POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
George Floyd was bid an emotional farewell on Tuesday, as friends and family celebrated his life and hailed him as a force for change.
Some 2,500 people attended his funeral in Floyd's hometown Houston on Tuesday, where he was remembered as a father, brother, athlete and mentor.
"I can breathe. And as long as I'm breathing, justice will be served," Floyd's niece Brooklyn Williams declared in a eulogy. "This is not just a murder but a hate crime."
She was one of several relatives and friends who paid tribute to the man they called "Big Floyd".
Meanwhile, civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton said Floyd left behind a legacy of greatness despite growing up in a Houston housing project as "an ordinary brother".
His death under the knee of a white police officer sparked a global movement for racial justice and an end to police brutality.
Former Vice President Joe Biden also addressed the funeral service via a video recording. “We must not turn away. We cannot leave this moment thinking we can once again turn away from racism,” he said.
Hamas decided not to respond or engage with Israel's counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, an official told Reuters on Wednesday, affirming it is committed to the mediators' plan instead.
Israel launched airstrikes on military airbases and infrastructure sites in the Syrian cities of Damascus, Hama and Homs on Wednesday, the Israeli military said.
The White House has confirmed that tech billionaire Elon Musk will stay on to complete his mission to slash government spending and downsize the federal workforce, dismissing media reports that he will leave the role soon.
At least one person was killed and 10 injured, including three children, in overnight drone attacks by Russia on Ukraine, officials said on Wednesday. Various attacks also damaged energy facilities in two regions, according to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Israel announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to its security zones, accompanied by large-scale evacuation of population.