Turkey, DR Congo, Syria.

Today's three stories you should know.

Turkey

At least six people have been killed and 81 wounded after a blast ripped through the heart of central Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said initial intelligence indicated it was an attack and that it “smells like terrorism.” Footage posted online showed flames burning and civilians fleeing as a loud bang was heard at 4:20pm local time on a busy street. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

More from AP here.

DR Congo

Negotiations have begun between the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda after weeks of sky-high tensions over the activities of a rampant rebel group operating in the east of DRC. The M23 armed group, which had been quiet for years, emerged fighting from the bush recently accusing the Congolese government of reneging on a deal to integrate its members into the national army. DRC says the group is backed by Rwanda, something Kigali consistently denies.

More from BBC here

Syria

Israeli bombing raids on a Syrian airbase have killed two soldiers and wounded eight, according to the Syrian military. A statement from the army said Israeli warplanes let fly with several missiles, some of which were shot down and some of which hit the base in the province of Homs. Israel has carried out hundreds of air raids inside Syria during the country’s 10-year-old civil war but rarely acknowledges them publicly.

More from Al Jazeera here.