Malta had its fair share of good and bad news in 2009, some of it related to the international economic crisis, and other of its own doing.

In April lawyer Dr George Abela was elected president of Malta, the first one to be elected from the ranks of a party that is not in government when the choice is made.

The European Parliament Elections in June grabbed strong interest like all political elections in Malta. The sixth seat, promised in the Lisbon Treaty which came in to force in December, is yet to be officially recognised.

However at that time the major concern for most Maltese was whether Malta would be hit the H1N1 or swine flu virus which was killing thousands around the world. The virus left victims also locally.

Summer was also the high reason for the arrival of illegal immigrants from North Africa, which put Malta and neighbouring (and friendly) Italy in contrasting positions over their search and rescue responsibilities.

The debate over the Lockerbie tragedy, the subsequent trial and Malta’s involvement was re-ignited with the release on compassionate grounds of the Libyan man found guilty of the bombing in 1988.

November brought the traditional appointment with the Government’s Budget for the following year, and it was a budget dictated by the local and international economic situation. A couple of weeks later government announced Minister John Dalli as Malta’s choice as member of the European Commission, not without a pinch of controversy.

Malta continued to share the benefits of EU membership, yet one decision in particular concerning tuna fishing caused great concern locally.

Two major electricity blackouts left the Maltese Islands in the dark for several hours, once again highlighting the fragile infrastructure.

The year had its not-so-fair share of road fatalities, deaths from fireworks explosions, and murders. Yet the most important court case was that of the former chief justice Noel Arrigo who was found guilty of bribery. The case of fraud in the VAT Department also made headlines.

The negative trend in the Eurovision Song Contest continued as not even Chiara, with its third appearance, could pull off a decent result following her previous two successes.

Once again MaltaMedia.com is giving a look at the year that is drawing towards its end, highlighting the events that have, or could have, shaped our lives. This year MaltaMedia.com is partnering with Favourite Channel TV to bring the top stories alive in video format.

Photo captions (top to bottom): Dr George Abela was appointed President of the Republic of Malta; The European Parliament elections held in June yielded six members from Malta; Chiara's third attempt to represent Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest ends with a disappointing result on the final in Moscow; Popular comedian Charles Clews died in January; Former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo was sentenced to jail on bribery; Illegal immigrants from Africa continued to arrive by the boatload.