this is outside source on bbc news for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm kasia madera. we're covering all the latest developments and analysis here in britain and globally. everything is ready for liftoff of the first commercial flight taking astronauts to the the international space station. i'm jane o'brien at the kennedy space center — where the weather will be the deciding factor. we've already had a tornado warning and nasa says there's a 40% chance the launch will go ahead. britain's prime minister,

borisjohnson, comes under intense pressure from mps over his refusal to sack his top adviser, but he hits back during 90 minutes of questioning. i have no reason to depart from what i've already said. as protests rumble on in hong kong, the us secretary of state says the territory no longer merits special status under american law, because china is stripping it of its autonomy. welcome. injust over an hour we may reach a new milestone in space travel. for the first time a commercial spacecraft is hoping to take humans into orbit. but only if the weather permits, there has already been a tornado warning in cape canaveral, where the launch is to take place. let's go there live. this is the spacex crew dragon capsule. it's at the top of a huge rocket,

a falcon 9, also made by spacex. and on board are two nasa astronauts who will be launched into orbit where they willjoin the crew on the international space station. they're scheduled to take off from the kennedy space center in florida's cape canaveral at liz33pm local time, so in one hour and 30 minutes. nasa says the two astronauts who will take part in this historic launch are both highly experienced test pilots. here they are a short time ago, suited up, boarding the dragon capsule that will carry them to the space station. they are bob behnken and doug hurley and they will be the first astronauts to be launched into orbit from american soil since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011. hurley was actually the pilot on that very last shuttle outing. even the launch pad

they are taking off from is an historic landmark. it is launch pad 39a at the kennedy space center, built in the 1960s, it has hosted the launches of nasa's saturn five moon rocket and all but two of the crewed apollo missions, including apollo 8, which sent astronauts to lunar orbit for the first time, and apollo 11, the first crewed flight to the moon's surface. weather is a key factor in this launch, it could still be cancelled if there isn't a large enough window for the capsule to get into orbit. we will find out in roughly a0 minutes if the launch is going to go ahead. here's edward mango, a former nasa program manager, on why weather is so important. the vehicle has to get through the weather and so you don't want to put a rocket or spacecraft through lightning, through clouds that have serious rain in them,

so those are the biggest things. and also wind, so you don't want to have too much shear. shear is the force, the side force on a long rocket, like falcon. and so you don't want to have shear forces that are going to disturb the rocket in any way. the added thing for this launch is, if you have to do an abort, which you never want to do but you want to be successful and save the crew, is you've got to get the vehicle off, you've got to get the spacecraft off the launch vehicle, and you've got to get it out to the ocean. so now, as you're going through the clouds or you're going through no weather, you've got to be able to come down in a way where there is no lightning, also. and so you have weather in both regions that you've got to deal with. so as we were hearing, whether absolutely crucial. jane o'brien joins us live from the launch site in cape canaveral. and there's already been a tornado warning? yeah, that was dramatic, as

if launching a rocket from american soilfor the first time if launching a rocket from american soil for the first time wasn't bad enough, the lights went off and eve ryo ne enough, the lights went off and everyone was told to take cover because the area was under a tornado warning which means when it is very possible. that has now passed, as you can see, possible. that has now passed, as ou can see it's possible. that has now passed, as you can see, it's pretty calm, it is wet, but we are told there is another weather sale developing over 0rlando, about 15 minutes from here. but there's still a lot of thinkers being crossed in the hopes that this launch will go as planned. you've got the clock behind me, i think you can see, we are now under the one hour and 30 minute mark, can see, we are now under the one hourand 30 minute mark, and can see, we are now under the one hour and 30 minute mark, and things are looking good at the moment. though the weather, as i keep saying, and as everyone is saying here, will be the deciding factor. we talk about needing to hit that specific time, it's crucial for this launch to happen on that time, otherwise they miss this window and could be waiting until saturday? yeah, as you just heard there, the weather is so important because it's

