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Statue of Confederate general Lee removed from US Capitol

Washington (AFP) - A statue of Robert E. Lee, a commander for the pro-slavery South during the US Civil War, was removed from the Capitol building early Monday, officials said, part of a reckoning with the country's history of racism. "Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol," tweeted the state's governor, Ralph Northam.  "This is an important step forward -- it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion," he continued.  During the 1861-1865 Civil War, the Confederate South seceded from the United States and fough...

Wealth of US billionaires soars during pandemic

New York (AFP) - America's billionaires have seen their wealth rise by more than $1 trillion since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study Wednesday, fueling a debate about higher taxes on the rich. The collective wealth of the 651 billionaires in the United States soared from $2.95 trillion on March 18 to $4.01 billion on Monday, said the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF). "Never before has America seen such an accumulation of wealth in so few hands," said Frank Clemente, ATF's executive director, noting that the gain exceeds a relief packag...

Korean immigrant drama 'Minari' pushes language, acting barriers

Seoul (AFP) - A critically acclaimed family drama about Korean immigrants in the US is being touted as an Oscar contender after "Parasite" broke down barriers to non-English-language movies winning the highest-profile accolades.Based on Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung's own experiences growing up in rural America in the 1980s, "Minari" won both the audience and grand jury prizes for US dramas at this year's Sundance Film Festival.After a sold-out Asian premiere last week at the Busan film festival, Asia's largest, Hollywood trade outlet Variety reported the film's stars -- including K...

Release US grand jury transcripts in Breonna Taylor case: lawyer

Louisville (United States) (AFP) - The family of Breonna Taylor on Friday demanded US authorities release grand jury transcripts to show why no police will face direct criminal charges over her death, which has galvanized police brutality protesters.Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency room technician, was shot dead in Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, on March 13 after three plainclothes policemen executing a search warrant burst into her apartment in the middle of the night.Her boyfriend exchanged fire with the officers, who he said he thought were intruders. The family's lawyer Ben...