The 10 stories which kept you reading in 2017

It was a year of disasters, though sadly many of them were entirely man-made.
From car bombs to massive fires, murders to political intrigue, 2017 was packed with news events which kept readers on tenterhooks – though it was another, altogether different occurrence, which drove a record-breaking number of readers to the Times of Malta website.
Here’s our countdown of 2017’s most-read stories.10. Fire at Mtaħleb animal park
Two leopards, an emu and several monkeys were killed when an overnight fire burnt large parts of an animal farm to the ground in early October.
The story struck a chord with many readers, and eventually developed into a tit-for-tat when the Mtaħleb farm owner’s criticism of firefighter delays prompted a stinging rebuttal from the Civil Protection Department.

9. An MEP grilling 
When Joseph Muscat faced European parliamentarians back in June to answer rule of law questions prompted by the Panama Papers leak, Times of Malta readers were keenly following - just as they did months later, when thousands took to the streets to call for the police commissioner and attorney general's (metaphorical) heads.

8. Missing youths found alive  
It was the feel-good story...