this is bbc news. i am reged ahmad. our top stories: president trump claims "complete power" to issue pardons as senators prepare to question his family's contacts with russians during the us election. venezuela's crisis intensifies as the military clash with hundreds of protesters trying to march towards the supreme court in caracas. london's great ormond street hospital says staff have received death threats and online abuse in relation to the charlie gard case. and victims of heroin: we'll hear from the people fighting an addiction, leaving them sleeping under bridges and off the tracks in philadelphia. hello and welcome to bbc news. president trump has insisted he has complete power to pardon people. it comes amid reports that he's been

looking at ways of pardoning himself and his family should investigators conclude there was collusion with russia during the us election campaign. next week, his eldest son and his son—in—law are due to testify before congress. but there was no mention of the controversy when the president spoke at a naval ceremony in virginia. from washington, laura bicker reports. donald trump hoped this week would be a celebration of all that is made in america, including this new state—of—the—art aircraft carrier. instead he finds himself gearing up for what could be one of his biggest battles. he's clearing the decks and finding new staff to fight off claims the kremlin helped him win the white house. his core message has become engulfed by the many investigations. instead, this is the kind of sales pitch he'd prefer americans to hear. american steel and american hands have constructed a 100,000—ton

message to the world. america might is second to none. donald trump is upgrading his team just as the investigation into whether or not russia meddled in the us presidential election has widened its scope, to reportedly include the trump finances. the president is thought to be furious. this inquiry is no longer outside the white house gates. it's within his inner circle, including his own family, who are due to give evidence later this week. mr trump's son—in—law jared kushner is one of his closest advisors, seen so often at his side, but rarely heard. he has done some talking though, to russians, during the campaign. he'll be asked about that in congress on monday. donald trumpjunior is also in discussions about testifying after it was revealed he met with a russian lawyer who'd offered incriminating information about hillary clinton during the campaign. white house spokesman sean spicer

often struggled to convey the president's message amidst the barrage of questions about russian influence. if the president puts russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that's a russian connection. he's now saying farewell, resigning. i think it was in the best interests of our communications department, of our press organisation, to not have too many cooks in the kitchen. because he reportedly didn't want to work for this man. the slick, outspoken wall street financier anthony scaramucci will now be in charge of rebranding team trump. donald trump relishes a good fight. he's described the enquiries into his campaign's links with russia as a witchhunt, a hoax. he's getting combat ready, just in case investigators do not agree with him. laura bicker, bbc news, washington. michaeljohns is co—founder of the republican party's tea party movement and former speech writer

for george bush senior. he's in philadelphia. michael, if the president doesn't believe he has done anything wrong, why is he talking about pardoning this family members and potentially himself? i suppose there is only one person who knows the answer to that, and that is the president. but i do think that what he has been able to do by bringing this up is reflect on questions such as what is the ultimate goal? we are many months into this investigation. there is no indication of any criminal wrongdoing. officials testified under oath there was no wrongdoing. even the allegation of collusion, there is no statute that prevents it. the problem should be. what he

has done is probably get the american people to reflect on what a distraction this has been with so many political, financial, and other significant issues facing our country today. presumably some conclusion will come out of the investigation. but you think that this is revealed a flaw in the american democratic institutions, that there must be more clear guidelines on what a candidate for president should be able to do?” think the issue of it being a distraction, what is intriguing, and i think the president realises this, to his credit, this has been a creation of two entities. one, the democratic party which lost and is better and is looking for an excuse, and two, media institutions, which

for whatever reason have developed a very activist left of centre agenda, with many exceptions. as far as what the country can do, i do believe the issue of collusion is taken seriously by everyone. certainly by me. and yet the greatest legal scholars in the country will be the first to tell you that it might be frowned upon but it is not illegal, and it might well be an opportunity to amend our federal election commission regulations or with a statute or other means something that stops it from going forward. i do see anybody in our country suggesting anything that was illegal happened or that it did during the campaign. a lot of deafening

