18/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

The murdered MP Jo Cox's family

pledge to support her husband

after he admits to inappropriate

behaviour with women.

Brendan Cox has stepped down

from two charities set up

in memory of his wife, apologising

for causing hurt and offence.

I think the right thing to do

is to resign and to look

at his behaviour in the past and try

and make a change in the future.

Could the cost of university courses

vary depending on their content?

The Government prepares

to launch a a review

of tuition fees in England.

The six-year-old epileptic boy whose

parents believe could be helped

by a cannabis treatment illegal

in the UK.

And red carpet arrivals

at the Baftas ahead of the awards

for this year's best films.

Good evening.

The family of the murdered

MP Jo Cox have pledged

to support her husband

after he resigned

from two charities he set up

in her memory following allegations

of sexual misconduct.

Brendan Cox denies assaulting

a woman in the United States in 2015

but admits to "inappropriate"

behaviour while working

for Save the Children.

The charity has confirmed that he'd

been suspended and says he resigned

before a disciplinary

process was completed.

Robert Hall reports.

Jo Cox, Labour MP and mother of two,

was murdered in her constituency

during the run-up to the 2016 EU

referendum. Shot and stabbed by far

right extremist. In the months after

her death, the public rallied in

support of family and in particular,

her husband, Brendan, who set up two

charities, the Jo Cox foundation and

More in Common. Today he announced

his resignation from both following

allegations of inappropriate

behaviour by year before his wife's

murder. The claims in a Sunday paper

are links to incidents at Harvard

Universit in Massachusetts and while

Mr Cox was working for Save the

Children. In this case he is said to

have penned a staff member to a wall

as making sexual comments. Mr Cox

says the claims are massive

exaggeration. The statement

continues... While I do not accept

the allegations contained in the

2015 complained to the police in

Cambridge, Massachusetts. I do

acknowledge and understand that

during my time at Save the Children,

I made mistakes and behaved in a way

that caused some women hurt and

offence. Labour backbencher Jeff

Phillips, a friend of Jo Cox, said

her widower was right to stand back

from the charities.

I'm not

defending his actions, I am trying

to think about, this person who I

know, and my friend, who was not

here, and make sure that there is a

change in the future.

I don't offend

any of this behaviour. Jo Cox's

sister stood with Brendan Cox at the

end of the murder trial. Today she

said it had been another very

difficult day for the family but

they would support Brendan Cox and

they respected him for admitting

past mistakes. No one from Save the

Children was available to speak to

us today but in a statement the

charity said staff safety and

welfare where priorities and that

all complaints were dealt with in

accordance with its internal

procedures. That was what had

happened in 2015, when Mr Cox was

suspended and the disciplinary

process began. He had resigned

before the process was complete.

Another senior Labour figure linked

Brendan Cox's decision to wider

changes in attitude.

Hopefully we

are seeing a change in the climate

and the culture where people are

recognising that those in positions

of power should not abuse positions

of power, those who end up becoming

victims of harassment should have

support to speak out.

Tonight, Jo

Cox's family say they are supporting

each other and are wavering in their

determination that nothing will

cloud her legacy. Robert Hall, BBC

News.

The Education Secretary,

Damian Hinds, has said there should

be more variation in the cost

of university courses, with each

degree reflecting their value

to "society as a whole".

He was speaking as the Prime

Minister prepares to outline a wide

ranging review into higher education

funding in England.

Labour, who have pledged to scrap

tuition fees, say another

review isn't the solution.

Here's our education

editor, Branwen Jeffreys.

This is one of two jobs

Myra Kesh is holding down.

She's in her first

year of university.

The loan for her living

costs isn't enough.

Throughout the process of applying

to uni I was thinking this

is so unfair, I'm getting a lower

maintenance allowance and I'm

going to have to work several

jobs in order to live.

Sheffield Hallam has lots

of students from ordinary families.

For Alice, that means she worries

less about tuition fees and more

about just getting by.

Last year I budgeted for about £50

a week and that was still too much

to live on so I have to bring that

down to about £30 and that

is still not enough.

Every so often I might have

to ask my parents for help.

If they can just give me £20

for food, for basic food.

Up to 6.1% interest

is charged on student debt.