not just about the launch site, weather is so important because it's notjust about the launch site, the weather has to be clear all the way along the flight trajectory of the rocket itself, because if they do have to abort for any reason, they have to abort for any reason, they have to abort for any reason, they have to know it's safe to splash down. unlike the space shuttle, which could land, this capital has to splash down. so they have to make sure that there is no danger if that happens anywhere along the atlantic path that the rocket will be taking. and the other reason that the window is so important is because they are literally aiming at the international space station. the space station has to be exactly overhead, or at an angle where the rocket and capsule can actually reach it in one go. and i think it's only about a minute, which is incredible. so there are so many unpredictable factors, there are so many variables that the scientists have to take into account here, it's quite extraordinary that they think they can do it at all. we are holding our breath, and in about 39 minutes, we can know for definite

whether they will be taking off. when it comes to talking about this being historic on the milestone, this is a commercial company taking pilots and astronauts, into orbit. it is pretty incredible. pilots and astronauts, into orbit. it is pretty incrediblelj pilots and astronauts, into orbit. it is pretty incredible. i think the best way to sum this up is that this launch is made in america. this is an american—made rocket leaving american soil with american astronauts on board for the first time in almost a decade. america is backin time in almost a decade. america is back in the human space flight industry. and that's why this is so critical. and the reason that this, what will perhaps become a fairly mundane event in that it's a transport system to get astronauts to the international space station, the reason that is so important is because it leaves a nasa free to focus on the big things like getting humans back to the moon, which is a necessary step up to mars. so that's

why everyone is really putting so much store into this launch. and that's why we are watching the weather. thanks so much. and the moment we hear any more confirmation on what's going to happen, we will of course bring that to you. and if you are keen to watch from home, in fa ct, you are keen to watch from home, in fact, the international space station can be seen from earth using a telescope. just have a look at this image, which was taken by one of our producers at the bbc using just a smartphone and a telescope. it's a little blurry but he's done a lot better than i could do! you can just make out the solar panels on the main structure of the iss. the destination for spacex, but only if the sky is clear, as jane was saying. certainly much clearer than it has been in florida right now. we are of course keeping an eye on that. boris johnson has been questioned by senior mps over his government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. this is the first time since mrjohnson became leader in july last year that he has

appeared before the common‘s liaison committee. and it comes amid a growing revolt within his own party over the behaviour of his top adviser, dominic cummings. mr cummings drove from london to the north east of england during the lockdown to isolate with his family, seemingly in breach of the rules. and yet despite the outcry, he has refused to resign and the prime minister is refusing to sack him. here's what mrjohnson told the committee this afternoon. i do understand why people feel such indignation about the whole business, the pain of the whole business of the lockdown. but i really also think that what they want now is for us to focus on them and their needs, rather than on a political ding—dong about what one adviser may or may not have done. and there was this heated exchange with the labour mp yvette cooper. other than that, i don't really know what i can add.

no, here's the problem, prime minister. the reason you are ducking this is because, the reason you're not giving people a straight answer is because you're trying to protect dominic cummings. the reason you sent all of your ministers out to say fudgy things and unclear things is because you are trying not to incriminate dominic cummings and you don't want to apologise for him. the problem is that means you're putting your political concerns ahead of clear public health messages to parents who have coronavirus. 40,000 people are dead. we need you to get this right now. so can you tell us, you have a choice between protecting dominic cummings and putting the national interest first, which will it be, prime minister? well, i think my choice is the choice of the british people, i want us all to make, yvette, and that is as far as we possibly can to lay aside party political point scoring, and to put the national interest first, and to be very clear with the british public about what we want to do and how we want to take

this country forward. just one of the exchanges from boris johnson there, talking to the select committee. this saga has made headlines around the world. the new york times writes... spain's el pais newspaper has the headline...

