tom burridge reports.ge explosion which destroyed a building near leicester city centre. john alexander is a bbc journalist who lives nearby.” city centre. john alexander is a bbc journalist who lives nearby. i was sitting in my front room. ifelt a huge shock. it felt like the roof was coming in or something had exploded. once i checked that my house... i ran straight up the front door, right up the street and debris and rubble all across. then a large fire in the area where the building stood. this a main road in leicester 110w stood. this a main road in leicester now the scene of the police a major incident. east midlands ambulance service said they have taken several people to hospital. it's unclear if there are more casualties. reports suggest the explosion happened in a polish shop which had a flat above it. neighbours felt their homes shake from the force of the explosion. here, people helped paramedics treat the injured. fire ci’ews paramedics treat the injured. fire crews have been searching the wr

tom burridge hashis report. tom: for some come it is an excuse to post a quky video. is people and animals, it hard getting around right now in places such as hungary. it is dangerous, too. the driver of this lorry in serbia is lucky. he was left hanging in his cabin for two hours before being rescued. even the island of corsica, mo associated with sunny summer lidays, woke to this. in brussels, controversialur me to get homeless people off the streets. ove authorities say that if people refuse to me, the telice will detain them and bring them to sh like this one. "they come here," says this volunteer, "and have a bed and paper sheets. 10 people were detained last night and slept here," he said. >> i realize that meless people refused to move. i worked with my colleague this weekend to draft a degree to force the people to iocept accommod. tom: rome isn't itself, either. a sight not normally witnessed t at coliseum. there hasn't been snow here for six years. further east in cities like s bucharesools have been closed. there has been major disruption for those travelin

tom burridge, bbc news.to publish the first draft of the brexit treaty on wednesday, spelling out the terms under which britain will leave the eu. it will also form the basis of further negotiations with theresa may's government in london. the chief negotiator, michel barnier, says there'll be no surprises, but also pointed out there are still significant areas of disagreement over britain's withdrawal — which do need to be ironed out. translation: it is an allusion to imagine we are going to accept cherry picking. we are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the single market. the uk knows the rules that underpin the integrity because they worked with us to create them for 43 years. 0ur europe editor katya adler in brussels has the latest on what's to be expected in that document. this document is about the european commission putting into legally binding text the agreements that have so far been reached between the two sides. remember those divorce issues, citizens' rights, the so—called brexit bill

tom burridge, bbc news.ces an even worse fate than aleppo. you remember that not long time ago we had a city called aleppo. aleppo went through something very similar to what we're seeing the moment. it was a sudden escalation, they were shelling from one side to another but very heavy shelling inside aleppo and in between the situation for the civilians, they were suffering. i fear we're going to have, apart from the fact that aleppo had by far more history, but ghouta has got by far more people. we are looking in front of us at an increasing tragedy. bottom line, if we have learned something from aleppo, time to actually avoid all this going on in this type of form of tit—for—tat in an increasingly incremental militarisation of the conflict in ghouta where civilians are suffering. we got that statement a short time ago. bbc arabic‘s mahmoud ali hamad is here. explain to viewers what is the nature of the intensification of this attack? it is clear the russians have made their mind up, they want to repeat th

tom burridge, bbc news.essed in the past years, area has seen or witnessed in the past yea rs, we area has seen or witnessed in the past years, we have been talking to people on the ground, the number of deaths reached over 100 yesterday and have reached 70 today, the government and the force has targeted hospitals, seven hospitals are out of service now, degrees, the main bakery that provides food for the people there is reduced to rubble, also the streets connect inc towns to towns have been bombed, ambulances not able to move our rescue. we've been talking to some of the aid workers, the rescue workers, they said they are not able to pull the bodies from the ground, people are hiding in underground basements but it's also not safe cos the bombardment are still continuing. it's really a nightmare, a hell as they describe it. have inevitably come persons being drawn with what happened in a level? definitely, this is quite different from aleppo, it witnessed terrible situation, we solve the evacuation last y

