welcome to "world news tonight." on alert. faith and fear around the globe this easter. police patrolling outside sunday services from new york to rome. the attack on terrorism tonight, coming from pope francis himself. in the heart of brussels, riot police clash with right wing protesters. tonight, the manhunt for the attackers growing. donald trump's controversial comments about safety here at home. the front-runner and ted cruz blasting away at each other, as bernie sanders scores a clean sweep over hillary clinton. it looks like snow.

extreme weather this holiday weekend. rob marciano standing by. the explosion no one saw coming. a home leveled just one week after new owners got the keys. and, the great egg hunt. the special sound bringing easter joy to this group of kids. good evening. thank you for joining us on this easter sunday. tom llamas is off tonight. i'm cecilia vega. we begin with easter in america and around the world, celebrated under tight security. this was the sight here in new york city today. the nypd on patrol as thousands attended mass at st. patrick's cathedral. and overseas, rioting on the

suspects under arrest. on this day of new beginnings and hope, the pope denouncing what he calls blind terrorism. here's matt gutman. >> reporter: outside st. patrick's cathedral in new york today, the nypd's antiterror unit patrolling among the easter revelers. amidst worries about attacks on christian sites during the holiday. and in the beating heart of catholicism, ahead of easter mass here at the vatican they filed through metal detectors by the thousands. flanking the military marching bands, and the ceremonial swiss guard in their steel helmets, were troops with assault rifles. so far this morning, everything seems to have gone smoothly. the security lines have flowed pretty quickly. but the one thing that nobody expected just before the services began, all this empty space in st. peter's square. it was there we found this trio of college students. >> our family was definitely questioning our decision to go to the vatican for church.

but i'm not going to be scared. >> reporter: pope francis on the altar giving communion and praying for peace. but europe didn't seem so peaceful on easter sunday. troops with automatic weapons posted outside france's iconic notre dame. and in turkey, heavy security outside churches following an isis threat overnight. and a terrorist attack in pakistan killing more than 60 in a park as christians there celebrated easter. victims carried away from the scene as family members collapsed in grief. ending the ceremony in rome, the pope specifically mentioning terrorism, "that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world." some praying, others posing for pictures. but everyone craning for a better look at the pope. the pope zipping around the square, even leaving the security perimeter to bless and wave to those who hadn't gotten in.

today. but much of europe is still on high alert. in fact italy, on maximum alert. cecilia? in brussels, officers in riot gear taking on protesters, a demonstration taking an ugly turn. alex marquardt is in brussels for us tonight. >> reporter: the quiet of easter sunday broken as hundreds of far-right, flag-waving soccer hooligans descended on the memorial site in downtown brussels. >> we're fed up. we're all fed up. it's enough. enough is enough. >> reporter: chanting against isis. a peace rally scheduled for the same time today had been cancelled, the police spread too thin. instead, riot police had to deal with the aggressive crowd. this mood that was so somber for the past few days has now been

there's a lot more anger and division, these hooligans, as they call themselves, many of them skinheads and masked, saying that the people who have come here in peace simply don't understand. >> everyone that's not belgian, because this is belgium, if you don't want to live like us, go. >> reporter: with sound grenades and water cannon, the hooligans were pushed back, throwing rocks and bottles, and breaking shop windows. the racially-charged anger, directed at resident muslims in the wake of last week's isis-linked attacks. now, the international manhunt intensifying. the italian authorities today arresting a man who they say forged documents for the paris and brussels attackers. in holland, a frenchman arrested for planning an attack. and across belgium today, nine were detained in more than a dozen raids. abc news has also learned that the one brussels attack suspect in custody had been detained for trying to recruit refugees for

many questions still remain. who is the attacker in the hat from the airport? and who was the man at the metro station who fled? this weekend, answers for one american family. justin and stephanie shults from kentucky, unaccounted for all week, confirmed dead in the airport attack. tonight president obama called the shultses to offer his condolences. while back here in belgium today, the interior minister admitted that there were decades of neglect in the fight against extremists. cecilia? >> alex, thank you. and one more note overseas, a major win in the fight against isis. syrian forces backed by russian airstrikes reclaiming the ancient city of palmyra. you remember the shocking images of isis seizing the city last year. destroying temples and artifacts dating back almost 2,000 years. and back at home, the race for the white house. the fight against terror making a campaign trail headline today.