opinions on that. but thank you so much to your thoughts. —— differing opinions. venezuelan soldiers on motorbikes have fired teargas at hundreds of masked, stone—throwing protesters in caracas, the latest round of demonstrations against the government of nicolas maduro. several people were injured in the clashes which came as the opposition attempted to march to the supreme court building. it has become a near daily occurrence in venezuela. protesters versus polec. molotov cocktails versus polec. molotov cocktails versus teargas. —— versus g. these people are marching towards the supreme court, which they believe is bias in favour of nicolas maduro, who they claim is turning into a dictator. —— versus police. translation: we had to help our children. we are fighting it for them and these boys cannot be left alone. while others are in their

houses, these people are risking their lives for us all. on friday, opposition politicians elected 33 newjudges to form a so—called shadow supreme court. president maduro rejects them as well is ongoing calls for a general election in his country. and he has support, too, for every anti—government devastation there is a rally in support. this gathering was to back the president's plans for a new simile to rewrite the constitution. the last four months, venezuela has been locked in an impasse of political violence and demonstration. scores of people have been killed since the protests began. nicolas maduro says they are led by right—wing extremists. on thursday, millions of venezuelans joined a general strike called by

the opposition. president maduro called the affect minimal and plans to press ahead with a vote for a new assembly next week. greg dawson, bbc news. in poland, the conservative government has dismissed criticism that a law, reforming the supreme court, would undermine the independence of the judiciary. more protests have taken place this evening in the capital, warsaw. earlier, hungary's prime minister, viktor orban, said he would use all legal options to thwart eu attempts to penalise poland over the controversial legislation. translation: concerning the polish judicial reform, here we face a case of double standards. the polish did not do anything. they did not change anything on theirjustice system that does not fit the mutually accepted and shared the spoils and ideas of the european union. this is unfair. and just on principle. this is what the principles are doing today. that's why an honourable person not only because real hungarians, but because we are honourable people, cannot accept something like this. in these kinds of cases, one should always stand by the side of the attacked.

so i send my word to mr scholz, we stand with poland in solidarity. a british children's hospital that's seeking to remove life support from a terminally ill baby, has called in the police after a number of its staff received death threats. great ormond street hospital in london said its employees had been subjected to a "shocking and disgraceful tide of hostility". the parents of charlie gard have been fighting a high court battle to allow him to be flown to the united states for experimental treatment. laura tra nt reports. it's a case that's touched people around the world. attracting a growing number of campaigners who disagree with medical experts over the treatment of a critically ill baby boy. a growing number of campaigners who disagree with medical experts over the treatment of a critically ill baby boy.

ii—month—old charlie gard has a form of mitochondrial disease, a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and irreversible brain damage. his parents, connie yates and chris gard, want to take him to the us for pioneering treatment, but great ormond street hospital says it in charlie's best interests to turn off his life—support and allow him to die. tonight, the hospital said in a statement, that their doctors and nurses have been subjected to a shocking and disgraceful tide of hostility. staff have received abuse both in the street and online. thousands of abusive messages, they said, have been sent to doctors and nurses, whose life's work is to care for sick children. many of these messages are menacing, including death threats. the hospital has reported the abuse to the police. it comes as the high court decides on charlie's future and a day after the judge urged any campaigners outside the hospital to respect the needs and wishes of sick children being treated there and their parents. the charity medecins sans frontieres

has opened a new clinic in the afghan city of kunduz. it's after a hospital it ran there was destroyed by american air strikes in 2015. 42 people were killed in the attack, which took place during intense clashes between the security forces and taliban militants. anbarasan ethirajan has more. after a gap of nearly two years, msf is returning to kunduz. a much—needed health lifeline for the residents of this northern afghan city. for now the facilities are basic. the new clinic will provide outpatient treatment for minor or chronic injuries. translation: i have had this problem before. i have had severe pain previously, and i was treated by foreign doctors. now that this facility has been reopened, i'm very happy now i can come here and get treated for my other problems. the old hospital was bombed

