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A new NASA mission to the moon will pelt the lunar surface to study plumes of dust and search for ice crystals. The unmanned mission, slated for October 2008, will launch a lunar orbiter from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., using the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez moves to tighten control of the country's oil reserves at a time when oil is at record levels and no slackening of prices is in sight. Analysts say the result is that Chavez is rewriting the rules of oil investment, forcing huge companies to share ownership and profits with the Venezuelan government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a swipe at Western critics in his State of the Nation speech Wednesday, accusing them of hanging on to outdated prejudices. His remarks seemed to be a response to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who last week accused Russia of using its energy reserves as "tools of intimidation or blackmail."

A federal judge sentences al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison, following a jury's finding Wednesday. In court, Moussaoui declared victory over the United States. But Judge Leonie Brinkema told him that everyone else in the courtroom would live free, Moussaoui would spend life in prison.

Rescue crews in West Virginia continue efforts to save 13 coal miners trapped since Monday. Workers are now more than 10,000 feet into the mine. But there's been no signal from the miners, and air-quality tests show very high levels of carbon monoxide.

Black Friday is traditionally America's No. 1 shopping day for enthusiastic and aggressive bargain-hunters. Commentator Pam Varkony visits a mall near her home in Allentown, Pa., to assess the shopping crowd and talk to some of the smaller retailers about how busy they are.

After more than three weeks of fighting, the Israeli army says it has destroyed Hezbollah's infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including its capacity to launch rockets into northern Israel. But Hezbollah continues to hit Israel with hundreds of rockets each day.

The surge in Baghdad's sectarian violence in recent weeks means Iraq is closer to civil war, according to two of the Pentagon's most senior generals. Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command, and General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

On the second day of his visit to the United States, Chinese President Hu Jintao says China is taking steps to reduce its huge trade surplus with the United States, a gap that stood at $200 billion in 2005. Hu spoke to workers at a Boeing plant in Everett, Wash.

Israel decides not to expand its 17-day-old offensive in Lebanon, one day after its soldiers suffered their bloodiest day in the battle against Hezbollah. Nine soldiers were killed Wednesday, and almost two dozen wounded, in two Lebanese towns near Israel's northern border.