A cloud-seeding flight was conducted on Saturday over the country's largest lake, officials said. Tehran is now in its sixth year of drought. High temperatures over the summer led to power outages.

Tehran

Iran has started cloud-seeding operations in an effort to induce rainfall after a prolonged drought has led to a severe water crisis. The first flight was conducted over the country's largest lake, using particles like silver iodide and salt to trigger rain, though the technology requires the presence of existing clouds to be effective.

The drought, described as the worst in a decade, has resulted in water restrictions, dry taps in Tehran, and a scramble for storage tanks. Officials report that the capital's reservoirs are at only five percent of their reserve capacity, and recent attacks on infrastructure have further strained water supplies.

Iran scrambles to induce rain as years-long drought triggers water crisis

Iran said it had begun experiments to induce rainfall after a long drought created a water crisis in the country. A cloud-seeding flight was conducted on Saturday over the country's largest lake, according to authorities. Cloud-seeding involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain. For the technology to work, it needs existing clouds. The water scarcity has been described by some as the worst in a decade. Public service announcements have been urging people to use water sparingly. In the capital, Tehran, some users say their taps have been dry for days. Restrictions on water use have created a scramble for storage tanks, with fears that this shortage will last months more. Tehran is now in its sixth year of drought. High temperatures over the summer led to power outages and an enforced public holiday. Israel's attacks on Iran in June also damaged critical water infrastructure, according to the Energy Ministry. Officials have said that the reservoirs that the capital depends on for water are now at only five percent of their reserve capacity.

Construction work of a concrete wall continued on the Israeli side of southern border with Lebanon, despite the Lebanese presidency's threat to complain to the U.N. Security Council over the wall's extension into Lebanese territory.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Israel constructs wall along Lebanon border

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed planned joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as "irresponsible," with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Caracas

Maduro denounces US military exercises

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to kill the effort to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republican leaders are planning to hold a vote this week on legislation to force the issue.

Washington

Claims Epstein emails mentioning Trump were 'selectively leaked'

President Trump says he has "sort of made up my mind" on whether to take military action in Venezuela. The comments come as America's largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, and other U.S. forces move within striking distance of the country. Charlie D'Agata has new details.

Trump says he's "sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela military action

President Trump says he will no longer support onetime close ally and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene amid the ongoing fallout over the Epstein files. Willie James Inman reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene 'threatened' by Trump supporters amid Epstein fallout

Flash flood warnings expanded on Saturday as rain hit wide swaths of California amid fears that the atmospheric river will intensify. Andres Gutierrez has the latest details.

Pacific Palisades

Rainstorm pummels California, triggering flash flood warnings

Large-scale protests at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, have drawn attention to environmental concerns and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Inside the summit, negotiations have been complicated by the absence of the United States.

Belém

Protesters block entrance to COP30 climate talks in Brazil

The UN climate talks in Brazil are facing increasing disruption from protesters. Thousands joined the "Great People's March" outside the conference venue to demand action on global warming instead of empty promises.

Thousands join protest at COP30 climate talks in Brazil

Air travel and other government services, including SNAP benefits, are returning to normal following the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Los Angeles International Airport

Flights begin to get back on track as shutdown ends

The U.S. military is expanding operations in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico amid its deadly boat strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, while the Trump administration weighs military action against Venezuela.

Trump administration weighs U.S military action in Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced "Operation Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere as U.S. strikes continue in the region near Colombia and Venezuela. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.

Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

The U.S. has approved the sale of $330 million worth of weapons to Taiwan as tensions rise in the region with China. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports.

Taipei City

U.S. approves massive sale of weapons to Taiwan

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday with NASA twin spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and in a breakthrough nailed the landing of its booster.

Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket deploys Mars satellites

A three-person crew stranded at China’s space station after their spacecraft was apparently hit by space debris are to return Friday using the craft that brought their replacement crew.

Chinese astronauts return to earth after spacecraft damaged

The AI firm Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its artificial intelligence tools to spy on tech companies, financial institutions and government agencies in what it believes is the first documented case of a worldwide cyberattack with minimal human involvement.

Rise of AI

Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its AI chatbot in cyberattack

Senior U.S. military officials have presented President Donald Trump with options for potential military operations inside Venezuela, including strikes on land, sources tell CBS News. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Trump weighs military plans against Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump is ducking press questions about newly released emails connecting him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities ahead of an expected vote on releasing all Epstein case files by the U.S. House of Representatives as early as next week.

Trump avoids media’s Epstein email questions

The U.S. government lumbered back to life on Thursday (November 13) after the longest shutdown in U.S. history snarled air traffic, cut food assistance to low-income Americans and forced more than 1 million workers to go unpaid for more than a month. But the deep political divisions that caused the 43-day shutdown in the first place remain unresolved.

U.S. government opens up again but deep political divisions remain

China's factory output and retail sales grew at their weakest pace in over a year in October, piling pressure on policymakers to revamp the $19 trillion export-driven economy as mounting supply and demand strains threaten to further curtail growth.

Beijing

China's factory output, retail sales growth worst in over a year

Germany's government plans to bring back military service, to boost troop numbers to deal with the perceived threat from Russia. But voluntary conscription could become compulsory, if not enough recruits come forward.

Berlin

Germany outlines potential shift to compulsory conscription

As F-35 stealth fighter jets fly missions from a reopened naval base in Puerto Rico and Marines practice beach landings, sources tell CBS News the Pentagon is preparing for possible military action in Venezuela. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Pentagon preparing for possible military action in Venezuela

President Trump's name appears hundreds of times in the newly-released batch of 23,000 pages of records and messages from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about their relationship. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has called the scandal a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats.

Trump named hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files

A federal judge has ruled that hundreds of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area must be released. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.

Chicago

Judge finds ICE illegally arrested hundreds of people in Chicago

For the first time in six weeks, the U.S. government is open. President Trump signed a bill last night to fund the government through the end of January.

Trump says he is 'willing to work with anyone' on health care

U.S. forces have killed four people in the latest strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. CBS News national security coordinating producer James LaPorta has more.

U.S. forces kill four in latest Caribbean drug boat strike

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the West Bank on Thursday (November 13) and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, Palestinian residents said.

Jerusalem

Israeli settlers torch mosque in West Bank, residents say

Thailand-Cambodia border tensions escalate days after a US-backed ceasefire agreement breaks down.

Bangkok

Thailand-Cambodia tensions escalate as truce hangs in the balance

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is one step closer to the full release of the Justice Department's documents on Jeffrey Epstein after securing the final signature needed to force a House vote. Scott MacFarlane reports.

House to vote on Epstein files release after bipartisan group push

With the Amazon nearing a tipping point, Indigenous voices are demanding immediate action at COP30, with campaigners saying their protests are a stark reminder that time is running out to stop catastrophic climate change.

Indigenous voices demand action at COP30 amid Amazon crisis

The U.S. government's longest standoff left both parties facing heavy criticism, and neither is likely to claim victory. Millions of Americans felt the impact, from hundreds of thousands of unpaid federal workers to families left without food stamps.

Breakdown