Powerful earthquake shakes South Pacific nation of Vanuatu; no tsunami threat

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A powerful earthquake has shaken the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, but countries in the region say there is no threat of a tsunami. The U.S. Geological Agency says the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Thursday was located south of the island of Tanna. It says the quake was centered at a depth of 30 miles, and the chance of fatalities and large economic losses in the sparsely populated area is low. The area is part of the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.