With the rise of Reform and the flag-raising phenomenon, it’s hard not to recall my family’s struggles with racism, from Teddy Boys attacking my pregnant mother to me being told to ‘go back to the jungle’ at only five years old, writes ROGER MCKENZIE

THERE WERE calls heard around the world this weekend for Russia to end its attack on Ukraine which has been going on now for five days since it violated international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty by crossing the border into that country with troops and weapons.
As the fighting continued in Ukraine’s major cities this weekend and the death toll mounted, there were new developments that offered a glimmer of hope. Ukraine and Russia agreed to hold talks in a neutral location on the border between Ukraine and Belarus.
Successful diplomacy to solve the crisis must begin with the cessation of Russian military operations in Ukraine and give serious attention to a number of critical issues.

