It was a record-breaking year for Times of Malta, with traffic to timesofmalta.com shooting up by around one-third to reach almost 750,000 daily page views.
Readers from all across the world followed news of the Afriqiyah Airways hijack and October's plane crash on this website, and hundreds of thousands learnt of a restaurant balcony collapse, the torching of 220 beehives and a car bomb in Buġibba first through timesofmalta.com.
Our journalists worked around the clock to deliver the timely, accurate and trustworthy reporting synonymous with the Times of Malta brand. Here are the year's 10 most read online stories:
1. Hijacked Libyan plane lands in Malta
With almost 500,000 page views and readers clicking through from practically every corner of the globe, no story grabbed readers' attention quite like this one.
Hot on its heels was another aviation-related story, although this one did not end quite as innocuously, with five dead and a backstory shrouded in official secrecy.
Dashcam footage captured the dramatic moment the plane came crashing down. Photo: Laurent Azzopardi
3. Balcony at Balluta seaside restaurant collapses
Reports that a balcony at the popular Barracuda restaurant had collapsed were soon followed by dozens of eyewitness photos and accounts from Times of Malta readers.
40 people were on the balcony when it suddenly collapsed. Photo: Dunstan Crockford
4. Burnt: 220 hives containing 250,000 bees
This shocking environmental crime outraged readers as far away as Australia, the US and Canada.
More than 250,000 bees were killed.
5. 'Powerful' car bomb in Buġibba kills man
A tragic end to October saw businessman John Camilleri killed in an explosion early on a Monday morning. The case remains unresolved.
The bomb went off at around 7am. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
6. Motorist assaulted as road rage boils over
Times of Malta journalist Ivan Martin happened to be on the Birkirkara bypass when an angry motorist pulled up in front of him, fetched a tool from the trunk of his car and began assaulting another driver. The video footage of the attack went viral.
Footage of the attack went viral.
7. 'Irreparable' damage done to Ġgantija Temples
A couple were caught etching love messages to each other on a megalith at the 5,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. When caught in the act, one of the culprits reportedly reacted by saying: "Why are you making such a fuss?"
Ġgantija Temples: older than the Egyptian pyramids. Photo: Angelo Giampiccolo/Shutterstock
8. Crowd gathers to support Jason Azzopardi during his arraignment
Heated scenes outside the law courts, as Nationalist backers of Dr Azzopardi exchanged angry words with Labour youths ahead of the PN shadow minister's court appearance. Regular updates throughout the session had readers hooked.
Heated scenes outside the law courts.
9. Parliament debates Konrad Mizzi no confidence motion
A marathon 13-hour parliamentary debate ran until well into the evening, but readers transfixed by the scandal of a top government minister being caught with a secret company in Panama showed no signs of tiring.
The ICIJ's Panama Papers investigation shook Maltese politics.
Mitch Harrow's bruised and swollen face bore testimony to the attack. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
10. Brit, 59, beaten for refusing to pay parker
I said "no, it's free, it's always been free. But he insisted and punched me square in the face," said Mitch Farrow. Photos of his bruised face and arm just added to the outrage.