a very warm welcome to bbc news, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. my name's mike embley. the funeral of african—american george floyd, whose death in police custody caused global outrage, hears impassioned pleas for racial justice. until we know the price for black life is the same as the price for white life, we're going to keep coming back to these situations over and over again. president trump provokes criticism by accusing an elderly protester who was injured by the police of being an extremist provocateur. demonstrators demand the removal of a statue of cecil rhodes, one of the most controversial figures in the story of the british empire.

the funeral of george floyd — whose killing by us police triggered anti—racism protests around the world — has taken place in houston, texas. delivering the eulogy, the civil rights leader al sharpton called forjustice. mr floyd's family also paid tribute, with his niece, brooke williams, asking why the system was "corrupt and broken". barbara plett usher reports from houston. after more than two weeks of protests, the man whose death energised a worldwide movement for racialjustice was laid to rest in his home town. it was a final goodbye for those who loved him most. in the midst of personal grief, friends and family have been thrust into a national convulsion, americans forced into a passionate reckoning of historic wrongs.

i want to say to him i love you and i thank god for giving me my own personal superman. no more hate crimes, please. someone said, "make american great again", but when has america ever been great? applause those four officers were literally on him for nine minutes and they never showed they had a heart or soul. this is notjust murder, but a hate crime. i want justice for my brother. my big brother. that is big floyd. everybody knows who big floyd is now. incredible things have happened since george floyd's dying cries for breath, pinned to the ground by a policeman‘s

knee. the guest list reflected the weight of the moment — politicians, celebrities, civil rights leaders, their presence a message that they'd heard the roar of voices raised in protest. until we know the price for black life is the same as the price for white life, we're going to keep coming back to these situations over and over again. the democratic presidential nomineejoe biden addressed mr floyd's young daughter in a recorded video message. no child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations, why? why is daddy gone? looking through your eyes, we should also be asking ourselves, why the answer is so often too cruel and painful. why in this nation do too many black americans wake up knowing they could lose their life in the course ofjust living their life?

# it's been a long, long time coming. punctuating the sombre event, a display ofjoy and celebration, a "homegoing celebration", they called it. george floyd was remembered as a champion basketball and football player, a gentle man despite his imposing height at six foot six, a regular guy from a rough neighbourhood. he may have been an unlikely catalyst for a pivotal moment in civil rights history, but his death brought out a veteran activist, reverend william lawson, who worked with martin luther king. "this is a turning point", he said. back in the days when i used to be part of marches, all the marchers were black. but now, there are white people who know the story and there are hispanics who know the story and there are asians who know the story. applause singing george floyd will be buried next to his mother,

for whom he cried out as he lay dying. but that's not the end of his story. when his life stretched out in front of him, he once told a friend, "i want to touch the world." and that he has done. barbara plett usher, bbc news, houston. many of the largest protests of the past few weeks have been in washington, dc, much of it around the white house. muriel bowser is the mayor of washington, dc. she told me why she thinks today's funeral feels like a turning point. it definitely feels like a moment. and i especially see it in the young people who we have seen out in american cities in droves demanding change. they are a generation who is — who has experienced this police violence on camera. from bystander video, from dash cams, from body—worn

cameras in a way that even people of my generation, x, haven't. so i think they will keep pushing for national change, for local change and use their voices at the ballot box. and what are the chances of it, do you think? i know you've been pushing the president to remove federal troops from washington, dc. he has the right to do that, doesn't he, because dc is not a state as such. even as a democrat you must have back channels with the white house. what are you hearing out of the public eye, as it were? well, certainly we have conversations with the white house on very mundane issues to issues of national importance like this one. and they recognise that i am going defend washington, dc, that we think their actions were just egregious, notjust in bringing military active duty troops

to the nations's capital, but also forcibly removing protesters so that the president could make a speech. on the day all that was happening, president trump chose to promote conspiracy theories again. you'll probably have seen this video from buffalo, new york, last thursday. a 75—year—old man approaches police and is then pushed by an officer. he falls back and hits his head, then lies motionless as blood from his head pools on the pavement. officers walk past. the man who fell, martin gugino, is still in hospital in critical condition. two officers were charged with assault, prompting a walkout by fellow officers. they were applauded today by fellow officers as they left court, after pleading not guilty. well, president trump has now got involved. today he's tweeted: "buffalo protester shoved by police could be an antifa provocateur.

