By António Guterres

Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting freedom of speech. To prevent it from escalating, we need to treat it as we treat every malicious act

Around the world, hate is on the march.

A menacing wave of intolerance and hate-based violence is targeting worshippers of many faiths across the globe. Sadly – and disturbingly – such vicious incidents are becoming all too familiar.

Related: From Christchurch to Colombo, Islamists and the far right are playing a deadly duet | Scott Atran

To those who insist on using fear to divide communities, we must say: diversity is a richness, never a …read more

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By Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Jeremy Hunt calls for investigation into ‘violent scenes’ during protests

The UK is suspending future sales of teargas and other crowd control equipment to Hong Kong until an independent investigation is held into allegations of police brutality during mass protests earlier this month.

The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who is campaigning to be the next prime minister, said no new export licences would be approved until concerns about human rights abuses were “thoroughly addressed”. His statement appeared to leave existing export licences untouched, including open licences not due to expire until 2020.

Related: ‘We have no other choice’: …read more

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By Damian Carrington Environment editor

Right to life is likely to be undermined alongside the rule of law, special rapporteur says

The world is increasingly at risk of “climate apartheid”, where the rich pay to escape heat and hunger caused by the escalating climate crisis while the rest of the world suffers, a report from a UN human rights expert has said.

Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the impacts of global heating are likely to undermine not only basic rights to life, water, food, and housing for hundreds of millions of people, but also democracy and the rule of law.

…read more

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By Helen Davidson

Human Rights Watch says ‘generic statements of concern’ not enough, and Australia must increase public pressure

As Australia approaches the halfway mark of its term on the United Nations human rights council, it must do more to stand up against abusive nations, Human Rights Watch says.

HRW has written to the foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, urging her to push for a more active and creative presence on the council.

Related: US accuses China of using ‘concentration camps’ against Muslim minority

Related: Military urged to vet foreign forces trained in Australia amid human rights concerns

Continue …read more

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By Mark Townsend Home Affairs Editor

Calais-based human rights observers report ‘relentless harassment’ of asylum seekers

British and French authorities have ramped up attempts to prevent refugees reaching the UK with camp evictions in north France running at several a day, new analysis reveals.

More than 800 clearances of migrant camps near the ports of Calais and Dunkirk have been recorded since last August, a zero tolerance strategy that campaigners say is designed to stop migrants attempting to cross the Channel by boat.

Continue reading… …read more

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By Alex Hern

Human rights committee launches inquiry into right to privacy and digital revolution

Widespread data collection practices lead to self-censorship and discrimination even though most users are not fully aware of how much their privacy is being infringed, a parliamentary committee has been warned.

On Wednesday, the human rights committee, beginning its inquiry into the right to privacy and the digital revolution, published evidence from privacy and data protection organisations including the Information Commissioner’s Office, Liberty and Privacy International.

Related: It’s not enough to break up Big Tech. We need to imagine a better alternative | Evgeny Morozov

Continue reading… …read more

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By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington and Jon Swaine in New York

Novalpina Capital to establish new rules at NSO Group following multiple allegations that technology was used to spy on dissidents and the media

A controversial Israeli cyber weapons company has agreed to establish new internal rules on ways it will protect human rights activists and journalists following multiple allegations that its technology was used to spy on dissidents and the media.

Its majority owner, Novalpina Capital, a UK private equity firm, has promised a “significant enhancement of respect for human rights” at NSO Group, whose Pegasus software was recently alleged to have infected phones through a glitch in the WhatsApp messaging …read more

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By Editorial

A 21st-century parliament should not force any woman to choose between being a mother and an MP

Almost a third of parliamentarians in the House of Commons are women, an all-time high. This success is beginning to highlight the archaic working practices that prevent parliament from being representative of the nation it serves. In a brave and important article for these pages, the Labour MP Stella Creasy outlined her fight to get paid maternity cover for her work as a parliamentarian outside of the Commons. Ms Creasy has suffered repeated miscarriages. She now is pregnant again and …read more

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By Editorial

The former president played his part in destroying the hopes of the revolution. But his treatment speaks volumes about the regime which ousted him

Real-life events can bear a remarkable symbolic power. The advent of Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president in 2012 was one of them. His collapse, in a courtroom “cage” on Monday, after years of inadequate medical care, is another. Egyptians who would otherwise shed no tears for Mohamed Morsi can still regret the nature of his passing and what it says about their stolen revolution. He helped to destroy their hopes. The …read more

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By Antoine Buyse

Often in the face of of brutal crackdowns, street protesters are finding new ways to challenge repressive regimes

• Antoine Buyse is a professor of human rights and director of the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights

The massive demonstrations of recent weeks in Hong Kong and Sudan may seem to be totally disparate events. But they have more in common than meets the eye. The attempts by the authorities to disperse them with threats of violence or with peaceful promises is part of a wider global crackdown on people taking to the streets. But the creativity of protesters in finding ever …read more

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