Stocks fall after another earthquake hits Japan

Stocks fell Thursday after another big earthquake hit northern Japan. The 7.4-magnitude earthqauke triggered tsunami warnings along Japan's devastated northern coast.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell as many as 96 points in morning trading before recovering some of those losses. Japan's stock market had already closed by the time the earthquake struck.

The Dow was down 60 points, or 0.5 percent, at 12,367 in late morning trading. The broader S&P 500 fell 4, or 0.3 percent, to 1,331. The Nasdaq composite index fell 5, or 0.2 percent, to 2,794. All three indexes had been higher in earlier trading.

The earthquake "means perhaps further economic decline in Japan," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at New York-based brokerage house Avalon Partners Inc.

No tsunami expected for US from Japan earthquake

U.S. officials say a 7.4-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan is not expected to create a tsunami threat in Hawaii or the West Coast.

Federal agencies say that area includes Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia, Canada.

No tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas.

The Japan meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for a wave of up to about 3 feet. The warning was issued for a coastal area of Japan already torn apart by last month's tsunami.

Buildings as far away as Tokyo shook for about a minute.

Hundreds of aftershocks have shaken the northeast region devastated by the March 11 earthquake, but few have been stronger than 7.0.

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Japan coast

Officials at Japan's tsunami-ravaged nuclear plant say there's no immediate sign of new problems after a magnitude-7.4 aftershock rattled the nation's eastern coast.

A nuclear safety official says the workers at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant are safe but does not know if they have been evacuated.

The metereorological agency issued tsunami warnings and advisories for a stretch of more than 300 miles of the northeastern coast from Aomori prefecture in the north to Ibaraki prefecture in central Japan, just north of Tokyo.

Announcers on Japan's public broadcaster NHK told coastal residents to run to higher ground and away from the shore.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Japan coast

Officials at Japan's tsunami-ravaged nuclear plant say there's no immediate sign of new problems after a magnitude-7.4 aftershock rattled the nation's eastern coast.

A nuclear safety official says the workers at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant are safe but does not know if they have been evacuated.

The metereorological agency issued tsunami warnings and advisories for a stretch of more than 300 miles of the northeastern coast from Aomori prefecture in the north to Ibaraki prefecture in central Japan, just north of Tokyo.

Announcers on Japan's public broadcaster NHK told coastal residents to run to higher ground and away from the shore.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Pakistan rejects US assessment of its terror fight

Pakistan is rejecting a White House report that criticizes its efforts to stop militants along the Afghan border.

The report released this week says Pakistan has made little progress in battling Islamist extremists and that there is "no clear path toward defeating the insurgency" in the country.

The U.S. considers Pakistan key to its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and defeat al-Qaida. It has given Pakistan billions in military and other aid over the past decade to stop its soil from being used as a safe haven for militants from Afghanistan.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua on Thursday called the report's references to Pakistan "unwarranted."

She also says Pakistan should not be blamed for Western failings in Afghanistan.