this is bbc news. our top stories: president trump calls for "decisive action" after 95 people are killed by a taliban bomb in afghanistan. this is kabul. the attacker got through this way, through the checkpoint not far from here. a major new investigation into who knew what about the us gymnastics abuser, larry nassar. czech president, milos zeman, a strong opponent of immigration and sanctions against russia, wins a second term. also in the programme: danish player, caroline wozniacki, wins her first grand slam title at the australian open in melbourne. hello, and welcome to bbc world

news. president trump has called for decisive action against the taliban, after a bomb in kabul killed at least 95 people. donald trump said it "renewed the resolve" of america and its afghan partners. this is the second blast to target kabul in a week. an ambulance packed with explosives was blown up when it was stopped at a checkpoint in the heart of the city near the old interior ministry building and some embassies. from kabul, zia shahreyar reports. an ambulance packed with explosives, driven into crowds on their way to work. the force of the blast shook the windows of buildings at least a mile away. some low—rise structures collapse. a plume of smoke, visible across the city. the attacker had driven his vehicle past the police checkpoint claiming to have a patient inside. when guards at a second

checkpoint became suspicious, he detonated the bomb. translation: i was in an armoured plated vehicle when suddenly there was an explosion. i was in the back seat, my driver was blown out on to the ground and injured. the area of the attack is home to foreign embassies and the city's police headquarters. the road had been closed to public transport. the taliban claimed responsibility. this is their second deadly assault on the city in the space of a week. 20 people were killed in an attack on the intercontinental hotel last week. this evening, work was continuing to clear the scene of the latest bombing. this is a very secure area and security is very tight here usually, and the question will be how they got through this far. the afghan military, backed by us air power, has intensified its campaign to drive out the taliban from its rural strongholds. but as today's strike proves, they're still able to mount deadly

attacks against civilian targets in the heart of the country's major cities. zia shahreyar, bbc news, kabul. as we heard, this is just the latest terror attack that has hit afg ha nista n recently. javid ahmad, a fellow at the atlantic council, says it's the afghan intelligence services who should be held accountable. u nfortu nately, unfortunately, since president trump announced the strategy last august, taking a much more harsh stance against pakistan supporting terrorist groups, they shifted to targeting cities. they want to ring fear and violence and undermined orality, create more tension. —— bring fear and violence and undermine morality. now, the attack

in kabuland the undermine morality. now, the attack in kabul and the attack last week on the state—run continental hotel, like the ones in mumbai, and the save the children hospital attacks, they are not new. they will continue to happen. a few months ago, multiple areas of security checkpoints were cleared. the taliban killed 130 afghan soldiers. a1.5ton taliban killed 130 afghan soldiers. a 1.5 ton truck bomb was exploded in central kabul, telling dozens of civilians. in all of these attacks, ordinary afghans have suffered, becoming mere statistics. the question is who should be held accountable? any measure that leads

toa accountable? any measure that leads to a failure to detect these attacks, the afghan intelligence should be blamed, especially when they take place in the heart of kabul or any major cities. the afg ha n kabul or any major cities. the afghan government is saying a taliban affiliate carried out the attack. talking about support from pakistan, is a bad has denied supporting these attacks. —— islamabad. there is a direct link between taliban in pakistan. they have been playing host for them. in fa ct, have been playing host for them. in fact, the second—in—command of taliban is the son of the founder of the hakani network. so, the taliban

and hakani are close together. in situations like the intercontinental hotel, it is often the work of the hakani, skilled in planning and executing these conflicts. they also train suicide bombers. the attorney general in the us state of michigan has launched an investigation into who knew what, about claims of sexual abuse by larry nassar. he's the former doctor for the us gymnastics team, who received up to 175 years injail this week, for molesting girls and women. the attorney general, bill schutte, said no—one at michigan university where nassar was based, would escape investigation. it is abundantly clear that a full and complete investigation of what happened in michigan state university, from the office of the

president down is required. this investigation is and will continue to be independent, it will be thorough, it will be transparent, and it will be primed. my department and it will be primed. my department and this investigation will find out who knew what and when, who took action, who failed to take action, what did or did not happen, and what should have happened. a little earlier, i spoke to the bbc‘s correspondent in washington, david willis. he said the investigation would be extensive. bill schutte went on to say his team would put a bright light at every

corner of michigan state university, as he put it. what they want to know is how larry nassar‘s history of abuse could go on 20 years. did people know, and did they cover it 7 people know, and did they cover it as people know, and did they cover it rly people know, and did they cover it up? as early as 2014, the university of michigan actually conducted its own investigation into sexual assault allegations against larry nassar, but cleared him of any involvement. they recommended he not be alone when treating certain parts of anatomy of athletes, but there is no indication it was followed up or even adhered to. the ramifications, the fallout, if you like, of the explosive sexual assault allegations, are starting to be felt. there have also been allegations, the president and