the article goes on to say "ifjohnson initially thought that he could settle the scandal with a firm response, he was completely wrong." and the irish times asks: "when did johnson become so dependent on cummings? was he always this weak?" just some of the way the international papers are looking at this. let's get more from our political correspondent rob watson. the prime minister desperately wanting to move this on, did he say enough to do that? i guess the short a nswer enough to do that? i guess the short answer is, it depends on what your point of view is! for those who support the prime minister and really do want to move on to talk about easing the lockdown, no doubt, it will have been music to their use. but i think for those in his own party and of course the aunt in

the country, he just —— of course beyond in the country, they think, of course, he just doesn't get it, there is one rule for those in downing street and another for those who live and work in every other street in the country, i suspect it will have done very little to assuage not just will have done very little to assuage notjust that will have done very little to assuage not just that anger but will have done very little to assuage notjust that anger but of course vast amounts of sort of mockery and joking at the government's expense, which is a lwa ys government's expense, which is always a difficult thing. there's been a lot of memes a lot of fun taken out, been a lot of memes a lot of fun ta ken out, especially been a lot of memes a lot of fun taken out, especially around barnard castle, at the centre of this controversy. yes, absolutely. and, of course, as you are suggesting in some of those headlines that you read, it's not just some of those headlines that you read, it's notjust here. i don't mean this is a criticism, any country'spoliticians are rather parochial as indeed are its political journalists. parochial as indeed are its politicaljournalists. a lot of people in the uk aren't aware of how

the country'sstanding internationally has been in absolute freefall. i've talked to diplomats, business contacts from across the road, and the sort of narrative, whether you think it's fair or not, ifi whether you think it's fair or not, if i was to sum it up crudely, there's a perception that same people that led the uk to brexit have led it to the highest death toll from the virus in europe, again, whether that is fair or not, it has all sorts of implications for the uk's economy and its clout and standing in the world. you mention brexit, stay with us, we want to discuss this a little further force of the's chief brexit negotiator michel barnier has written a letter to opposition parties saying the eu is still open to a or two year transition period extension, but of course the uk is clear it does not wa nt course the uk is clear it does not wantan course the uk is clear it does not want an extension, so what bearing does this have on the future relationship with the uk and eu? do you know, ithink

relationship with the uk and eu? do you know, i think it's really interesting, and of course, we all sort of slightly for about exit a little bit these last few months. —— slightly forgot about brexit. but i think it's interesting that this has come from the uk's chief negotiator, david frost, that the uk is envisioning a much more distant relationship with the eu than i think anyone really imagine based on what happened during the eu referendum, and i think that has all sorts of consequences. i guess it means either that the european union is going to have to blink in some way and give the uk some concessions, because at the moment, the eu's view is, sure, if sovereignty is your big issue, you wa nt sovereignty is your big issue, you want a more distant relationship, yeah, but obviously, you cannot expect the same kind of economic benefits. whether the eu is going to blinker whether the uk is going to blink, who knows? we will have to wait and see what happens. i think the really interesting thing is that i think it has taken people by surprise here and around the world,

just how the uk, the current government, is envisaging that more distant relationship with the eu we re distant relationship with the eu were sovereignty is absently prioritised. on that note, lets leave it there. -- sovereignty is absolutely prioritised. stay with us on 0ustide source, still to come. as protests rumble on in hong kong the us secretary of state says the territory no longer merits special status under american law, because china is stripping it of autonomy. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has been answering questions in the scottish parliament. earlier today she told msps that thirteen more people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in scotland, bringing the total number of deaths to 2,304. ms sturgeon was also challenged on her government's policies over patients with symptoms should not have been discharged to care homes.