by american planes, in 2015, during clashes between afghan forces and taliban militants. more than a0 people, including patients and medical staff, were killed in the attack. the us military blamed a combination of human error and equipment failure. medecins sans frontieres wants security guarantees from all sides before expanding its operation in kunduz. we are in the process to finalize commitment that are assuring us about the safety of our staff, our patients and our structure, and we think we have enough assurances to reopen activities as well as to have communication enough to co—ordinate about the location of our structure. the charity hopes to begin building a new trauma centre in 2018, although it is likely to be smaller than the previous facility. even so it would help to relieve

the pressure on the overstretched government—run local hospital. an—barasan ethirajan, bbc news. —— anbarasan ethirajan, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news. more to come. mission control: you can see them coming down the ladder now. it's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. a catastrophic engine fire is being blamed tonight for the first crash in the 30 year history of concorde, the world's only supersonic airliner. it was one of the most vivid symbols of the violence and hatred that tore apart the state of yugoslavia.

but now, a decade later, it's been painstakingly rebuilt and opens again today. there's been a 50% decrease in sperm quantity and an increase in malfunction of sperm unable to swim properly. thousands of households across the country are suspiciously quiet this lunchtime as children bury their noses in the final instalment of harry potter. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: president trump insists he has the "complete power to pardon" and attacks the media for its coverage of claims russia interfered in the us election. sunday marks two months since militants, inspired by the islamic state group, took over the city of marawi on mindanao in the

southern philippines. the number of soldiers killed trying to recapture the city has now passed 100 and fighting is still going on. new pictures have revealed the intensity of the conflict. bill hayton reports. packed into an armoured vehicle, this unit is on a rescue mission. ahead, someone lies injured in marawi. reaching the spot, they dropped smoke grenades for cover and only then bring him to safety. these pictures, provided by the philippine military, show the devastation caused by two months of fighting. nearly 600 people are known to have died here, 400 militants, more than 100 soldiers, and dozens of civilians. the military has

struggled to cope with the determined and well—prepa red struggled to cope with the determined and well—prepared enemy. we have dropped mines and adapted tactics. in late may, the place was taken over tactics. in late may, the place was ta ken over by tactics. in late may, the place was taken over by islamic state. security analysts fear they are supported by foreigners and it could bea supported by foreigners and it could be a haven for is in asia. in response, the philippine government imposed martial law over all of the island. that was extended for the whole year. humid rights groups say martial law is allowing authorities to abuse of civilians. —— humans. the real threat of rebellion is

highly questionable. fighting is far from over in marawi, and the consequences for its inhabitants, the philippines, and the region, is farfrom certain. bbc news. to the united states now, and an area of philadelphia known as the badlands. it's apparently where some of the purest heroin in the country can be bought forjust $5. from next week city authorities plan to change that, but where will the addicts go? the bbc has been to the city to find out. we live in a world of heroin, that is the reality we live in. heroin is what is killing people, but, like, not giving people the opportunity to say "help me," not giving people the opportunity to ask for or seek treatment, it keeps them in the basement, it keeps them in places like the train tracks. that is why they are down there, that is why they are in abandoned buildings.

so they can be left alone. kensington has the purest heroin in the country. it is the most potent and is the most inexpensive, about $5 a bag. a lot of them, like, i would say seven out of ten, they hear someone had a shot of dope and overdosed, the first thing they want to do is find out where it is so they can go get it.

at gurney street, it's kind of like a safe consumption site underground no one knows about. they save lives and are there for each other. my son was addicted to heroin. he is in recovery. but during his addiction, he was on the streets of kensington on and off for five years. we know that if we go to gurney street, there is a certain group of people that we might always see there.

when we disperse people, where are we dispersing them to, and will we be able to find them once we disperse them? more than 80,000 migrants have landed in italy this year, a 16% increase in the numbers who arrived rise over the same period last year. the government is aiming to disperse many people across the country, but some smaller communities are resisting. our correspondent, james reynolds, reports from sicily. the council has called an emergency public meeting. this town has been ordered by the state to take in around 20 migrants. i want guarantees. they need medical and criminal checks. that was a retired teacher. "they were already checked when they landed," says this man.

