DR Congo, Israel-Palestine, Sierra Leone.

Today's three stories you should know.

DR Congo

A horrific 145 people are feared dead after a passenger boat sank on a river in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to local officials. The boat was on its way to the neighboring Republic of Congo when - overloaded with people, goods, and animals - it capsized on the the Lulonga River. Authorities said about 55 people had survived the disaster. Boat sinkings are sadly common in DRC where travel by often unreliable and laden-down craft is the only option in remote areas poorly served by road networks. Adequate rescue capabilities are also rare.

More from AP here.

Israel-Palestine

Israeli soldiers today shot a schoolteacher dead as he tried to give first aid to a wounded Palestinian fighter, according to paramedics on the scene. The fighter was also killed. Jawad Bouaqneh, who was a father of six, was killed directly outside his family home. The killing comes amid near-daily Israeli army raids in the occupied West Bank that Israel says are aimed at crushing Palestinian armed groups in the wake of a series of Palestinian attacks on Israelis. At least 17 Palestinians have been killed in the raids since the beginning of January, including four children.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Sierra Leone

Some good news out of Sierra Leone today. A landmark women’s rights bill was passed, which includes a provision to guarantee 30 percent of government and private sector jobs for women. "Today is an historic day when Sierra Leone can rightly say it has legislation carefully designed to do away with gender inequality," Gender Minister Manty Tarawalli said, adding that more would need to be done before the country could say equality had been achieved. The legislation includes harsh penalties for businesses who don’t comply, including hefty fines and even potential prison time.

More from BBC here.