clearly i did not see every patient he was discharged to a care home, i cannot stand here and give a categorical assurance that no patient with symptoms was discharged, it would be wrong to do that, but the guidance that was in place was very, very clear. similarly with isolation, the guidance issued to care homes in march made clear that there should not be communal dining, that they should not be communal activities, that people in care homes, should be isolated in a way that has been hard for others but particularly hard for older people living in care homes. this is 0utside source live from the bbc newsroom. a private company is preparing to take astronauts to the international space station for the first time. we are monitoring developments of

that. meng wanzhou, chief financial officer of chinese tech company huawei, has lost a key aspect of the trial on her extradition to the united states. remember, ms meng, who you can see in these pictures, was arrested in canada in late 2018. the us wants her to stand trial on charges including fraud linked to the alleged violation of us sanctions against iran. ms meng denies any wrongdoing, as does huawei. the judgment today revolved around a concept called ‘double criminality‘ — that essentially means the charges against ms meng must be considered crimes in both canada and the us in this case. and the judge ruled that in this case, they were. this case has international ramifications — it's caused a rift between china and canada — in fact on tuesday, beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson said this. translation: canada should really

correct its mistakes, immediately release miss meng wanzhou, and ensure her safe return to china so as not to continue damaging the relations between china and canada. remember, as well, that china is believed to have arrested two canadians in retaliation for ms meng's arrest. michael kovrig, a former diplomat, and michael spavor, a businessman, are both accused by china of espionage. but canada's prime ministerjustin trudeau calls their continued detention "arbitrary". had ms meng won thatjudgment today, she could have been released. as it was, the extradition case continues. for more on what happens next, joining me from san francisco is our technology correspondent, zoe thomas. so just sojust explain to so just explain to us, what are we expecting the next process to be now? this means that the case is likely to stretch on for several more yea rs likely to stretch on for several more years in canada. ms meng's legal team has put up several legal challenges to us authorities extraditing her to canada. the next

one we expect comedy next big decision we expect, is whether or not canadian police violated her civil rights when they arrested her in the way they arrested her. —— next when we expect comedy next big decision. but there are other legal appeals and challenges we expect to go on, so we expect this case is going to stretch out and continue to put pressure on relations between the us and china and even between china and canada, because of this trial stretching out. already, we are seeing that these relationships are seeing that these relationships a re pretty are seeing that these relationships are pretty tense, as it is. yes, there's quite a lot of tension going on. i mean, we see the tension expanding between the us and china over trade, over the coronavirus, over trade, over the coronavirus, over any number of things, and they are also putting particular pressure on huawei, meng's company, she's not just the chief financial officer, she is also the daughter of the

company's she is also the daughter of the compa ny‘s founder. she is also the daughter of the company's founder. in the us really doesn't want huawei involved in the creation of 5g networks around the globe, it's putting a lot of pressure on trade partners countries including the uk do not involve while a comedy that can paint the company is kind of a bad actor with that chief executives in charge, it helps to make the case that what we should not be involved in creating what need to be very secure networks. why for its part says those charges are completely false, that it those charges are completely false, thatitis those charges are completely false, that it is a safe provider of 5g services and that this case is, the us is making it about 5g and it shouldn't be about that, that ms meng should be free because she didn't commitany meng should be free because she didn't commit any fraud and that this is really just didn't commit any fraud and that this is reallyjust the us trying to use its lovers to prevent the company from expanding at an growing where us companies would like to be growing. —— huawei for its part says that.

the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, has suggested that hong kong no longer qualifies for special us trade status because it has ceased to maintain a high degree of autonomy from mainland china. mr pompeo posted this tweet saying... here's a former director of the us national economic council explaining why that would be so significant. if the chinese try to over regulate the international banks and international companies in hong kong with the same laws that they have in mainland china, i would think that you would see many of those international banks and companies leave china and probably leave hong kong, for sure, and probably go to places like singapore, where there is a much more friendly business environment. live from washington we're joined by zhaoyin feng from bbc chinese.

