this is bbc news. the headlines: sir keir starmer defends his record on tackling sexual abuse gangs, following online attacks from elon musk. those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims. they are interested in victims. they are interested in victims. they are interested in themselves. supporters maintain a vigil outside the home of the suspended south korean president. investigators are seeking an extension of his arrest warrant, over his failed

attempt to impose martial law.

thank and sir keir�*s biographer. you for being with us, tom. thank you for being with us, tom. a lot of political commentators are saying this was as animated and as impassioned as they have seen sir keir starmer, certainly since he came into downing street, clearly riled and angered by what elon musk has been saying. i angered by what elon musk has been saying-— been saying. i think he has been saying. i think he has been frustrated _ been saying. i think he has been frustrated about - been saying. i think he has been frustrated about this| been saying. i think he has i been frustrated about this for days, if not weeks. the dilemma for downing street is, they had a really important announcement to make today about cutting nhs waiting list, a much bigger priority for british people than any social media post or internet inspired smear, but i think it has got to the stage now where so manyjournalists think this is a more important issue or this is some better talking point that they have got to say something, and what you saw today was a cure stammer we don't often see, someone passionately defending not only his record but his own ministers and the position of his government against a really

vicious set of lies. i know about clear stammer�*s record at the crown prosecution service. i've looked at it really in detail for my i've looked at it really in detailfor my book, and i've looked at it really in detail for my book, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to sustain this. it has been done to whip up another frenzy, and we end up talking about it on the bbc, so the trolls have won. i on the bbc, so the trolls have won. , , , ., , on the bbc, so the trolls have won. , ., won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer _ won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer in _ won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer in all— won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer in all of - won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer in all of this - won. i suppose the problem for clear stammer in all of this in l clear stammer in all of this in fighting back against elon musk, if you like, is that when he is in washington and talking to the next president, donald trump, and elon musk might well be in the room as well, it could be a very awkward moment, couldn't it? its could be a very awkward moment, couldn't it?— couldn't it? its 'ust a very bizarre couldn't it? itsjust a very bizarre situation - couldn't it? itsjust a very bizarre situation where i couldn't it? itsjust a very i bizarre situation where elon musk, who is undoubtedly a brilliant scientist and incredibly successful entrepreneur, he has got quite good at politics. he has got a job in the trump administration. when he has a keyboard at his fingertips and is on twitter, x or whatever you call it now, he is a troll,

and he has been trolling the british government with about as much knowledge of british politics as the average ten—year—old. politics as the average ten-year-old.- politics as the average ten-year-old. politics as the average ten- ear-old. , ., ten-year-old. does it worry you that ou ten-year-old. does it worry you that you have — ten-year-old. does it worry you that you have a _ ten-year-old. does it worry you that you have a tech _ that you have a tech billionaire like this? there was an issue of freedom of speech and mr musk can say what he likes. ., ., ., ., he likes. hold on, hold on... he clearly — he likes. hold on, hold on... he clearly has _ he likes. hold on, hold on... he clearly has an _ he likes. hold on, hold on... he clearly has an interest - he likes. hold on, hold on... he clearly has an interest in| he clearly has an interest in british politics and seems to be making his views about british politics clear every single day. he british politics clear every single day-— british politics clear every sinuleda. . . , ., single day. he clearly has an interest but _ single day. he clearly has an interest but not _ single day. he clearly has an interest but not very - single day. he clearly has an interest but not very much i interest but not very much knowledge of british politics. it is not true you can say whatever you want. you can't shout fire in a crowded theatre. some of the stuff that has been spewed out on his platform by him and others is really dangerous. people are getting death threats for having done nothing. not having done nothing, for doing a lot, far more than elon musk, nigel farage or whatever tommy robinson's real name is will

ever do to crack down on these awful grooming rape gangs. when keough starmer was the director of public prosecutions, he was the first holder of his post to successfully prosecute an asian grooming gang. he was the first one to say, this can't be the only one and reopened old cases and prosecuted other asian grooming gangs. he then changed the prosecution rules to ensure that victims of these horrible crimes were taken seriously and respected by ourjustice respected by our justice system. respected by ourjustice system. the idea that a man like that with a record like that has to defend himself against somebody on the internet just trolling the government is ridiculous, and i think it's ridiculous that the bbc is now running this as a serious news story, and part of thatis serious news story, and part of that is because clear stammer has had to react. it’s that is because clear stammer has had to react.— has had to react. it's not only the bbc that _ has had to react. it's not only the bbc that is _ has had to react. it's not only the bbc that is reporting - has had to react. it's not only| the bbc that is reporting this. i expect higher standards of

the bbc, and when the bbc feels they have to say that keir starmer response to attacks, no, clearstammerslams starmer response to attacks, no, clear stammer slams lies that have percolated across the internet for days, when we are trying to focus on issues that matter more to the british people. when clear stammer response, we can't do false equivalence because there are facts. you can get to the facts quite easily, and we should be reporting the facts, not the lies. ., 1, reporting the facts, not the lies. ., ., ~ , ., lies. tom baldwin, thank you very much — lies. tom baldwin, thank you very much indeed. _ more now on that severe winter storm in the us which has seen temperatures plummeting, and severe disruption to travel in central, southern and eastern states. some areas have been warned to expect the heaviest snowfall in more than a decade. there have been road closures, flight cancellations, and in many areas schools and government buildings have been unable to open. live now to washington, and cbs news correspondent rob marciano.

