CBS News
North Korea accuses South of flying drones over capital, threatens “all means of attack” if it happens again
Seoul, South Korea — North Korea has accused rival South Korea of flying drones to its capital to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and threatened to respond with force if such flights occur again. North Korea‘s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that South Korean drones were detected in the night skies of Pyongyang on Oct. 3 and Wednesday and Thursday this week.
The ministry accused the South of violating North Korea’s “sacred” sovereignty and threatening its security, and said its forces will prepare “all means of attack” and respond without warning if South Korean drones are detected in its territory again.
“The safety lock on our trigger has now been released,” the ministry said. “We will be prepared for everything and will be watching. The criminals should no longer gamble with the lives of their citizens.”
While the rhetoric from Pyongyang on Friday did not specifically mention the country’s nuclear arsenal, the North Korean regime headed by dictator Kim Jong Un has on multiple occasions in recent years alluded to using its atomic weapons if it deems its survival to be under threat.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement saying it could not “confirm the truth of North Korea’s claims” on Friday, adding that “all responsibility for the recent series of events lies with North Korea, which is carrying out despicable, low-level, and internationally shameful provocations.”
“We strongly urge North Korea to refrain from rash actions and exercise self-restraint,” the statement said. “If it threatens the safety of our people in any way, our military will resolutely and fiercely respond.”
Tensions between the rival Koreas have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ramped up weapons tests and threats and South Korea has responded by strengthening its joint military exercises with the United States.
Since May, North Korea has also sent thousands of balloons carrying paper waste, plastic and other trash to drop on the South, in a bizarre psychological warfare campaign that worsened the animosity between the nations. The South’s Joint Chiefs referred directly to those actions in its statement Friday when it spoke of the North’s “shameful provocations.”
On Wednesday, North Korea said it will permanently block its border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures to cope with “confrontational hysteria” by South Korean and U.S. forces.
North Korea’s military said in a statement on state media that it will “completely cut off roads and railways” linked to South Korea and “fortify the relevant areas of our side with strong defense structures.”
North Korea called its steps a “self-defensive measure for inhibiting war and defending the security” of the country and accused its rivals of “getting ever more reckless in their confrontational hysteria.” North Korea cited what it called various military exercises in South Korea, the deployment of U.S. strategic assets and its rivals’ harsh rhetoric.
contributed to this report.
CBS News
Missouri police officers accused of taking nude photos from women’s phones during traffic stops: “Complete betrayal”
Two Missouri police officers were indicted separately this week and accused of similar crimes – pulling over women and searching their phones to find nude photos, federal prosecutors said.
The indictments of former Missouri State Highway Patrol officer David McKnight on Tuesday and former Florissant, Missouri, officer Julian Alcala on Wednesday were unrelated but the indictments spelled out similar allegations. Both men face federal charges accusing them of depriving the rights of several women and destroying evidence.
McKnight, 39, victimized nine women between September 2023 and Aug. 19, his indictment said. Typically, according to the indictment, he would pull over a woman for a traffic violation and tell her he needed to look at her phone to either verify her identity or confirm insurance coverage.
McKnight searched the phones and used his own phone to photograph nude pictures he found, the indictment said.
McKnight was arrested by patrol investigators on Aug. 21 and resigned five days later, patrol Capt. Scott White said in an email.
White declined to discuss McKnight’s case but said patrol employees “are held to high standards and if it is determined that those standards were not met, they are held accountable.”
McKnight pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Thursday. Messages were left Friday with his lawyer.
“These allegations are being taken very seriously, and we’d like to encourage anyone who believes they had a concerning interaction with McKnight to contact the FBI,” U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said in a statement.
Alcala, 29, was accused of crimes involving 20 women between Feb. 6 and May 18. Five of the alleged crimes happened on the same day.
Alcala confiscated phones from women under the auspices of confirming insurance coverage and vehicle registration, the indictment said. Like McKnight, he was accused of searching the phones for nude photos and then using his own phone to take pictures.
The indictment said Alcala also found a video on one victim’s phone and texted the video to his own phone.
Multiple victims of Alcala have filed lawsuits, CBS affiliate KMOV reported.
“What you did to me and these other females, how you overused your power as a police officer to do these things to make these women feel this way, you should be disgusted in yourself,” one victim told the station.
Alcala doesn’t yet have a listed attorney. No phone listing for him could be found. He also is named in four lawsuits filed against him and the city of Florissant, a St. Louis suburb.
Alcala was with the Florissant department since January 2023. He resigned in June amid an FBI investigation.
“We are disgusted at this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values we uphold and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers,” Florissant police said in a statement. “We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or via tips.fbi.gov.
“If you feel uncomfortable about your encounter with law enforcement, please don’t hesitate to go to that department after the fact to report what happened,” Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division said in a statement. “If you feel your civil rights have been violated, contact the FBI. Investigating criminal conduct by a law enforcement officer is among our top priorities.”
Ali Larter says she and co-star Billy Bob Thornton may be complete opposites in real life but they found a common love for their characters in their new show “Landman.”
Set in the world of West Texas oil rigs, the new Paramount+ series created by Taylor Sheridan – who is also the person behind “Yellowstone” – drives into the lives of workers and the impact big oil has on their communities.
At the heart of the series beats the complicated relationship between Larter and Thorton’s characters, divorced couple Angela and Tommy Norris.
“We are so different. Me and Billy in real life, are complete opposites,” Larter told “CBS Mornings Plus.” “But when we came together… we both loved the material, and we found the love in these two characters. Because as much as they’re sparring all the time, they love each other for their flaws, and there’s not a lot of judgment.”
After auditioning and getting to know more about the character, Larter said she was hooked.
“When I went down there to screen test, it was like I had to play Angela because she’s so provocative and so free and bold and feisty,” she said. “But then what [Sheridan]does is he really shows you the vulnerable side and where you crumble.”
Larter said the series feels real because it’s based on the podcast “Boomtown” by Christian Wallace, who spent a year living on oil rigs and in man camps. This real-world experience is reflected in the show, with experts on set ensuring accuracy in every detail.
“To be able to get a real eye into this world is very special,” said Larter.
“Landman” premieres Sunday, November 17, exclusively on Paramount+, which, like CBS, is part of Paramount Global.
CBS News
Cellphone battery sparks fire, evacuations on Southwest flight at Denver International Airport
Everyone on board a Southwest Airlines flight at Denver International Airport was evacuated safely Friday morning after a cellphone battery ignited. It happened on board Southwest Airlines Flight 3316 before 7 a.m. as the plane was getting ready to depart for Houston.
CBS
According to Southwest, the aircraft was still at the gate when the fire started. The crew was able to extinguish a seat fire caused by the burning cellphone. The passenger who had the phone suffered burns and was treated by local medical personnel.
Southwest told CBS News Colorado that there were 108 passengers on board when the fire started. Those passengers in the back of the aircraft used the rear emergency slides and those in the front of the plane exited through the front door. One passenger suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.
The incident is being investigated and Southwest released this statement, “Southwest’s Customer Care Team is working to accommodate the passengers on another aircraft to their original destination of Houston. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees.”
According to a CBS News Investigation published last year, similar incidents have been happening much more frequently in the skies over the United States. The FAA verifies the number of lithium-ion battery fires jumped more than 42% in the last five years.
Missouri police officers accused of taking nude photos from women’s phones during traffic stops: “Complete betrayal”
Ali Larter on finding unexpected chemistry with Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman”
Willmar’s largest landlord sues city
Missouri police officers accused of taking nude photos from women’s phones during traffic stops: “Complete betrayal”
Ali Larter on finding unexpected chemistry with Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman”