Round-up

1. Here's a really cynical opinion piece by someone who wants us to know racism isn't dead:

Racism is dead. Right? Isn't that why no one talks about it anymore in "polite" conversation? That's why any commentary on race is met with replies of "those damn minorities are never satisfied." Racism is dead. That is why you may have already dismissed this column as something you have heard before. It is the reason why Affirmative Action was struck down in Michigan, right? Because racism is dead in America-at least that's what they keep trying to tell me.

It goes on in this fashion. What would we do without such morally sound individuals, eh? What's racism, again?

2. AFRICA - Billiton has slammed as "untrue and irresponsible" the National Union of Mineworkers' (NUM) claims of racism at its manganese mine in the Northern Cape.

The NUM has charged that black workers had to walk 2km to the nearest bus stop, while employees of other races were collected at their homes.

BHP Billiton, meanwhile, claimed that instead of picking up employees at their homes, the company had recently instituted a centralised pick-up point.

Case closed.