"i don't think they will damage our country. " the next morning, the mayors of the region get together to oppose the plan to take in so many migrants. they have come to the region's capital, messina, to persuade the government to reconsider. wearing a tie might help. the italian government is struggling to find a working solution. it wants to scatter migrants as soon as they land here in big ports, but that just shuffles the problem from built—up areas to the depths of the countryside. the semi—derelict kangaroo hotel is now home to 50 migrants, six times the government recommendation for a town this size. translation: it's not good. it's not good. these here haven't been checked by a doctor. we don't know who they are. it's no good.

the mayor of the town returns with news of a victory. the state has agreed that half of the new arrivals will go back to messina. translation: i certainly don't want to become their hero. they need someone else to defend them. our town is too small. at night, amid cheers from volunteers, migrants are escorted out. they barely know where they're going. i'm going to messina. do you know where that is? no, sir. italy's relocation plan, improvised and haphazard, has to start again. james reynolds, bbc news, sicily. now, if you happened to visit paris this saturday you may have had something of a surprise.

all the normal attractions were there, exactly as you'd expect, but there was a rather unusual guest. and a guest that was large in stature. the bbc‘s tim allman explains. at first glance, this looks somewhat surprising. a giant sperm whale washed up on the banks of the river seine. people examine it. tourists look on in interest. but things are not as they seem. this is, in fact, a giant replica crated by designers. these people will not break camera, even for the cameras. we found out he had an eye infection. he could not see properly. this happens quite often. similar replica of --

replicas of beachings happen in many places. we saw it on line and we thought it was real. it was a sculpture. that is amazing. the team behind this say they want to explore the boundaries between reality and fiction. in the shadow of notre dame, it is certainly an interesting place to try. tim allman, bbc news. that looks incredibly lifelike. you can get in touch with me. i am on twitter. for all of the breaking news, go to the bbc breaking news on line website. see you soon. saturday turned into the day of the

downpour. that is not surprising when you see skies like this and many others from weather watchers. the area of low pressure producing those showers and outbreaks of rain on saturday are still close by on sunday. even if you have a dry start, be prepared for some showers as the day goes on. cloud around first thing. outbreaks of rain in the midlands and northern england and eastern scotland, with low cloud. we will look at things in greater detail at 9am. where we have clear skies overnight, mist and fog patches in wales and south—west england. they will clear. england, brighter spots, sunny spells. a fair amount of cloud to begin the day. rain in the midlands and it will clear into showers and brighten up. northern ireland, bare the odd shower, dry weather to come. western scotland starting fine. east scotland, low cloud and a cool breeze. some outbreaks of rain. that rain will go south during the day across scotland. it should brighten up again after moving through. northern ireland. the odd shower. dry weather. sunny spells. late morning into the afternoon, showers getting going in england and wales. some could be heavy. sunny spells in between. temperatures in the high teens and low 20s. what does that mean for the golf

and royal birkdale? a cloudy start. overnight cloud lingering. some showers. improving pictures through the day. easier compared to saturday. the women's world cup, sunshine in the morning, but in the afternoon, the increasing chance of a shower that could be heavy. some showers will continue into sunday evening before slowly fading. by the time we get to monday, it is only slowly clearing from parts of eastern england. a cool breeze with that. elsewhere, a dry and sunny day. temperatures in the west approaching the mid—20s.

looking at the big picture for tuesday. in between weather systems. most places will have a fine day. look at this, the next weather system is not too far away. take advantage of the fine day on tuesday. some pleasantly warm and sunny spells. wednesday, that system will come in and more rain will come in with it from the west. this is bbc news, the headlines. president trump insists he has the "complete power to pardon" and attacks the media for its coverage of the claims russia interfered in the us election. next week, his eldest son and his son—in—law are due to testify before congress about their contacts with a russian lawyer. venezuelan soldiers have fired teargas at hundreds of protesters trying to march to the supreme court in caracas. the opposition group say president nicolas maduro is seeking to consolidate his power by re—writing the constitution. the hospital seeking to remove life

support from the seriously ill baby, charlie gard, says doctors and nurses had faced abuse in the street and online. it comes as the high court considers whether charlie's parents should be allowed to take him to the us for experimental treatment. boots, the pharmacy chain, has apologised for dismissing calls to cut the cost of its contraceptive morning—after pills.