u.s. saying americans are not safe in their own country. he then resumed his white-hot feud with ted cruz. here's devin dwyer on the republican showdown. >> reporter: with europe gripped by fear of terror, tonight donald trump says americans should be alarmed. >> i don't think america is a safe place for americans, if you want to know the truth. and let me tell you something, we're going to have problems just as big or bigger than they've got. >> reporter: trump injecting fresh fear into a campaign already dominated by it. claiming he's the only candidate with the foresight to keep americans safe. >> i said brussels is a hellhole and then all of a sudden it came out the attack took place in brussels. i understand what's going on around the world far better than these politicians do. >> his lack of understanding on foreign policy, his lack of ability and readiness to protect this country was evident, so donald did what he always does. he tried to find a way to change the subject. >> reporter: senator ted cruz today doubling down on the charge that trump engaged in a

planting a national enquirer story citing rumors that cruz engaged in multiple marital infidelities, which cruz denies. >> the national enquirer has endorsed donald trump for president. the article quotes roger stone who organized and planned donald trump's presidential campaign. >> reporter: stone told abc news he wasn't the source of the story but is quoted saying the story would hurt cruz with evangelical voters. trump today again insisted he isn't behind it either. >> i had nothing to do with it. the campaign had absolutely nothing to do with it. he's got a problem with the national enquirer. i have no control over the national enquirer. i didn't even know about the story. >> he's not backing down. devin, donald trump, for him, the campaign has been waged on twitter. but he made a promise about what kind of twitterer he would be in the oval office? >> reporter: yes, trump was asked whether he'd keep up the late night twitter wars from

he told abc news that he wouldn't be doing it very much as president. >> devin, thank you. we want to turn to the democrats now. a sweeping victory for bernie sanders, racking up wins in three states. but the delegate count to win the nomination, you see it there, still very heavily in clinton's favor. the vermont senator may have an uphill climb, but he's not backing down. it was a bernie sanders blowout. and before a crowd of thousands he got to deliver the news himself. >> are you ready for a news alert? we just won the state of washington! >> reporter: washington, alaska, and hawaii too, double-digit landslide victories. >> our campaign has the momentum. you are the momentum. look around you tonight. >> reporter: hillary clinton off the campaign trail for the holiday. a campaign aide calling it a good day for sanders.

forward. the vermont senator's path to victory steeper than ever. he would need to win 73% of the remaining delegates to clinch the nomination. sanders insisting on "this week" he can still win. >> we have come a long, long way, you will have to concede, in the last ten months. we do have a path toward victory. >> but one senior clinton staffer telling me sanders would have to win the next four big primary states by the same wide margin, and they don't expect that to happen given the state demographics. we want to move to the storms moving across the eastern part of the country. it looks like snow, but that's actually hail in florida south of orlando. much of the gulf coast slammed by round after round of heavy rain. here's rob marciano on the two storms we're watching tonight. >> reporter: an easter weekend

central plains with up to a foot of snow, bringing causing power outages to thousands of homes and businesses. >> it's the weight of the branches breaking and falling, especially in the older parts of town. >> reporter: that storm whipping up winds in kansas. where firefighters are battling the largest wildfire in state history. kansas and oklahoma burned. the national guard using black hawk helicopters to make water drops. at least six homes destroyed so far. >> we will rebuild. we are going to get back to what barber county was before this fire. >> reporter: and in florida, hail battering homes and cars, later giving way to heavy rain. this car sinking into a messy mix. >> and that hail is pretty incredible. rob joining us now. but you're mostly concerned about what's coming tonight. >> yes, two systems teaming up for the northeast. tomorrow looks to be a nasty day. the heavy rain in florida, now

carolinas and a severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00 p.m. tonight. so that front will converge with the moisture coming from the south. tomorrow, through the afternoon, looks to be a bit of a mess. and another storm getting into the west coast. this one is strong, a rain and snow maker, very high winds, into las vegas. maybe to 80 miles an hour. some avalanche damage there. and to the plains this week, and a significant severe weather threat this week. >> thank you. we turn to chicago and a stunning 24-hour cycle of violence. at least 18 people shot, one killed in separate shootings reported across the city. among the victims, a 13-year-old boy critically wounded by a stray bullet. and appearing in an anti gun violence video just last year. >> i don't want to live in my

that people are getting killed. >> no arrests have been made in his shooting. next, threatening phone calls about back taxes that you don't owe. more than 5,000 people losing $30 million so far. here's neal karlinsky with the father rushing to protect his son. >> reporter: tonight, with tax day looming, shameless phony irs agents are burning up the phone lines. >> the total balance outstanding on your name is $3,680. did you do this intentionally or was it by mistake? >> i am not aware of this at all. >> reporter: that is the sound of a call scott alexander recorded after his son fell for a scam to the tune of $500. the fake agent threatening his son with arrest if he didn't pay up. >> go to the walgreens right now, just bring a debit card with you. >> reporter: enraged, scott called back to record the scam and got a similar threat. >> i'm sending the cops to your doorstep right now.

