hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The 31-year-old Federer stated he'll be more mindful about the tournaments he plays in the future to make sure he can continue playing at a high level.

Rescuers were digging through mud and debris Friday to retrieve more bodies strewn across a farming valley in the southern Philippines by a powerful typhoon. The death toll from the storm has surpassed 500, with more than 400 people missing.

More than 310,000 people have lost their homes since Typhoon Bopha struck Tuesday and are crowded inside evacuation centers or staying with their relatives, relying on food and emergency supplies being rushed in by government agencies and aid groups.