Typhoon Melor: 700,000 evacuated from central Philippines

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from the central Philippines on 14 December as Typhoon Melor made landfall with winds of up to 95mph, dumping heavy rain that could cause flooding, landslides and storm surges, authorities warned. About 40 domestic flights were grounded, while 73 ferries and hundreds of fishing boats were ordered to remain in port as Melor hit the village of Batag on the northern tip of Samar island. Dec 14, 2015

Syria: Footage shows devastating aftermath of Russian air strikes

Videos uploaded to social media purport to show the devastating aftermath of Russian air strikes in Deir al-Zor, Aleppo and Damascus on 7 December. The first video appears to show debris and damaged buildings in the eastern Deir al-Zor province. The air strikes are said to have been undertaken by Russian forces. Dec 8, 2015