tom burridge reports. the bigger you are, the harder your journey has been this morning.n lincoln needed a little help. in places like norwich, it was a commute to nowhere. in congress, a blizzard. hundreds of schools closed across eastern england. and some hospitals were affected. —— in tonbridge, a blizzard. it looks great if you're not in one of those cars. closed schools means a day outdoors. and creative ways to have fun. there was snow on scarborough beach. even central london had a decent dusting. not an alpine resort, but parliament hill, just to the north of regents park this lunchtime. london never gets this. not at the end of february, into march. hoping it will last? 0h, march. hoping it will last? oh, yes, oh my god. we hope there will be snow tonight and then proper snow tomorrow. it really doesn't feel like central london today. we woke up like central london today. we woke up to an impressive amount of the white stuff, and if you cannot get into work or school, then there's only one thing to do, get involved with the fun. cheering in wales, there were tips

tom burridge takes a look at the picture across europe.rky video. but for people and animals, it's hard getting around right now in places such as hungary. it's dangerous too, the driver of this lorry in serbia, lucky. he was left hanging in his cabin for two hours before being rescued. even the island of corsica, more associated with sunny, summer holidays woke to this. in brussels, controversial measures to get homeless people off the streets. the authorities say if people refuse to move, the police will detain them and bring them to shelters like this one. "they come here" says this volunteer, and have a bed and paper sheets. "ten people were detained last night and slept here" he says. translation: i realise homeless people really refuse to move. i worked with my colleague this weekend to draft decree to force those people accept accommodation. rome isn't itself either. a fight, not normally witnessed at the coliseum. there hasn't been snow here for six years. further east in cities like bucharest, schools have been closed. there has b

tom burridge, bbc news. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james robbins, is here.es from ghouta. is there anything the international community can do? so far the international community is relying on strong language. you heard from the state department. in the last hour theresa may has been telling mps about her deep concern. she said deliberately targeting civilians blatantly violates international humanitarian law. she specifically called out the russians, not just the specifically called out the russians, notjust the syrian regime. she said the russians as backers of the syrian regime were deeply implicated in all of this. the kremlin has denied these claims. it is hard to see how the syrian regime could be bombing gutor without at least russian consent. —— eastern ghouta. the problem for theresa may and the united states is they have largely abdicated, left they have largely abdicated, left the battlefield in recent years. russia has moved into that vacuum and established its order and military dominance in syria. the west is in a very weak position. but it sti

viewers amy find some images in this report from tom burridge disturbing.ter an air and there is no warning when the next missile will hit. explosions shouting and this, the desperate scramble, the aftermath of trauma that the bombs bring. children trapped in the nightmare that is eastern ghouta, activists who support the rebels say the bombardment is as intense as it has ever been. you can hear the shouting of women and children through their homes. dropping on us like rain. there is nowhere to hide from this nightmare. surrounded by syria's army, eastern ghouta has been under siege for five surrounded by syria's army, eastern ghouta has been under siege for five years. it is the last rebel held enclave near damascus and now the assad regime appears intent on taking it back. many other images of children in this hospital are too distressing to show. the united nations has demanded an end to the targeting of civilians, something syria denies. life goes on nearby in neighbouring damascus. where the syrian government is firmly in control. translation: this ma

tom burridge reports.ear leicester city centre. john alexander is a bbc journalist who lives nearby. city centre. john alexander is a bbc journalist who lives nearbylj city centre. john alexander is a bbc journalist who lives nearby. i was sitting in my back room and ifelt journalist who lives nearby. i was sitting in my back room and i felt a huge shock to the head, which like either the roof was coming in all the boiler had exploded. my house was ok. i ran straight out of the front door, up the street and round the corner to the shop, and it's blown debris and rubble across four lanes of traffic. then a large fire in the area where the building stood. this, a main road in leicester, now the scene of what the police called a major incident. east midlands ambulance service say they have taken several people to hospital. it's unclear if there are more casualties. reports suggest the explosion happened in a polish shop which had a flat above it. neighbours felt their homes shaking from the force of the explo

