DR Congo, Afghanistan, the Koreas.

Today's three stories you should know.

DR Congo

I feel like we’ve covered DR Congo more than any other story since Proximities returned so, forgive me for leading with it again today, but it’s important and it struggles to make the top headlines. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group killed at least 140 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month, according to a report published today by Human Rights Watch. Amnesty International today also released a report in which it said sexual violence, including gang rapes, has become rampant in the region, which has been the center of fighting between myriad armed groups for decades. Peace talks have been held in Qatar between the government and the M23 but appear to have faltered. Eastern DR Congo is rich in minerals coveted by the militias.

More from DW here.

Afghanistan

A bus carrying refugees returning to Afghanistan from Iran has crashed, killing at least 78 people, including 17 children, according to officials. "There was a lot of fire ... There was a lot of screaming, but we couldn't even get within 50 metres to rescue anyone," 34-year-old eyewitness Akbar Tawakoli told AFP. At least 1.5 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan this year from Pakistan and Iran after being forced out, according to the UN refugee agency. The Taliban government in Afghanistan is struggling to reintegrate them as it grapples with a battered economy, widespread poverty and sky-high unemployment.

More from AFP via France 24 here.

The Koreas

North Korea has dismissed an apparent olive branch from South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung. Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong ridiculed Lee’s remarks as “gibberish,” calling his policies two-faced given the South’s continued participation in military drills with the U.S., widely seen as rehearsals for war with the North. "The North Korean leader sees little need to engage with Washington since he is receiving far more substantial benefits from Russia with fewer conditions than he could attain from the United States," Bruce Klingner, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, told Reuters.

More from Reuters here.