it looks pretty miserable and very cold where you are. just tell us what the picture is? you can see the snow, it's cold, right below the freezing mark but it will only get colder notjust in the capital but for much of the country, frankly. they don't typically get a lot of snow here in dc. it's not unheard of but it's been a while, over three years since we had any significant snowfall, so they've had their hands full. the capitol building behind me, you can see it, but you can also see this line of cars, a lot of cop cars and officials here certifying the election results today. all federal buildings are closed to nonessential government employees. congress will get at least that part of their agenda done today. a lot of those congressmen have condos and apartments within walking distance of the capitol building, so they have no excuse not to show up to work.

everybody else does, schools are closed here, four orfive inches on the ground, and we will probably see another four or five before this will probably see another four orfive before this is done, ben. or five before this is done, ben. ,, ., ., ben. quite often, the weather at this time — ben. quite often, the weather at this time of _ ben. quite often, the weather at this time of year _ ben. quite often, the weather at this time of year is - ben. quite often, the weather at this time of year is pretty . at this time of year is pretty brutal where you are, but how well do you think people are prepared for these kind of conditions?— prepared for these kind of conditions? ., ~ ., ., ., conditions? you know, we are on the border _ conditions? you know, we are on the border of _ conditions? you know, we are on the border of being _ conditions? you know, we are on the border of being in _ conditions? you know, we are on the border of being in the - the border of being in the south here, so we are in the spot where people aren't that great at handling this kind of stuff, and i think that's the case here in dc when you go south into virginia and parts of the carolinas. in new york and new england, people can handle this kind of snow, but you get 5—10 inches of snow falling here, it's very difficult. they have hundreds of ploughs out, 800 crew to work in the district of columbia to try to clear the streets. and you can see, they are not clear. they treated them yesterday but theyjust don't have the resources that

some of the cities further north have. they get this on a more regular basis. you are right — it's not rare but it doesn't happen often enough to where they just sweep doesn't happen often enough to where theyjust sweep it doesn't happen often enough to where they just sweep it aside, off go to work and school. todayit off go to work and school. today it is quite a crippling event. ., , ., ,, today it is quite a crippling event. .,~ today it is quite a crippling event. ., event. rob, take care, and i hoe event. rob, take care, and i hope you — event. rob, take care, and i hope you are _ event. rob, take care, and i hope you are not _ event. rob, take care, and i hope you are not also - event. rob, take care, and i hope you are not also might| hope you are not also might cold out there, reporting for us. rob marciano there. south korea investigators say they will seek an extension to the arrest warrant for president yoon suk—yeol. authorities tried and failed to arrest the impeached leader on friday. after a dramatic six—hour stand—off, they called off their attempt after mr yoon's security team formed a human wall and used vehicles to block the arrest team's path. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, is in the country as the political impasse continues. he's also condemned a north korean ballistic missile launch which took place in the past few hours. we condemn the dprk's missile

launch yesterday, yet another violation of multiple un security council resolutions. our correspondentjean mackenzie told us more about that stand—off in the attempt to arrest the president. the investigators have until midnight tonight to be able to execute this arrest warrant. they haven't tried again over the weekend since that stand—off on friday, and it really doesn't seem as if they are going to try again before midnight. the reason for this, we think, is because president yoon's security service are doubling down on their efforts to protect him. they are the reason that there was a stand—off on friday, this five—hour stand—off, because they basically stood in the way of the investigators trying to arrest him. they wouldn't open the door, wouldn't let them take him, so the investigators are really left with few options. it seems they haven't

wanted to try and file again when really nothing has changed. we have seen them doubled down because over the weekend we have seen barbed wire, they had barricaded the premises with buses, so it doesn't leave the investigators much room for manoeuvre. they have been asking, it seems, the police, if they will take over the execution of that arrest warrant, the idea behind this being that the police may have more authority, may be able to go in in greater numbers, in greater force, go in in greater numbers, in greaterforce, but it go in in greater numbers, in greater force, but it seems actuallyjust now in the past couple of minutes that they have decided they won't take this approach, that the police investigators don't think this is the right way forward. another thing the investigators can do is to apply to have this warrant extended. if mr yoon is being protected by his security, it is hard to see what this ability. antony blinken is here clearly at an awkward time for these two countries. they are military

allies. and yet, mr yoon did not tell antony blinken or the united states that he was going to try and impose martial law here, so the us was completely blindsided by this decision. they didn't have time to persuade mr yoon not to do it, which they most likely would have tried to do, or to which they most likely woul