An average £5,800 in interest

charges before leaving university.

In total, it's about £57,000 of

borrowing for the poorest students.

After 30 years, any unpaid

loan is written off.

But by 2021, there could be £160

billion of outstanding student debt.

It's the poorest students in England

who end up borrowing the most.

Because they can't rely on the Bank

of Mum and Dad for living costs.

So altering the system isn't simple.

If you just lower tuition fees,

you help the richest,

unless you also put more money

into maintenance support.

In his first interview,

the new Education Secretary

gave little away.

Only one thing is certain.

They expect graduates to help

pay for universities.

We think it is right that

if you benefit from a university

degree you should make

a contribution and that is what this

current system does.

What we're doing in the review

is looking at how that

system works, making sure there

are alternatives, more variety.

The government wants more short

degrees, more part-time study.

There's been little

appetite for either so far.

Universities say making studying

affordable is the key.

You need to reintroduce maintenance

grants at a level which genuinely

offers students a basic

level of subsistence.

Universities want a secure future.

Students, a fairer deal.

But with economic uncertainty ahead,

the government's review has

little wriggle room.

Branwen Jeffreys,

BBC News, Sheffield.

Our political correspondent,

Alex Forsyth, joins me.

Given Labour's position, how much of

a political appetite is unlikely to

be over higher education?

--

battlefield. In part it is because

of the Labour pledge during last

year's election to scrap tuition

fees entirely for all students in

England and that was largely

credited for their popularity with

younger voters so the Conservatives

are conscious that on this front

they need to gain ground. Hence this

review of higher education but the

question is, what can they really do

on this issue of fees? As you heard,

they remain committed to the

principle that it is those who go to

university and benefit from a degree

who

should pay for it rather than

everybody so they are not going to

match Labour's offer and scrap fees

altogether. The risk is whatever

they do in place, either trying to

encourage different fees for

different courses or shorter

courses, that could be seen as

tinkering around the edges. Today,

Justine Greening, who recently left

the government, said the issue of

student finance should not be kicked

around like a -- like a political

football.

Thank you.

Israel's Prime Minister,

Benjamin Netanyahu, has launched

a scathing attack on Iran,

calling it the "greatest

threat to our world".

At one point during his speech

at a conference in Munich,

he held up a piece of an Iranian

drone shot down

in Israeli territory.

Iran's Foreign Minister dismissed

the speech as cartoonish and not

worthy of a response.

The Home Office has said it can't

issue a medical cannabis licence

for a six-year-old epileptic child,

despite calls from a group

of MPs and his family.

Alfie Dingley, who's

from Warwickshire, regularly

suffers violent seizures.

A cannabis-based treatment

he received in the Netherlands

improved his condition -

but it's illegal in the UK.

Charlotte Gallagher has the story.

Six-year-old Alfie Dingley has

a rare form of epilepsy and suffers

up to 30 violent seizures every day.

To go through that once

would be traumatising,

but we're going through it sometimes

every 7-10 days, and it's just

absolutely horrendous.

Last September, the family moved

to the Netherlands so Alfie could be

prescribed medical cannabis oil.

His parents say he went 24 days

without having a seizure.

They've now moved back to the UK,

but cannabis oil is illegal

in Britain, so they want

the Home Secretary Amber Rudd

to give Alfie a license to use it.

But the Home Office

has ruled it out.

They say...

A group of MPs want

the Home Secretary to make

an exception for Alfie.

If we can find a way for her around

the regulations that exist,

and we believe that we can,

she can issue a license to make sure

that Alfie can get this medicine.

Alfie's family have vowed

to continue their battle,

saying you've got to fight,

"for your kids and we want to know

that we've done everything we can".

Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News.

Two cars drove into a pedestrianised

part of Leeds city centre

this lunchtime during

an attempted robbery.

One of the cars was used to ram

into the front of a shop,

it's thought in an attempt to steal

Rolex watches.

No-one was injured in the attack,

which was filmed by people watching.

The suspects, wearing balaclavas,

were unsuccessful at breaking

into the premises and they left

the area shortly after.

It's the biggest night

of the year for British film.

Stars have been gathering on the red

carpet in central London ahead

of tonight's Bafta awards.