martin gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @0ann i watched, he fell harder than was pushed. was aiming scanner. could be a set up?" well, president trump's decision to tweet this conspiracy theory has been widely condemned. the former republican senator jeff flake tweeted: "trafficking in conspiracy theories like these is beneath your office, mr president." and this is what new york governor andrew cuomo has said. what do you think it was, it was staged? you think the blood coming out of his head was staged?! is that what you're saying? you saw his head hit the pavement! you see blood on the pavement. maybe he fell harder than he was pushed. how reckless, how irresponsible, how mean, how crude! i mean, if there was ever a reprehensible, dumb comment — and from the president of the united states — at this moment of anguish

and anger, what does he do? pours gasoline on the fire. if there was ever — if he ever feels a moment of decency, he should apologise for that tweet. because it is wholly unacceptable. we can now speak tojennvine wong, who's a staff attorney at the cop accountability project, which helps hold police officers to account for human rights violations in new york city. it's difficult to get convictions for police for this kind of event, isn't it? yes, that's correct. historically, it's been very difficult. the evidence required for the prosecution to secure a conviction often turns on how

much deferencejurors conviction often turns on how much deference jurors are going to give to these officers, when it comes to their state of mind at the time the incident has occurred. yes, and actually in the moment when it is occurring, jurors are not allowed to take into account what might have happened before that or they might learn after it. there is a supreme court case that makes a great deal of difference, the gram case, this concept of the reasonable officer. yes, that is exactly right. and it's that combination of the hybrid proof with that reasonable officer standard that makes it so hard to secure the convictions. what other chances, do you think, of a conviction in this particular case in buffalo? how do you think this case will proceed? well, the video is very strong evidence. it really is. like i said, it is really going to turn on thejurors said, it is really going to turn on the jurors was that the fa ct turn on the jurors was that the fact it was captured on video and everything that you chose, it really tugged at the heart strings, it really shows what

has been endemic about policing in america. when it comes to the trial, it will highlight how crucial jury selection the trial, it will highlight how crucialjury selection is in selecting fair and impartial jurors. what are the chances of changing the way police approach situations like this? i think it is going to be very tough. the culture of policing is one that is deeply embedded and one that is very hard to change. in fact, and one that is very hard to change. infact, even and one that is very hard to change. in fact, even during these last few weeks with the ground of support you have seen across the country, local police departments have also shown a stubborn resistance to change. here in new york city you see the nypd still brutally arresting protesters who are just exercising their rights and they are acting in a lawless manner. i think that changes are going to be very ha rd to changes are going to be very hard to come, but i'm cautiously optimistic this movement is going to really push forward and sustain the change we need. in fact, earlier today the new york state senate passed a bill

repealing police secrecy law 50 a, the governorjust has to sign itand a, the governorjust has to sign it and that is a common sense first step towards accountability so we can get the transparency we need to hold police officers to account. how likely do think it is giving the move to defund police departments, that some functions will be taken away from the police? at the moment president trump is very much against it, so isjoe biden. president trump is very much against it, so isjoe bidenlj think it is going to take time. this is going to be a situation that local governments and local jurisdictions that local governments and localjurisdictions are really going to have to deal with on their own. but when they talk about the funding the police we re about the funding the police were also talking investing in communities and in the wake of the covid—i9 crisis right here right now, what we're talking about is the importance of investing in public health and in social services and resources so the needs of our community are actually mad. jennvine wong, thank you very much. —— needs of the community are actually met.

stay with us on bbc news. still to come: we hear from the gospal singer who performed at george floyd's funeral service. the day the british liberated the falklands. and by tonight, british troops had begun the task of disarming the enemy. in the heart of the west german capital, this was gorby—mania at its height. the crowd packed to see the man who for them has raised great hopes foran end to the division of europe. it happened as the queen moved towards horse guards parade for the start of trooping the colour. gunshots the queen looks worried but recovers quickly. as long as they'll pay to go and see me, i'll get out there and kick 'em

down the hill. what does it feel like to be the first man to go across the channel by your own power? it feels pretty neat. it feels marvellous, really. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the funeral of african—american george floyd, whose death in police custody caused global outrage, hears impassioned pleas for racialjustice. president trump provokes criticism by accusing an elderly protester, who was injured by the police, of being an extremist provocateur. tens of thousands of people across the uk have taken part in a wave of anti—racism protests, triggered by george floyd's death. many hope the protests will be a catalyst for change. after a statue of the slave—trader edward colston was toppled in bristol on sunday, attention has turned

