The University’s Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit registered two minor earthquakes close to the Maltese islands on December 19 and 20. However, no felt reports were submitted to http://seismic.research.um.edu.mt . Moreover, no major earthquakes were reported in the Mediterranean region as the 71 quakes that occurred were all of a magnitude less than five. There was also some activity in the western Mediterranean where, on December 23, four earthquakes struck off northern Algeria in a span of two hours. Globally, two earthquakes of at least magnitude six hit the Philippines islands, which lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Due to the convergence of tectonic plates in this zone, earthquakes occur very regularly and the area hosts 50 active volcanoes.