Many of the industry's major female

names arrived in black in a show

of solidarity with the Hollywood

movement Time's Up -

launched in the wake of allegations

surrounding Harvey Weinstein.

Our arts editor, Will Gompertz,

is there for us.

There will be some flash

photography. Over to you.

There is a

different vibe with the Baftas this

year, people are still coming here

to celebrate film-making at its

finest but it is more sombre and

serious with this collective move

towards the Time's Up campaign, the

dress code is black and it will

change the way the evening is

viewed. Not so much who will win but

who will say what. Who will say the

speech that captures the mood and

maybe the way Oprah Winfrey did at

the Golden Globes. It does not mean

we cannot speculate on who might

win, when it comes to the best film,

it is the big two, the realist drama

thriller by Martin McDonnell --

Martin McDonagh, three Billboards

Outside Ebbing, Missouri, against

The Shape of Water. It is between

those. When it comes to Best

Actress, the lead actresses, Sally

Hawkins in The Shape of Water and

Francis McDormand, in three

billboards, and I would go for

Francis McDormand. Best Actor? Quite

local, between two of the big

beasts, between Daniel Dave Lewis

for his final film, and for a Gary

Oldman for the Darkest Hour, as

Churchill. All will be revealed

later on tonight.

With all the sport,

here's Ollie Foster

at the BBC Sport Centre.

There was a shock in

today's only FA Cup tie.

League One's bottom team, Rochdale,

earned a replay against Tottenham.

Harry Kane had given Spurs a 2-1

lead in the last five minutes

but Rochdale conjured a dramatic

equaliserr deep into

injury time at Spotland.

Steve Davis The Herald. -- the hero.

They will face each other at Wembley

for a place in the quarter-finals.

Rangers are up to second

in the Scottish Premiership,

moving above Aberdeen on goal

difference after

beating Hamilton 5-3.

Josh Windass scored a hat-trick.

They are nine points behind Celtic

who drew with St Johnstone.

They came close but there were no

medals for the British team

in South Korea today.

With another week of competition

left to go, they need just one more

for a record five at a Winter

Olympics.

From Pyeongchang, here's our sports

correspondent, Andy Swiss.

From a dry ski slope in Sheffield

to an Olympic final.

James Woods has long made

the extraordinary seem effortless,

and once again how he rose

to the occasion, as he tricked,

flipped and leapt his way

right into contention.

COMMENTATOR:

What's he got for us?

CHEERING

You can hear what the

crowd think of that.

What a run by James Woods!

He came here with such

high hopes for a medal,

will that be enough?

It seemed it might be.

Second place for Woodsy...

And with just a few left to go

he was still in bronze,

before America's Nick Goepper

snatched away his medal.

So close.

It's a game of perfection,

and it's not just that,

you've got to go above and beyond

technical difficulty.

That was insane.

Controversy at the Carling, Eve

Muirhead penalised for not releasing

her stone in time, she felt she had

let go before the line but curling

does not have video technology and

the incident handed victory to

Sweden.

Meanwhile, it's emerged speed skater

Elise Christie suffered soft tissue

damage in her crash yesterday.

Her boyfriend posted this...

With her next event on Tuesday,

it's a race against time.

But for others,

there was celebration.

Lizzy Yarnold receiving her

skeleton gold medal.

Her historic success, she told me,

was still sinking in.

It was a big goal four years ago

to try and be the first

British Winter Olympian

to retain my title.

It was scary to say it,

but now it's rolling off

the tongue a bit more.

I'm just so proud that it

all came together.

And with team-mate Laura Deas

collecting her bronze,

a picture-perfect podium

for British sport.

Andy Swiss, BBC News, Pyeongchang.

England's cricketers have

finished their T20 Tri-Series

with a win against New Zealand,

but it wasn't enough for them

to reach Wednesday's

final against Australia.

It was a thriller in Hamilton

as they won by two runs

but they needed a bigger

margin of victory.

England will now prepare to face

the Kiwis in a five-match one-day

series that starts next Sunday.

That's all the sport for now.

There's more throughout the evening

on the BBC News Channel.

We are back with the

late news at 11pm.

Now on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.