to other public statues. there was a large protest outside an oxford college demanding that the statue of the imperialist cecil rhodes is taken down too. those protists have new energy now. from there reeta chakra barti reports. oxford, the latest flashpoint in a national clamour for change. this battle though has been going on for years. cecil rhodes, a i9th—century imperialist, represents for these protesters, the unacceptable face of british history and they want his statue gone. he is basically a crook, in my opinion, who went to other countries and exploited those countries for his own game. he doesn't stand for my values, and i don't want to see him celebrated. so i am here with my little sister, we are from botswana, our mum's from botswana, and actually her father was made stateless by an apartheid government that was in part started and definitely helped to perpetuate by cecil rhodes.

i'm from germany myself, i'm black, half white. and i know how important it is to look critically into the history and there are certain parts of all cultures which are quite negative. the killing of george floyd has sparked protests across the world and across the uk. in bristol this weekend, this ended with the controversial toppling of the statue of the slave trader, edward colston. but should history be obliterated in this way? scotland's first black professor says not. i'm absolutely adamant that, you start removing the statues or street names to do with slavery, in 50 years' time you will forget the history of that slavery. and maybe some racists might be quite happy for you to take them down because you are taking down your history. he backs the action in edinburgh today to add a plaque to the melville monument making clear the ties of henry dundas

to the slave trade. plymouth is doing the same with a statue of the slavist, sir francis drake. in denbigh in wales there is pressure to take down henry stanley. and in london, the monument of the slaver robert milligan was removed with a review of all the capital's statues and street names announced by the mayor. they say thqt they want to erase a racist monument from the streets of oxford but, even if others agree — and it is a big if — how does any of this help solve the deep inequalities that exist in the uk between black and white? it is huge symbolism. and i hope it is a catalyst, a catalyst for a conversation, a catalyst for policy change, that i want my child to go to school and to know the full story, uncomfortable truths, about how this united kingdom became great. it became great because it enslaved millions of people. silence for the minutes it took for george floyd to die.

the killing of a black man thousands of miles away has prompted a massive soul searching here at home. and in a statement oriel college in oxford it does not answer the question proper but does say... mike pompeo has criticised the british bank saying it is backing beijing new security law, accusing china of browbeating the bank saying it showed why countries should

avoid economic overreliance on china. an penguins have been removed from official list of medicines in china. ——. pierre nkurunziza medicines in china. ——. pierre nkuru nziza has died medicines in china. ——. pierre nkurunziza has died in hospital. he has been pinotti's leaderfor 50 years hospital. he has been pinotti's leader for 50 years and has been accused of corruption. as we've seen the service for george floyd in houston hosted a huge array of empassioned eulogies, tributes and messages of solidarity. music played also played a central role during the order of service, with mouners joining in song during the emtoional occasion. —— the emotional occasion. here's just one example...

# here is what we are fighting for, your kindness, kindness, kindness, your kindness, your love. black lives matter, no matter the colour, no matter the education, when we are dying, love, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do us part, love us, love supreme, he loves us, love supreme. that was nakitta foxx, director of praise and worship at houston's fountain of praise church. shejoins me now from houston.

thank you very much for talking to us. that was quite something. give us a sense of the tone you would trying to strike and the message you are trying to send. thank you for having me. the tone i was trying to send today, first of all to the family, just to comfort them and to let them know that they are loved, not only by the people but by our god and just to give us some sense of hope, even with what is going on right now. we are all out and we are fighting for this cause and know that they are paid because they lost a loved one and we want them to be encouraged and to know that god is still worthy of praise and still loves them. you really made the music ring at a music plays a particular part in this kind of occasion. it is a comfort and also a rallying

cry? a comfort and also a rallying es, a comfort and also a rallying cry? yes, it is, yes, it is. i've heard at one point the song change is going to come, you had when sam cook wrote that and how long it has been since he wrote. we're fighting for it. it has not really come yet. i mean, we have come a long ways but we still have a long ways but we still have a long ways but we still have a long ways to go so, yes, i am honoured and i am blessed now to see that we are actually taking some steps forward to make that change happen. given if the global response, you have more hope this is a real moment of change? yes, i do, i do have a real hope because i have seen so many people from so many different places come together into this particular insta nce together into this particular instance and it is amazing to me, even with the viewing yesterday, there were so many

