December 4, 2015 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- A mortar attack in Afghanistan's central Wardak province kills at least 12 people. (Tolo News)
- Military intervention against ISIL
- In an act of solidarity with France following the Paris massacre, Germany's parliament (the Bundestag) approves measures to move past the military's primary defensive role, to send six of its 29 operational, yet aged, Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, and as many as 1,200 soldiers to support the coalition missions against Islamic State militants in Syria. The airplanes will be limited to support activities; they will not fly combat missions. (The Los Angeles Times), (Reuters), (CNN)
- 2015 San Bernardino shooting
- Tashfeen Malik, the female suspect in the San Bernardino, California shootings pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant online. (BBC)
- 2015 Cairo restaurant fire
- A firebomb is thrown into a restaurant in the Egyptian capital of Cairo killing 17 people. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit hears arguments about whether the net neutrality rules of the Federal Communications Commission are within the FCC's statutory mandate. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2015 South Indian floods
- Many parts of Chennai still remain flooded, including almost all of South Chennai. Food and other basics are in short supply throughout the city. (The Times of India)
Law and crime
- The Obama Administration and the International Rescue Committee ask a federal judge to reject attempts by Texas to block Syrian refugees from resettling in the state. Later, the Texas Attorney General withdraws the state’s December 2, 2015 request for a temporary restraining order. (The New York Daily News), (AP via The Washington Post)
- The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal case concerning Puerto Rico's restructuring of debt. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Authorities name Shi Taifeng Acting Governor of Jiangsu province in China, replacing Li Xueyong, who retired due to age. (Sina)