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LONDON (AP) — Global stock markets mostly fell on Monday amid concerns about turmoil in Iraq and as a weak European economic report offset a more upbeat one in China.

Investors were watching with unease the escalating violence in Iraq, where militants over the weekend captured a chunk of new territory in the country's west. Some worry that the violence could further destabilize the region and possibly affect the flow of energy exports.

In Europe, sentiment was dented further by a report suggesting the 18-country eurozone's economy slowed in June. The so-called composite purchasing managers' index — a key gauge of business activity — dropped to 52.8 points from 53.5 in May. That indicates growth continued in the second quarter, but at only a modest pace.

Earlier, a similar report in China by HSBC was somewhat more upbeat. It showed activity in China's huge manufacturing sector expanded for the first time this year, a sign that the effects of recent mini-stimulus measures unleashed by Beijing were filtering through the economy.

By midday in Europe, Germany's DAX was down 0.4 percent to 9,950.63 while France's CAC 40 shed 0.3 percent to 4,526.11. The FTSE 100 index of leading British companies slipped 0.3 percent to 6,806.92.

U.S. stocks were poised to open flat, with Dow futures slipping less than 0.1 percent to 16,848 while broader S&P 500 futures were practically unchanged at 1,952.50.

In Asia, Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.6 percent to close at 5,453.30 and the country's currency strengthened after the Chinese data. Investors are hoping an improving Chinese economy will benefit big mining companies in Australia, where the resource-driven economy has become highly dependent on China's demand for commodities such as iron ore.

Japan's Nikkei 225 edged 0.1 percent higher to close at 15,369.28, while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.4 percent to end at 1,974.92.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 1.7 percent while the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China dipped by 0.1 percent.

In energy trading, the price of U.S. benchmark crude for August delivery rose 15 cents to $106.98 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 78 cents on Friday.

In currencies, the dollar slipped to 101.85 Japanese yen from 102.08 in late trading Friday. The euro weakened to $1.3584 from 1.3599.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Several European foreign ministers on Monday threatened to impose further sanctions against Russia if it fails to cooperate with Ukraine's proposed peace plan and doesn't stop the flow of arms and militants across its border into eastern Ukraine.

Russia is "conducting a propaganda war with full speed ahead and no signs of them closing the border," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Armed militants and even tanks continue to cross the border into eastern Ukraine, he asserted. "If the Russians say they don't know how to close borders, I don't think that's a particularly credible statement," Bildt added.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the European Union will be able to agree on further sanctions against Russia at a summit of the bloc's 28 leaders Friday, if necessary. "Those measures are ready to take," he said.

"We look to Russia to take actual action to stop the flow of arms over the border into eastern Ukraine, to encourage illegal armed groups to stop what they are doing there now," Hague said.

The EU meeting in Luxembourg Monday was also being attended by Ukraine's new foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, who was set to brief his colleagues on the peace plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko. It includes a cease-fire in its battle against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The plan also calls for an inclusive political dialogue, suggests a decentralization of power to give regions more political authority and foresees measures to protect the language rights of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

"We now look to Russia to support the peace plan," Hague insisted.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius also called on Russia to stop the flow of militants and heavy weapons to avoid tougher sanctions.

The EU and the United States have so far mainly ordered visa bans and asset freezes for a number of officials but have refrained from imposing broader economic sanctions. EU leaders will review the situation Friday.

Reacting to Poroshenko's plan, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday expressed support for the cease-fire and called on both sides to negotiate.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday during a visit to Armenia that Moscow supports the initiative to launch a political dialogue in Ukraine as the only way to "guarantee the equal rights and freedom of citizens in all regions of the country."

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Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia contributed reporting.

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Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz

MANSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Amtrak has canceled some service to and from Boston after a train struck a vehicle on the tracks.

The temporary track closure is affecting service at South Station, Back Bay Station and Route 128 Station on Monday morning.

Late Sunday, an Amtrak train heading from Washington, D.C., to Boston hit a vehicle in Mansfield, about 20 miles southwest of Boston. None of the 180 passengers or crew was injured. The condition of the people in the truck wasn't immediately clear.

Amtrak says it will take several hours "to remove the damaged rail equipment and to make any needed repairs to railroad property."

Delays were expected on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Providence and Stoughton line.

HONG KONG (AP) — The robots aren't the only part of the latest "Transformers" film that changed. Led by star Mark Wahlberg, a whole new cast was brought in to give a fresh start to the blockbuster franchise.

"Transformers: Age of Extinction" stars Wahlberg as a mechanic who strikes up a friendship with good-guy robot Optimus Prime.

Wahlberg said the idea of joining the franchise came while he and Bay were working on last year's film, "Pain and Gains."

"I've never done a sequel to any of the movies that I've done and this is my first installment in the series. So, still not really a sequel for me. Just thought it was fun to do something different and I really wanted to work with Michael."

The first three films were anchored by Shia LaBeouf, and Wahlberg has previously said he felt pressure about stepping into the shoes of other actors. Still he jumped at the opportunity, and while he's signed to do future installments, "I'm not doing it if Michael doesn't do it. So we'll see what happens."

At the film's worldwide premiere in Hong Kong on Thursday, Bay praised the 43-year-old Wahlberg as a leading man with maturity and gravitas.

As a father of four, Wahlberg saw his scenes with on-screen daughter Nicola Peltz as a sign of things to come and says he's fiercely protective of his own two daughters. "I'm not excited about that part of it," he admitted of their becoming teenagers.

The 19-year-old Peltz said she took Wahlberg's advice to come to the film set extra prepared.

"He told me, 'Before you go to set, know your script, know your lines, know everything about the script.' Because you'll go to set, sometimes Michael will pick a scene not supposed to be filmed in a month. He'll be like, 'Let's just shoot it today' So it's really good to be extra prepared on a Michael Bay film."

Another new addition, Kelsey Grammer, said he didn't mind playing a villain since he got the chance to work with Bay. "It's like throwing a lot of things up in the air @ one time, and somehow he pulls them back down, and sticks them in his movie. He's got so many ideas all the time. His mind is so quick and rich, and creative. It's kind of like a wild ride just to work with him."

Hong Kong and China plays an important backdrop in the latest installment, another indication of China's growing importance to Hollywood. The franchise's third film, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," earned $1.1 billion at the global box office, with $165 million from China, its second biggest market after North America.

But it hasn't been smooth. A Beijing property developer wants the film to be edited and for Chinese screenings to be suspended because it says the film's production partners failed to fulfill sponsorship obligations. The Beijing Pangu Investment Co. Ltd. owns the dragon-shaped Pangu Plaza featured in the film.

Production in Hong Kong also was briefly disturbed by two extortion attempts on the set last year. In one case, a man reportedly tried to throw an air conditioning over Bay's head. One assailant was later sentenced to 30 months in prison.

At a news conference Friday, Bay said he thought the sentence was harsh. "I personally wouldn't want them to be punished. He was on drugs and he probably didn't know what he was doing."

He also said that after the incident, people came up to him and apologized to him on behalf of Hong Kong.

Supporting actor Jack Reynor said despite the incident, the cast and crew had a great time on set. "Our experiences of Hong Kong were all very positive ones."