 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch, where we bring you major news developments from around the world, our headlines. Killings continue in Colombia as national strike completes two months, two women's rights activists released from prison in South Arabia, pro-democracy protests continue in Swaziland amid escalating police violence, and in our video section, we take a look at Cuba's collaborative approach to health and vaccine development. In our first tour, a four-member of the now demobilized revolutionary armed forces of Colombia was killed over the weekend. The 25-year-old Norelia Trompeta was fatally shot on June 25th. At least 277 former FARC combatants have been killed since the peace records were signed in 2016. A special jurisdiction for peace had warned earlier that FARC members and activists were at high risk in Colombia. At least 80 social leaders have been assassinated so far in 2021. Right-through-Bindipas also reported the killing of five farmers in the Caqueta Department on June 26th. At least 172 people have been killed in 45 massacres recorded in Colombia this year. The violence has continued as the country marks two months of the national strike on June 28th. While the National Strike Committee has called off weekly demonstrations, the protests have continued. Moreover, social movements who have not found representation in the Committee's traditional union leadership have now formed the National People's Assembly. Protests in streets such as Bogota continue to be met with severe violence by the police and anti-riot SMAT forces. The Government of President Iván Duque has refused to provide guarantees for social protests. Right's group Defendar la Libertad has stated that over 80 people have been killed so far. Over 1,600 people have been injured, including at least 81, who have sustained eye injuries. There have been over 100 cases of sexual violence and firearms injuries. Right's group Justicia Epaz also reported the existence of mass graves and torture sites in Cali in May. Thousands of people have been detained and hundreds have been forcibly disappeared. As the strike continues, the Colombian people are demanding health care, education, employment and an end to police brutality. In our next story, two prominent rights activists have been released after the expiry of the sentences in Saudi Arabia. Samar Badavi and Naseem Al-Sadeh were released on June 27th after spending nearly three years in prison. Right's group ALQST announced the news on Sunday. Badavi and Al-Sadeh were arrested during a widespread crackdown in 2018. At least 12 people, including Eman and Nafjan Aziz Al-Yuzif, and now released activists Lujan Al-Haklun were detained at the same time. Following their arrest, these activists were subjected to brutal abuse and torture in prison. This included sexual harassment, beatings and electrocution. Most of those targeted had been campaigning for the women's right to drive and an end to the male guardianship system. Women are treated as legal minors, which means that they need permission of a male guardian for major decisions. While some changes were introduced to the system in 2019, several key restrictions remained. According to the Right's group Equality Now, women still need permission to marry, leave prison or exit a domestic abuse shelter. Activist Samar Badavi had fled to a shelter in 2008 after her father physically abused her. She then initiated legal proceedings to strip him of his guardianship. However, he filed a charge of disobedience against her, leading her to be imprisoned for seven months. Nassim Al-Sadeh had also campaigned for the right to drive and to abolish the guardianship system. She was also a candidate in the local elections in 2015. However, her name was later removed by authorities. In our next story, we go to Swaziland where pro-democracy protests continued over the weekend. People are demanding an end to the rule of the absolute monarchy in Maswati III. Defying a ban on protests, people gathered for the democracy now mobilizations on June 26. These protests were met with heavy police violence, including the use of tear gas, ammunition and batons. The Communist Party of Swaziland reported that one of its leaders had been arrested and tortured. Over a dozen other people were also arrested. As of the morning of June 28, they have not been able to meet their lawyer. About 3,000 people gathered in the Sipofaneni area again on Sunday to deliver a petition to the local MP. He has been one of the few pro-democracy legislators in Swaziland's parliament. As protesters tried to march to his office, they were met with tear gas. Meanwhile, some started small fires in an attempt to divert the security forces. Violence escalated as protesters later attempted to march to the house with the acting prime minister. The protests continued late to the night on Sunday. The current wave of protests in Swaziland was sparked by the suspect police killing of Tabani Nekamonye. People mobilized across the country in May under the Stogan justice for Tabani. Police violence against protesters sparked widespread outrage and led to a broader struggle against the monarchy. People are demanding an end to the corruption, poverty and king's absolute control over the political system. The king appoints the country's prime minister and two-thirds of the upper house of parliament. Political parties have also been banned by the monarchy since 1973. And for our final story, we look at Cuba's vaccine development process. Locally developed three-dose vaccine, Abdala, has shown 92.2 efficacy in the late stage trials. Moreover, the Soberana 2 vaccine has shown 62% efficacy with just two of its three doses. Cuba currently has five vaccine candidates at various stages of clinical trials. These vaccines are made during the protein subunit technology. This means that they remain stable at room temperature and can be stored between two and eight degrees Celsius. Cuba has also developed the Mambisa vaccine, which is in the form of nasal spray. This will make it easier to administer in countries with limited health facilities and personnel. Cuba and Mexico have also already committed to open licensing of their vaccines. Here is Health Journalist Jyotsana Singh to talk more about Cuba's collaborative approach. The vaccines have been developed by two institutes, CIGP and Finlay Institute in Cuba. So the scientists from both the institutes have always been in communication with each other. They had weekly meetings, every week they were sharing information. What that meant was that if you have a stumbling block and one of the scientists or the institutes, if they have been able to overcome it, the other institute does not have to go through the entire process if they face the same challenge. Now, this may sound like a very obvious thing to do, that that's how you need to work, but that does not happen in the capitalist world. If you look at the US, which is just 90 nautical miles from Cuba, the kind of competitive way in which their institutes work, the private sector especially, but also their public sector, there the idea is that you compete with each other and therefore you keep all your scientific success and discoveries secret. And therefore you don't learn from each other. And therefore we see that using the proteins of unit technology, Cuba's vaccines are among the first that have hit the market. The other private companies which are in competition are Novavax and Sanofi and all. It is only Novavax which has reached phase three trials and released data just a few days before Cuba. So despite spending so much of money, they could reach only there, whereas Cuba has been able to do such fantastic work. And they have five vaccines, Novavax has one. So let us not forget that. And they have been able to do it with their idea of collaboration. And then collaboration does not end only at producing and finally coming up with these vaccines because collaborative research by its very nature is anti-monopolistic, right? There's many institutes involved, there are many people involved, there is government involved. So when you do that, you are not asking for monopoly rights over these vaccines. Compared to again, if we look at the U.S., look at Pfizer's vaccine or Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. So Pfizer vaccine should have been called American vaccine, right? Because it was the initial discovery came in the public institutes of America. But no, because the monopoly rights are with the company. So it went on to become a company's property and is not accessible to everyone. And that is the monopoly right that Cuba's very way of doing science breaks. And therefore, we are seeing there is so much of excitement in the global South. Just last week, Progressive International had this summit on vaccine internationalism, which was attended by a lot of countries, governments, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, of course, Bolivia, and Indian state of Kerala was a part of it. Kenya's one province, Kisimo was a part of it. And all these countries have come together to ensure that they have access to vaccines, which they have been denied. That's all we have time for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more news from around the world. Until then, keep watching People's Dispatch.