athletic director. we will likely see the entire us gymnastic committee falling on their sword, if you like. they have all been told, the board of directors, to resign. you mentioned as well two key members of michigan state university, the president and athletics director, resigning in the last few days. bill did not mince words. he was critical of michigan state, the board of trustees, saying he would ask them to turn over all the information they had gathered in regards to larry nassar. david willis in washington. let's ta ke let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. the finance chairman of the us republican national committee has resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. us media reported that steve wynn,

a billionaire casino owner, had preyed on dozens of women who worked for him over decades. mr wynn has denied the allegations. he's an ally of president trump. gunmen have stormed a nightclub in north—east brazil, killing at least 14 people. three cars of attackers swooped in on the venue, located on the outskirts of fortaleza, during the early hours of saturday morning. local media said the attackers were part of a criminal gang involved in drug trafficking. there's been a large protest in the albanian capital, tirana, against prime minister edi rama's government. demonstrators accused it of links to organised crime. mr rama says the opposition is trying to create an artificial crisis to hamper the opening of eu membership talks, which he hopes will begin later this year. bad weather is hampering efforts to rescue two climbers stranded on one of pakistan's most dangerous mountains. a polish climber, tomka maskayvitch, and his french climbing partner, elisabeth revol, were attempting to reach the summit of nanga parbat. mr maskayvitch has reportedly developed frostbite and snowblindness. milos zeman will be the president

of the czech republic once again. he's won a second five—year term following a tightly contested election run—off. zeman, who fiercely opposes immigration and objects to eu sanctions against russia, beat his opponent by a narrow margin. his challenger, the centrist academichri drahos, has admitted defeat. as rob cameron reports. cheering and applause. a narrow victory for milos zeman, the 73—year—old president of the czech republic. all chant. "relatively narrow," as he put it, 150,000 votes have separated him from his challenger. "this is my last victory," he said, and promised to be more humble, less arrogant in his second term than his first, though he didn't seem to have buried his hatchet with the media.

translation: i'm convinced that not only the intelligence ofjournalists but also of some politicians is significantly lower than that of normal citizens. this message, that only he had the political experience to shield his country from the perils facing it, first and foremost, immigration, appears to have paid off. cheering and applause. but across town, the mood in his challenger‘s headquarters was upbeat. translation: the candidacy was a huge experience, a life experience and a political one. i can't quite imagine myself not using it in some way. the result was a blow to liberal pro—european voters who believed thatjiri dahos could bring about a change to reaffirm the czech place in the heart of europe, looking not east but west. they will have to wait for the next

election if that dream is to be fulfilled. but how long will that be? there are concerns about president zeman‘s health. he suffers from type ii diabetes and has difficulty walking. he seemed exhausted in recent months. his doctors say he is perfectly healthy, but how long can this political veteran continue to dominate czech politics? rob cameron, bbc news, prague. milos zeman is one of a number of populist politicians that have seen increased success in europe in recent years. poland, hungary, bosnia, and herzegovina, serbia, and bulgaria are all currently led by governments that are widely considered right—wing and populist. meanwhile, austria, latvia, greece, switzerland, and norway are among the countries where right—wing populist parties form part of coalition governments. parties with similar outlooks have also been winning an increasingly large share of the vote at elections in many other european countries in recent years. earlier, i spoke to a czech

political analyst and former adviser to the country's first post—communist president, vaslav havel. i began by asking him whether we can expect to see any changes in mr zeman‘s second term. well, i think that march will not change because mr zeman, i think, and ata change because mr zeman, i think, and at a certain section of the electorate. —— much will not. he has been re—elected. he may actually move a bit to be centre because he does not really need because he does not need the drastic range of the political spectrum any more. he has to unify the country. does he have to unify the country. does he have to ca re to unify the country. does he have to care about that? i do not think it has about it. from that point of

view, i think you may actually consider becoming a bit more moderate. —— he may. mrzeman consider becoming a bit more moderate. —— he may. mr zeman has a record of being very combative. he likes to provoke. he may simply continue in what he has been doing for quite a few years. yes, he said he would be less arrogant and more humble. it is largely ceremonial, his role, isn't it, but it influences relations between the czech republic and the eu. where do you see things going on that front? the czech president has not many powers but influences political discourse and what people think.