going to come get you. that's when it changed, and it seemed like he had to comply. >> it seemed like it was in a movie. very unrealistic, but my fear got ahold of me. >> reporter: so we called the fake irs agents ourselves to give them an audit of our own, but only 24 hours later. >> please check the number and dial again. >> reporter: they moved on, they changed the number. >> the irs is calling me? is this for real? >> reporter: tonight the irs cautions people in this public service announcement, if someone calls claiming to be them and threatens legal action unless money is paid, just hang up. neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >> good advice. still ahead on "world news tonight." a sudden blast. this home up in flames just as a new owner was about to move in. the invisible danger, no one saw it coming. and later, the mad scramble for easter eggs. the traditional hunt, no more.

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tonight, it can happen in a second. a gas leak reducing a home to rubble. one new owner in ohio was set to move in when the house suddenly exploded just days after clearing inspection. here's lauren lyster with the invisible danger. >> reporter: a home engulfed in flames. firefighters racing in after a suspected gas leak causes it to explode. the house now a heap of debris just one week after the homeowner bought it. >> out buildings behind it have significant damage, stay away from it. >> reporter: residents in the neighborhood rattled. >> we were in the basement and it was just like a loud boom. >> reporter: fire investigators saying the natural gas leak fueled a furnace fire. and in michigan -- >> callers saying the house next door to them just exploded. >> reporter: a family inside

blowing some of them out into the yard. five children taken away by first responders. authorities to one lost in the rubble. tonight all of them still in the hospital. >> i had no idea until i got out here and seen the mess that's here, that it's bad. >> reporter: officials blaming a suspected propane leak. >> he told me there was a smell of gas last night but supposedly he thought they had it taken >> reporter: which is why experts warn to get of the building if you smell gas. but don't do anything that could cause a spark. that includes using your cell phone, flipping light switches, using a garage door opener. >> thank you. still ahead, an easter disaster. what happened to this inflatable bounce house. why two people are facing

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next, an easter fair taking a tragic turn near london. a 7-year-old girl died when the inflatable castle she was in was swept away by a strong gust of wind. police arrested two people tied to the company that rented the castle. and they may now face manslaughter charges. to the international space station receiving a long awaited delivery today. not from the easter bunny, but from a cargo capsule carrying 8,000 pounds of food and supplies, including a new 3-d printer to help the crew create larger tools for the growing space station. and to the the magic of storytelling, getting millions of books into the hands of children, and you can help. here's ron claiborne. >> do you remember the first book you ever read? >> reporter: that's director steven spielberg promoting "firstbook," a program that's put millions of books in the hands of children from

inspired a parade of famous faces to post "shelfies" with some of their favorites. some regular folks, too. not if i can help it calls captain hook! i recently got the chance to read to some kids. it's all part of a push to share the magic of storytelling. abc's parent company disney donating 50 million books and counting. >> now try shaking the book from left to right three times. maybe we can find another avenger. >> reporter: books like the one devon moses is reading to his son. >> his vocabulary is coming along better, he comprehend better, his speaking skills better. >> our thanks to ron for that. go online and vote for your state. that's the website there, firstbook and abc/disney will send an extra 100,000 books to the state with the most votes. still ahead, a special celebration for the blind. why these children don't have to sit out the easter egg hunt this year.

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indeed beep which was how these kids who cannot see were not left out of the day. >> did you hear that one? nice. >> reporter: not with the easter bunny passing through. >> if one child had a joyful day, it's a good day. >> reporter: another way the egg rolled, bluetooth chips and a hunt by smartphone. this was, where else? california. prize for finding the golden egg a thousand bucks. meanwhile in cincinnati no prize except the pleasure of the hunt itself. though someone tried to get the gorillas at the zoo on the action which they were into sort of. but you want a crowd an easter egg hunt, try dropping the treasure from the sky and then letting loose hundreds of kids. plastic eggs, chocolate inside, here's what that looks like on this day when we like our eggs more whole and roundish than scrambled, fried, or sunny side up. john donvan, abc news, washington. >> enjoy all that loot tonight. "gma" first thing in the morning, david muir will be back

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ribeiro: here's a sneak peek at tonight's "afv." we know you're gonna love it. aah! ohh! aah! man: here comes sugarfoot. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] welcome to "america's funniest home videos"! and now here he is, the host of our show,