A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck near the remote Kermadec Islands in the South Pacific,US geologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The quake, at 9:24am (2124 GMT, Friday), was centred 146 kilometres (91 miles) below the surface, the US Geological Survey said.
The uninhabited Kermadecs, New Zealand's northernmost islands, lie 1,100 kilometres north of Auckland in an active tectonic zone.
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the island region two weeks ago.