tom burridge reports. the bigger you are, the harder your journey has been this morning.ncoln have, at times, come to a freezing halt. classes we re come to a freezing halt. classes were cancelled in scunthorpe. we don't have to go to school! yes! some were going nowhere... 0thers needed a little help. it was white in the very south—west of england. this, the cornish way to get around. in tonbridge, a blizzard. hundreds of schools closed across eastern england. and some hospitals were affected. people were determined to do their jobs. but those off work or school have enjoyed a day outdoors. jobs. but those off work or school have enjoyed a day outdoorslj jobs. but those off work or school have enjoyed a day outdoors. i know what to do. a snow angel. there are creative ways to have fun. around the uk the views were worthy of a postcard. even in central london there was a decent dusting. not an alpine resort, but parliament hill, just to the north of regents park this lunchtime. london never gets like this. especially going into march. we hope there will be snow tonight an

tom burridge, bbc news.nse director for syria and he is in amman in neighbouring jordan. thank you forjoining us. the images speakfor thank you forjoining us. the images speak for themselves and clearly terrible suffering there. what are your people on the ground telling your people on the ground telling you about the way in which people can be looked after in one sense medically, we‘ve seen many children suffering as well. what is the assessment? over recent months there has been significant fighting in eastern ghouta and i have seen aid organisations providing basic assistance to people. it is becoming untenable to provide that aid. there isa untenable to provide that aid. there is a lack of supply, people cannot be medically evacuated out of the territory. the reality is the aid workers are now being hit with the same ordnance that is affecting the rest of the population. so the m essa 9 es rest of the population. so the messages that humanitarian response in eastern ghouta now is exceptionally strained.

let's speak to our correspondent tom burridge. this will be a big blow.and she has been an ambassador of 0xfam for 20 years. she says she was devastated by the response of 0xfam. some people claimed 0xfam tried to cover up the scandal and she said she was horrified that senior members of 0xfa m horrified that senior members of 0xfam staff reportedly held parties with prostitutes in the wake of the earthquake in haiti in 2010. she said it was a series of abhorrent mistakes. she says she still wants to do some charity work abroad, helping people in place of a calf cut in the developing world, but not with 0xfam. also some reports in the sun about allegations against international rescue committee is. what more can you tell us about that? it is a huge charity, headquarter based in new york. the headquarter based in new york. the headis headquarter based in new york. the head is david miliband. what has emerged overnight and into this morning is that the department for international development, the part of our government which basically distributes money to

tom burridge, bbc news.s categorically ruled out any return to a hard border between northern ireland and the republic after brexit. it comes after the leak of a letter from the foreign secretary boris johnson to the prime minister in which he appears to contemplate the possibility of future customs border checks after the uk leaves the eu customs union. here's our deputy political editorjohn pienaar. they are the cabinet's true believers. brexit‘s wishful thinking say the critics today, but no, senior ministers agreeing that britain, all of britain and northern ireland, too, will stick together and win, despite all the obstacles and all the doubts. so, today, the international trade secretary said critics were wrong to say that britain should stay in a european customs union and give up the freedom to strike independent trade deals. notjust wrong. we would be in a worse position than we are today. it would be a complete sell—out of britain's national interests and a betrayal of the voters in the referendum.

tom burridge, bbc news.res. companies have six weeks left to report their gender pay gap. so far, almost 1,000 businesses have responded out of the 9,000 asked. our business & consumer correspondent correspondent nina warhurst has more. it is time to answer the question — what does every man and woman in your company get paid? and if you lined up all their salaries, what is the figure in the middle of each sex, and what is the gap between those two figures? for 74% of companies this figure was higherfor men, 15% higherfor women. what this data does not look at is any difference in salaries between men and women who were doing the same job. but what it does show is that while there were lots of women lower paid jobs, women aren't earning those big salaries in the same way as men. at clydesdale yorkshire bank, men earned 37% more than women. there was literally four days of meetings, and there was only one female in those four days. there were almost four times as many women in lower paid jobs. but only three