Good morning! It’s Tuesday, February 4, 2025, and we’re back with your daily briefing on defense and global affairs. Here’s what’s making headlines today.

Car Bomb Strikes Syria’s Manbij, Adding to Rising Violence

A deadly car bombing in northern Syria’s Manbij killed 20 people, mostly women farm workers, in the latest surge of violence in the war-torn region.

The explosion reportedly targeted a vehicle transporting agricultural workers, leaving at least 15 others wounded, many critically.

No group has claimed responsibility yet, but the blast follows another deadly car bomb just days earlier.

Manbij has become a battleground between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey-backed factions.