so when it comes to this decision, this next phase, what does this mean for hong kong, which is already concerned about the increasing power that it concerned about the increasing power thatitis concerned about the increasing power that it is having over this territory? many people see this latest move from washington as basically meaning that hong kong will be treated as the same as mainland china, for trade and many other purposes, and from an economic point of view, this might well be a loose, loose situation for china, the us and hong kong. —— a lose, lose situation. hong kong is where the west and east meet and it's a unique city for china, and at the same time, the us has many business interests in this territory, and they are going to feel the hurt, as well. and most importantly, hong

kong is going to deal with a major blow to its economy. the banking sector, the financial sector, really its lifelines, and this from the us will likely hinder that. at the same time, the city has been hit very heavily by the months long process last year, its economy is not doing well —— month long protests last year, its economy is not doing well, and this is not good news for the territory. is china effectively happy to see hong kong no longer be a crucial economic hub then? that's an interesting question to ask. as you mention, only days ago, china also pulled another nuclear option on hong kong, beijing proposed a new security law that will likely hinder

the remaining freedom in hong kong. many people are asking whether the us new it's actually pushing hong kong further away from the west, from democracy, pushing it more towards beijing, and it's from democracy, pushing it more towards beijing, and its expected that beijing will react to washington's moves very negatively, very strongly. because china has long considered hong kong affairs as purely china's domestic affairs, and it will not like outsiders commenting or interfering, so—called interfering, on hong kong affairs. thank you very much. before we go, i want to show you some pictures from italy where a roman mosaic floor has been discovered by a group of surveyors concealed under a vineyard. after decades of searching, experts in verona

finally unearthed the well—preserved tiles buried under tonnes of earth. apparently, scholars first found evidence of a roman villa there more than a century ago. of course, we are watching what's happening at cape canaveral, too, but in the meantime, thanks for watching 0utside source. hello, temperatures were up as high as 26 degrees today, highest in the south of england, but for many parts of the country, a dry day with lots of the country, a dry day with lots of sunshine. strong sunshine, too, and we saw more sunshine developing for a while in scotland, but cloud amounts are increasing now. we had so got high pressure in charge of our weather but around the top of that, there is whetherfrontier moving in, increasing cloud in scotla nd moving in, increasing cloud in scotland and also bringing with it some outbreaks of rain. that will mainly affect northern scotland for a while every night. we will see more cloud for northern ireland for a while, too, and some cloud coming back into eastern parts of england, otherwise, sky is clear. quite a

wormlike, in the north—east of england, six or seven. wormlike, in the north—east of england, six orseven. —— it wormlike, in the north—east of england, six or seven. —— it warm at night. as you can see, not much rain left in scotland, what's left of it will move away into the north sea, cloud or thin, so time will develop away from the northern isles, and a sunny day for northern ireland. some ten across england and wales after that early low cloud across parts of eastern england. a noticeable breeze in the south of england, temperatures again around about the mid 20s. that may not change a great deal over the next few days, some cloud and eastern england on friday, then a dry day, plenty of sunshine, did more of a breeze perhaps noticeable, especially around coastal areas, where it pushes the warmth further north, all the way to scotland, where we are likely to get temperatures in the mid 20s, warmer in the central belt that it will be perhaps across central parts of england. it has been a dry day for many parts of the country and it looks like it will stay dry over the

next few days, could be a record—brea ker next few days, could be a record—breaker considering the south—east, some places i had no rain at all this month. high pressure still in charge, the main reasons has been so dried this month, we keep low pressure at bay and keep aircoming month, we keep low pressure at bay and keep air coming in from continental europe. so temperatures will remain around the mid 20s or so. for the bulk of the country, it will be high easy levels throughout the weekend, strong sunshine again, patches of cloud bubbling up, maybe northern ireland and scotland, but not a great deal. pretty much blue skies and temperatures probably peaking at 26 or 27.

this is bbc world news, the headlines. as protests rumble on in hong kong the us secretary of state mike pompeo says the territory no longer merits special status under american law, because china is stripping it of autonomy. the uk prime minister, borisjohnson has continued to back his chief advisor under questioning from senior mps. he was also questioned about britain's coronavirus response which has seen the highest number of deaths in europe. president trump has criticised twitter for stifling free speech after the social media platform, for the first time, labelled one of his tweets as potentially misleading. mr trump had claimed that the use of postal ballots in this year's election would lead to widespread voter fraud. and nasa is preparing for the first manned launch to take off from american soil since 2011. the two astronauts will make theirjourney

to the international space station in about an hour's time.