Malaysia

The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended on Jan. 17, without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search said. 

Military leaders from 14 countries on Jan. 15 agreed to support Turkey's ongoing Euphrates Shield operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in northern Syria. 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has ordered his troops to bomb extremists who flee with their captives in a bid to stop a wave of kidnappings at sea, calling the loss of civilian lives in such an attack "collateral damage."

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck off Indonesia's Maluku Islands on Jan. 14. 

The number of maritime kidnappings hit a ten-year high in 2016, with waters off the southern Philippines becoming increasingly dangerous, the International Maritime Bureau said Jan. 10.

While the overall number of pirate attacks has declined in recent years, the IMB said 62 people worldwide were kidnapped for ransom at sea last year compared to only 19 in 2015 and nine in 2014.

According to the Passport Index annual report Greece is in the 6th position in the world ranking, as the Greek passport holders can travel to 153 countries without the need of a visa.

The Passport Index is an indicator of the strength of the passports of all countries based on the number of countries they can travel to without visa.

The United States on Dec. 23 allowed the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, defying heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and President-elect Donald Trump for Washington to wield its veto.

Saudi Arabia's largest telecommunications firm STC plans to buy a 10 percent stake in car booking firm Careem, the company said on Dec. 18.

Careem is a competitor of U.S.-based Uber, a smartphone app that connects passengers and drivers.

Christine Jiaxin Lee, who splurged on luxury items after Australian bank Westpac accidentally transferred AUD $4.6 million ($3.4 million) into her account, has pleaded not guilty. Lee, 21, a Malaysian chemical engineering student who has been living in Australia for five years on a student visa, arrived at her hearing in Downing Centre Court on Tuesday.

Aung San Suu Kyi must step in to prevent the "genocide" of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Malaysia's prime minister said on Dec. 4 as he mocked the Nobel laureate for her inaction.