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NEW YORK (AP) — Chelsea Clinton — under scrutiny for her pricey contract with NBC News — hasn't been featured since January, but the network says it does expect two completed stories to air soon, and two others are in the works.

Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter, who was hired in 2011, has done just a smattering of reporting for NBC News. Last week, Politico reported she is being paid $600,000 a year. Politico also said the 34-year-old, who is expecting her first child later this year, is now on a month-to-month contract that would ease her departure should her mother decide to run for president in 2016.

The news division would not go into detail about Clinton's contract or her work when contacted by The Associated Press. A Clinton spokesman, Kamyl Bazbaz, referred questions to NBC.

NBC News has aired two stories by Chelsea Clinton so far in 2014, both on education programs targeting the underprivileged that were shown on "Nightly News" in January. NBC indicated, however, that Clinton has done two stories that are expected to air on "Nightly News" shortly and two others for which filming has been scheduled. Clinton is also busier with outside work, reportedly taking a more active role in her parents' foundation, and NBC wanted to avoid the appearance of a conflict by having her on the air around the time Hillary Clinton was doing a round of media interviews about her new book.

Clinton began work at the network in November 2011. She was the second presidential daughter to get work at NBC; Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of George W. Bush, is a "Today" show correspondent. Besides "Nightly News," Clinton was hired to do stories for Brian Williams' "Rock Center" newsmagazine, which has since been canceled.

Clinton profiled designer Stella McCartney and author Judy Blume for "Rock Center" and also did a cringeworthy voiceover "interview" with the Geico gecko. Much of her work falls under the umbrella of NBC's "Making a Difference" stories, about various efforts to make communities better.

She's done stories on the Maya Angelou Academy, a school program for jailed teenagers; a restaurant chain that donates leftover food to the needy; a Rhode Island school program where teachers at public and charter schools swap ideas; and an Arkansas tutoring program.

Her "Nightly News" stories this year were about a "homework diner" in New Mexico that feeds free meals to schoolchildren and their families, and a boxing gym in Detroit where youngsters must prove they've done their schoolwork to put on the gloves.

"She has a niche on the 'Nightly News' profiling philanthropic, volunteer and community service programs, often in praise of these groups," news consultant Andrew Tyndall, who monitors the content of network evening news programs, said Wednesday. "She puts herself in the center of these groups' activities. It's a cheerleader style of reporting."

Bush's daughter seems genuinely interested in being a television journalist, while that doesn't appear to be the case with Clinton, Tyndall said.

Bush Hager interviewed President Barack Obama about fatherhood for a "Today" story that aired earlier this month, and Michelle Obama this winter about the first lady's healthy living initiatives. She's also interviewed Jordin Sparks and reported on school curriculum efforts recently.

For a news division, an unspoken advantage to having a presidential relative on the payroll might be help in getting access to their famous family in newsworthy situations. George W. Bush gave his first television interview since leaving the White House to the "Today" show's Matt Lauer in 2010. Hager Bush also interviewed her father about his paintings for "Today" in April.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's first television interview on her new book went to Diane Sawyer of ABC News.

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David Bauder can be reached at dbauder@ap.org or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dbauder. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-bauder

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

Salman Rushdie, novelist and target of a fatwa that forced him into hiding for years, has won the 2014 PEN/Pinter Prize. The award is given every year to a British writer who, in the words of Harold Pinter, has an "unflinching, unswerving" gaze and "fierce intellectual determination ... to define the real truth of our lives and our societies." The prize will be presented at a ceremony in October. The head of the judges, Maureen Freely, said in PEN's announcement, "This prize is English PEN's way of thanking Salman Rushdie not just for his books and his many years of speaking out for freedom of expression, but also for his countless private acts of kindness. When he sees writers unjustly vilified, prosecuted, or forced into exile, he takes a personal interest." The prize will be shared between Rushdie and a persecuted writer who has been targeted for their beliefs. This "international writer of courage" will be selected by Rushdie and English PEN.

