Round-up

1. Tory Councillor Lucy Ivimy of the Hammersmith and Fulham council in west London has sparked a racism row by accusing immigrants, particularly Indians, of showing a “total disregard for cleanliness of a public area.” She said that the council estate was being blighted by rubbish thrown from flats. “I know that in India, throwing rubbish out of a window is normal and I dare say a number of them would change if firmly told that in London this is not acceptable behaviour,” she said, according to a report in the Mail. Ivimy admitted later, “This was a hastily written, ill thought out, stupid, personal mail. I can see how the comments may be offensive. That was never my intention and therefore I apologise.”

2. Ananya Dance Theatre, a community of women artists of color who focus on building community and creating social change "through the dialogue of dance", intends to address local concerns as well as global issues. The issue in question, "environmental racism", includes "uprooting people from their homes", says Ananya, as well as "capricious enforcement of environmental rules and regulations that negatively impact minority communities".

What a load of rubbish. The "dialogue of dance"? "Capricious enforcement" of environmental rules that negatively impact minority communities? All buzzwords and no substance.