• Germany's Cabinet approved a mandate offering military assistance, including the deployment of up to 1,200 German troops, to the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria.
• Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Iraq has enough manpower to fight the Islamic State and that his government would prefer — rather than more U.S. troops —more weapons, air support and training from its international partners.
• Russian Su-34 bombers flying missions in Syria began operating with air-to-air missiles.
• The Russian Finance Ministry supports the privatization of oil giant Rosneft, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.
• U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Syria and Ukraine on the sidelines of the climate talks in Paris.
• Chinese manufacturing activity hit a three-year low in November.
• Chinese authorities ordered some 2,100 highly polluting factories to shut down in attempt to ease the hazardous levels of smog currently choking parts of the country.
• The Swiss government is nearing an agreement with the European Union over immigration restrictions, a year after Swiss voters approved immigration quotas.
• Colombia's armed forces and national police have killed the head of the leftist guerrilla National Liberation Army.
• Roch Marc Kabore won Burkina Faso's presidential election, likely making him the West African country's first new leader in decades.
