Fighting began in the key central Iraqi city of Tikrit, birthplace of the former dictator Saddam Hussein, as government forces and Shia militia launched a major assault to displace Isis jihadists.

A director of an international human rights organisation has admitted he was involved in preventing a black French man from entering a Paris underground train amid racist chanting by Chelsea football fans.

A video of a woman who appears to tell a passenger that his ancestors "used to be slaves" during an argument on the London Underground is being investigated by police.

Society still expects women to behave like women and men to behave like men, and accept the benefits and disadvantages our genders are entitled to, writes Heather du Plessis-Allan.

"I am a Muslim. I am labelled as a terrorist. I trust you. Do you trust me? Give me a hug." And with that, Mustafa Mawla waited for someone to hug him.

When Benedict Cumberbatch put his foot in it, he copped abuse. He’s not alone in falling into the language trap.

Organisers of a Maori basketball tournament have hit back at accusations it banned non-Maori coaches and staff from entering the competition.

Organisers of a basketball tournament have been called on to allow a girls' team to play after they were refused entry because their coach wasn't Maori.

In New Zealand, there used to be a widely held view that sport had nothing to do with politics. This was not only naive but also wrong, writes Dame Susan Devoy.

A YouGov survey in England found nearly half of the population agreed with one of four anti-Semitic statements.

When it comes to home-grown anti-Semitism, France leads the world, writes Stephen Pollard.

So far we've identified the achievements of the Treaty settlement and reconciliation process, and flagged that the process is now being pushed beyond the point of being useful.

Lesbians earn significantly more than their heterosexual colleagues while gay men earn less, according to a World Bank study.

She's the first female driver in Formula One for 20 years - and the sexism she's encountered just doesn't seem to stop.

As the Sydney siege threatens to open up old prejudices, hashtag #illridewithyou has led a call for unity.

In a strong display of unity after the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the relatives of African Americans killed by officers in similar incidents dating back more than a....

The number of women in senior leadership roles in the public service has inched up but female leaders are still being paid 8 per cent less than their male colleagues.

Black America has again been reminded that its children are not seen as worthy of being alive - in part because they are not seen as children at all, but as threats to white lives.

The officer who fatally shot Michael Brown has remained silent as unanswered questions simmered - until now.

'It's a hotbed for the degradation of women.' A number of sexual assaults has seen several US colleges move to suspend fraternities.

The US town of Ferguson woke to scenes of destruction after a night of looting and arson that followed a decision not to charge a white cop who killed a black teen.

Michael Brown's parents called for protesters to work peacefully for positive change after a grand jury failed to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the killing of their son.

What happened in Ferguson with the shooting of Michael Brown, a black man, by a white police officer and why it matters in America.

After months of tension, marches and sporadic violence, and following the unbearable anxiety of waiting in the past few days, there was a surreal pause on the streets of Michael Brown's home town. Then outrage.

The story of the Ferguson riot protests has been captured by Associated Press photographers across America.

We've had reports of abuse by Kiwis who think all Muslims are terrorists. I say to those responsible: when you scream at them as you drive by, you are terrifying them.

Experts are warning employers advertising for "young" staff" could be in breach of the Human Rights Act.

The chief executive of Apple has spoken of his pride in being gay, calling it "among the greatest gifts God has given me".

On Friday I attended a one-day international between the Black Caps and South Africa at the Bay Oval in Tauranga.