First Covid-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub to be set up in South Africa as poorer countries are running out of vaccines;  Myanmar’s junta is torturing children; Cambodia’s government should drop charges against environmental activists; plans by Sudan’s transitional government to create joint security force trigger concerns; France should not buy into Rwanda’s rewriting of the past and present; Romani man in the Czech Republic dies after police officer knelt on his neck; EU should make respect for human rights condition for closer ties with Turkey and finally start defending rights in members Poland and Hungary, too; and UEFA bans show of support for LGBT people at European Championships.

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A large number of poorer countries are running out of Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. With less than 2 per cent of its populations vaccinated so far, some countries on the African continent are seeing a devastating third wave of infections. The good news is: A South African consortium is establishing the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub with support from the WHO.

Since Myanmar’s military took power in a coup on February 1, torture, routine beatings and gender-based violence have all been par for the course under its  brutal regime. The junta is even torturing children.

The Cambodian government should immediately drop baseless conspiracy and “insulting the king” charges against four environmental activists.

Plans by Sudan’s transitional government to create a new joint security force tasked with ensuring the rule of law and fighting security threats across the country have triggered well-founded concerns - not least because some constituent forces have poor rights records.

While France is on a path to grappling with its responsibilities in past atrocities in Rwanda, French president Emmanuel Macron should beware of buying into the country's rewritten narratives about the past and redacted views of the present.

A video reminiscent of the killing of George Floyd in the US last year, showing police officers in the city of Teplice kneeling for several minutes on a young Romani man’s neck, has gone viral in the Czech Republic. The man died soon after. 

European Union officials should make the respect for human rights a prerequisite for closer ties and more trade with Turkey when they meet for an EU summit this week.

After years of foot-dragging, European Union affairs ministers will finally be scrutinizing the rule-of law and human rights situations in Poland and Hungary today.

Meanwhile, UEFA has declined an application by Munich’s city council to light up the European Championship stadium in the colors of the rainbow for Germany’s match against Hungary tomorrow. The city had wanted to show support for LGBT people in Hungary, whose basic rights are under assault.