Cameroon, Indonesia, India

Today's three stories you should know

Cameroon

Cameroonians are in shock after the country’s top opposition leader Anicet Ekane died in prison after five weeks of detention. Ekane had been held on charges of insurrection along with senior members of his African Movement for New Independence and Democracy party since protests erupted over a disputed presidential election result in October. The 74-year-old’s family and lawyers say he was denied medical treatment, which the government denies. Ekane was one of a coalition of opposition figures who backed Issa Tchiroma Bakary to challenge 92-year-old President Paul Biya. After rejecting the result, which returned Biya to power for another seven-year term, Bakary fled to Gambia where the government has said it is giving him asylum to protect his safety.

More from RFI here.

Indonesia

The death toll from catastrophic flooding across Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand has shot past 1,300, according to official figures, as rescuers scramble to save stranded survivors with thousands of people stuck on rooftops and clinging to trees. Some 800 people are still unaccounted for. In Indonesia, the worst-hit nation, rescue workers have struggled to reach villages due to collapsed bridges and submerged roads. Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake warned that the death toll is likely much higher than the number so far confirmed.

More from AP here.

India

The Indian government has ordered all cell phone manufacturers to pre-load a state-run cybersecurity app on devices, prompting concerns about privacy and surveillance. Firms have 90 days to comply with the mandate and include the Sanchar Saathi app, which cannot be disabled or altered, on their handsets. “In plain terms, this converts every smartphone sold in India into a vessel for state mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully refuse, control, or remove,” advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation said in a statement. India is one of the world’s biggest phone markets with more than 1.2 billion mobile users.

More from BBC here.