people, from everywhere, they came to pay tribute and then people are protesting all over the world for the cause and for change to come. i know you up from houston, tell us more about george's background ? from houston, tell us more about george's background? do you know where he came from?” did not know him personally but just by listening to his family speak, i know that he grew up ina speak, i know that he grew up in a community of houston, the third ward, one of our inner cities, and it is not one of the more ritzy neighbourhoods but more of a close—knit family type neighbourhood, not a lot of people with a whole lot of money but that is the most that i know about his upbringing and about him. a tough

neighbourhood to make it through. yes. whether standout moments for you today? there are actually two. the first one was when my man spoke to us. —— mayor, i was proud to be from houston, just to hear him talk about the laws he's trying to get about police brutality, just to make sure that shooting is the last method of apprehending anyone so that we do not have to continue to see so many people being killed, you know, for... for it being an injustice. that was one of the standout moments. just being proud to be from houston because my mayor is doing what needs to be done to see the

change we need to see come. and another part, at the end of the ceremony, when they were carrying about in his gold cascade, and human being from where he came from and the song i shall wear a crown was being played and just knowing that his purpose was for field through his life. —— forfield. i was promised that you might just give us a few lines of we shall overcome to take us off air. # we shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall ove rco m e shall overcome, we shall overcome some day, though, deep in my heart, i do believe that

we shall overcome some some day. #. hello there. we'll take a look at the uk unsettled weather picture injust a moment, but first of all, one place that has seen some very high temperatures over the last 2a hours is the arctic circle, where temperatures reached 30 degree celsius on tuesday. amazing to think temperatures can get that high that far north, but they do from time to time. that, though, could be a newjune record for that particular area. looking at our weather picture, it is unsettled. we saw rain gathering across the north—west of the uk yesterday, and that was associated with an area of low pressure, and that low pressure is moving right over the heart of the united kingdom for today.

so we are looking at an unsettled day. often it's going to be cloudy, often we're looking at spells of rain, that could be quite lengthy spells of rain and, at times, pretty heavy as well. perhaps some of the heaviest bursts of rain working across the western side of the countries, so wales, maybe north—west england. there will be some areas that don't see too much in the way of rain. but i think they are going to be the lucky few. for most of us, it stays pretty wet. temperatures between 14 and around 18 degrees for most of us. now, once that area of rain has moved south, you might think, "phew, we got rid of it," but, no, this particular area of low pressure is going to deepen and spin back northwards. all said and done, we'll be seeing the low influence our weather for the next six days, so we better get used to it, i suppose. on thursday, we have further outbreaks of rain, moving in across parts of england and wales. some of the heaviest falls of rain could be working in across parts of north—east england. it looks like it could turn very wet here for a time. and increasingly, ithink, as we go on through the next few days, when the rain does come along, it's got a tendency

to become quite heavy. thursday is going to be a windier day, and it's going to start to feel a little bit more humid as well. now, for friday, we've got further bands of rain pushing their way northwards. probably the heaviest coming into southern parts of england and southern wales. a real chance of some thundery downpours here, might even see some localised surface water flooding for a time. generally, the less rainy weather will be across the north—west of the country, but nowhere is immune from seeing an odd downpour. and that trend continues on into the weekend as well. for saturday, it's a day of sunshine and heavy thundery showers. those showers could be quite intense. perhaps some of the heaviest of them towards wales and parts of south—west england. it's a humid day, temperatures are rising. we're looking at highs up to 24. but it is going to stay unsettled.

this is bbc news. the headlines: in houston, texas, a funeral service has been held for george floyd, whose killing by police in minneapolis triggered anti—racism protests around the world. the eulogy from the civil rights leader al sharpton included an impassioned plea for police reform and justice. president trump chose the same day to promote a conspiracy theory that suggests a man pushed over by police during protests in buffalo last week was an extremist provocateur. the victim struck his head and is still critically ill. his lawyer says the family are at a loss as to why mr trump made "a dark, dangerous and untrue accusation. " there've been more demonstrations triggered by george floyd's death across the uk. many protesters are turning their attention to public statues depicting slave owners. at oxford university, there've been renewed protests ina long—running campaign for oriel college to remove an image of cecil rhodes.