from that point of view he will be important. he is not the head of the executive ranch in the czech republic. —— branch. that is the prime minister. the prime minister, a billionaire oligarch, he is not that critical of the eu. he has business interests in the czech republic, but also germany and france. he will not want a divide between the czech republic and the eu. that may be a mitigating factor if mrzeman, the eu. that may be a mitigating factor if mr zeman, the re—elected president, wants to go too far. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come. the saudi billionaire, prince alwaleed bin talal, has been released, two months after he was detained during an anti—corruption purge. the shuttle challenger exploded soon after lift—off.

there were seven astronauts on board, one of them a woman school teacher. all of them are believed to have been killed. by the evening, tahrir square, the heart of official cairo, was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the word "revolution". the earthquake singled out buildings and brought them down in seconds. tonight, the search for any survivors has an increasing desperation about it as the hours pass. the new government is firmly in control of the entire republic of uganda. moscow got its first taste of western fast food as mcdonald's opened their biggest restaurant in pushkin square. but the hundreds of muscovites queued up today will not find it cheap, with a big mac costing half a day's wages for the average russian.

this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: a number of people killed in a taliban bomb attack in afghan capital of kabul has risen to 95. president trump has called for decisive action against the taliban. an investigation‘s been launched into the conduct of officials at michigan state university, where the former usa gymnastics doctor, larry nassar, who was convicted of sexual abuse, was based. one of the world's richest men, prince al—waleed bin talal has become the latest high—profile figure to be released in saudi arabia after a major anti—corru ption drive was launched in november. a saudi official has said that prince al—waleed was released after a settlement was approved by the state prosecutor. our arab affairs editor sebastian usher reports. that is the dining room.

just hours before his release, prince al—waleed bin talal gave his first interview from the gilded cage of the ritz carlton hotel. and these are my sellers. in hard cash terms, he has been the biggest catch of the saudi purge. the idea of a man worth $17 billion being reduced to sleeping on a mattress while bargaining for his freedom has been a powerful one, and an image he was keen to dispel as he gave a tour of the suite where he was held in recent weeks. i have been all the time here at this hotel. it's been fine. i exercise, i stretch, i swim, i walk. i have my old iphone, so it's like home. i call my family every day. my office is here, i'm in touch with my office every day. my private office, my kingdom office. everything is functioning. the saudi attorney general has said that 90 detainees have been released after charges were dropped against them while others have reached financial settlements to win theirfreedom. around 90 are believed

to still be in detention. some will go to prison and face trial. the man behind the anti—corruption drive and all the recent startling shifts in saudi arabia is the crown prince, mohammad bin salman. it's part of his ambitious plan to transform the country, economically and socially, finally weaning it from its twin dependence on oil and religious austerity, as well as granting women basic new rights such as for permission to drive. his vision 2030 project needs massive funding, and the authorities say the purge should deliver at least $100 billion to state coffers. those who co—operate might be somewhat lighter in cash, but they should be able to continue with their businesses and their lives. but it's still a risky move which could consolidate the crown prince's power or build up resentment against his dominance. sebastian usher, bbc news. sport now.

—— floodwaters in paris have been continuing to rise of the reverse and is currently hundreds of metres above its usual full and and is currently hundreds of metres above its usualfull and is and is currently hundreds of metres above its usual full and is expected to peak higher than normal. walkways are submerged and some basement flooded. the problem. the flooding is being caused by weeks of rain. the mayor of paris has attended a crisis meeting and tried to reassure residents of the city is coping that she warned the high water levels will not subside quickly. translation: the point we are monitoring and worried about is the situation next week. once again be more rainfall which could impact paris and the level of the river. rising levels of other affluence will be affected. and groundwater. the mayor of paris there. sport now. caroline wozniacki says she'll be cuddling the trophy all the way back to europe after winning the australian open, her first grand slam title.

she beat simona halep in three tense sets in melbourne, as adam wild reports. there are few stages in the game more spectacular than melbourne and the welcome could scarcely have been more fitting. the winner takes it all... the world's top two toe—to—toe down under, the final already had all the sparkle it needed. a match worth the wait, and waiting is something with which simona halep and caroline wozniacki are all too familiar. neither had won a grand slam before. this was wozniacki's 43rd attempt. she started like a player not prepared to wait any longer. halep too is battle hardened, forcing the first set to a tie—break before finally seeing it slip away. a moment for her to stay calm, keep her cool — not easy in the blistering evening heat. still, somehow she managed, fighting back to level the match. the temperatures now becoming the battle with both having to leave court to cool off. it was heating up, the final set befitting such an occasion,

going one way then the other, this taking wozniacki to the brink. commentator: no way. the best point of the match! one more point and her long wait was finally over. she's done it! and you will not see a more popular winner. i've dreamt of this moment for so many years and to be here today is a dream come true and my voice is shaking, i never cry but today is a very emotional moment. wozniacki at last a grand slam champion, she becomes world number one, a winner who today took it all. adam wild, bbc news. china's haotong li has a one—shot lead heading into the final round of the dubai desert classic. he followed two successive rounds of 66, with a sublime 64. how about this for shot of the day, though? here's france's alexander levy at the par three fourth. you know what's going to happen. a hole in one. levy is three shots off the lead.

rory mcilroy is on his own in second place after a 4—under par 68. the highlight of his round was an eagle at the tenth, set up with this perfectlyjudged approach to the green. so mcilroyjust one shot behind haotong li. it was quick to knock the birdie in the last and stay within of li but yeah, hopefully, i'll probably need to play a bit better tomorrow to win but, you know, it is two weeks into the season and, you know, this is — you know, i have given myself a second chance to win a tournament, so i am looking forward to tomorrow. they were knocked out in the cup in midweek but real madrid restored some cheer with a hard fought 4—1 victory over valencia in la liga. cristiano ronaldo scored twice from the penalty spot, but the result still leaves them trailing leaders barcelona by 16 points.

it does ease pressure on manager zinedine zidane, who said he was enduring his worst time as real manager after their recent form. tens of thousands of revellers have flocked to the lagoon city of venice for the start of carnival season. spectacularly dressed acrobats, dancers and musicians were part of a show with a circus theme. it's one of the oldest carnivals in the world, dating back to the 11th century. thousands of people from around the world are expected to visit the italian city to see the two—week—long event that will include masked balls, concerts and gondola parades, on land and water. plenty more on our website, to check it out. —— do. don't forget, you can get in touch with me and some of the team hello again, good morning. yesterday

we had some rain for a time and we saw cloud thinning but we will see the clouds thickening again and more in returning across northern parts of the uk on the weather front. area of the uk on the weather front. area of low pressure to the north for a while has been bringing windy weather across northern scotland, end easing by the morning and we will have mild air all the way in southern parts of the mid—atlantic heading our way. this is tropical maritime air which meant a lot of cloud. across scotland, some rain, not as windy by the morning across northern scotland, some showers, but ran across central southern scotland is quite as for start probably across northern ireland. raonic is all over the hills of northern england where it will be quite gusty in the wind. generally dry elsewhere across england and wales, mild and cloud it but still misty and murky over the hills of wales and perhaps in south—west just for a over the hills of wales and perhaps in south—westjust for a while. for most of us it will be a cloudy day,

the rain still there for central southern scotland, living conditions for ireland, jury over the hills of england and wales and on the whole it will be cloudy and breezy, some gusty winds around. widely, temperatures around 12 degrees. it's an sunshine to the east of high ground and they could be high. julia across the far north of scotland north of the weather front which is bringing the rain across scotland. the weather fronts takes the brain southwards overnight and starts to arrive into england and wales on monday. behind it, we start to from colder air, the really mild air getting squeezed away into the near continent. some changes on the way by monday, the rain could be heavier at times moving southwards across england and wales and in the afternoon it is more across southern england and this is where we will have the highest temperatures and eventually we will have the front—running wales and the midlands, sunnier skies are the north in the slightly colder air, the show is in scotland could be wintry over the high ground but colder air to come later on in the week. a chilly start for tuesday,

they defrost around here and there but some sometime early before things cloud over and it will go downhill at the end of the date as we start to see some rain coming into the south—west, at the same time some rain heading the north—west. temperatures are little lower, 6— eight degrees, typically. whether this is bringing the rain swept through overnight, then we draw ourairall the way swept through overnight, then we draw our air all the way from the north of the north—west and it means it will be turning colder. it is also turning shawy on wednesday, strong winds around and particularly for the northern half of the uk, the showers will other wintry flavour, colder with a strong winds. goodbye. this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump has called for decisive action against the taliban, after a bomb in kabul killed at least 95 people. donald trump said it "renewed the resolve" of america and its afghan partners. the attorney general in the us state of michigan has launched an investigation into who knew what, about claims of sexual abuse by larry nassar. he's the former doctor for the us gymnastics team, who received up to 175 years injail for molesting girls and women. the czech president, milos zeman,

has won a second term in office by a narrow margin. mr zeman is a strident opponent of immigration and also opposes eu sanctions against russia. the multi—billionaire prince alwaleed bin talal is the latest high—profile figure to be released in saudi arabia after a major anti—corruption drive was launched in november. he is reported to have been freed this morning from detention in a luxury hotel in riyadh. now on bbc news, talking movies' tom brook reports from park city