Farrar, Straus & Giroux's Work in Progress blog has an excerpt from Marilynne Robinson's next novel, Lila, set in the world of her Pulitzer-winning book Gilead: "The child was just there on the stoop in the dark, hugging herself against the cold, all cried out and nearly sleeping. She couldn't holler any more and they didn't hear her anyway, or they might and that would make things worse."

Colum McCann talks about his favorite writers: "[F]or me, James Joyce is the original energy behind all contemporary literature."

An essay in the Boston Review looks at the problem of translating Proust: "There is always a tension in translation between the spirit and the letter, between conveying things we might call tone, mood, feel, or music, and being as literally faithful to the original as possible."

Emily Schultz, author of a novel called Joyland — which has the same title as Stephen King's recent book — writes about spending the "Stephen King money," royalties she got from people buying her book by mistake. On her blog, she lists the ways she used the money and analyzes whether Stephen King would like it (on repairing a bumper on her car that was possibly damaged by garbage workers, she writes, "Cars, mysterious garbagemen, feelings of vengeance — of course he would!") King told Entertainment Weekly that "I'm delighted for her, and I'm going to order her book."

NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Chappelle's hesitant, slow-motion comeback reached a big-tent crescendo when the comic performed a nearly two-hour set at Radio City Music Hall that seemed to officially announce his long-awaited return.

Chappelle, who famously abandoned his acclaimed and lucrative Comedy Central show in 2005, has largely shunned the public eye since last year resuming his stand-up career. In his wide-ranging act Wednesday, Chappelle made up for lost time, catching up to a decade of racial and societal change, skipping from Herman Cain to Donald Sterling, his since-born children to his return from self-imposed exile.

"I'm just back out here earning enough money to disappear again," he said mid-set as the sold-out crowd howled, collectively hoping he was joking.

The show was the first of nine scheduled for Chappelle at Radio City, easily his biggest platform in years. Music acts like the Roots, Nas and Janelle Monae are to join him later, but the kick-off show began with the veteran Washington D.C. comic Tony Woods as the opener and an intro from, of all people, James Lipton.

Lipton, who hosted Chappelle years ago on "Inside the Actors Studio," repeated the unusual warnings posted around Radio City prohibiting not just recording but heckling and even texting. The rules (which weren't strictly enforced) spoke to Chappelle's unease about stepping back into the limelight, as well as an incident from last August. At a gig in Hartford, Connecticut, Chappelle shut down his act 10 minutes in because of heckling. Videos of the performance went viral online.

Chappelle immediately referenced that night during a tangent on North Korea, saying that if leader Kim Jong Un were to use an atom bomb, he might consider Hartford.

But such "spills along the way," as Chappelle said of his admittedly "ill-conceived" comeback, weren't a part of Wednesday's performance. A noticeably more buff Chappelle first appeared with his silhouette projected large on a screen. He looked increasingly comfortable as his set went on, chain-smoked cigarettes and bumming one from an audience member.

Chappelle frequently wove into his performance a self-awareness of his iconic stature as a kind of J.D. Salinger of comedy. He often sounded confined by the role: "I'm too famous to say everything I think or feel," Chappelle said.

Of his abrupt exit from "Chappelle's Show" he said: "I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. It was dramatic, but I feel better."

When someone shouted that he should bring back the show, Chappelle joked that he'll do it right after making "Half-Baked 2" — an even unlikelier return to his past (his 1998 stoner comedy "Half-Baked").

But Chappelle's vivid storytelling, laconic delivery and unparalleled commentary on race in America were just as sharp as they were nine years ago. Bits — "pieces" he wryly called them — included imagining Paula Deen as his personal chef, himself as a pregnant transgendered person and Lil' Wayne guest-starring on "CSI."

Family life — a relatively new subject for the 40-year-old comedian — has given Chappelle some of his best new material. He told a tale of his wife showing up at an impromptu set after a marital spat, receiving an anonymous sex tape of himself and a woman made before his marriage, and sneaking bites from his children's packed school lunches when stoned late at night.

In the end, Chappelle looked reluctant to leave.

"This has been swell," he said, before adding several more anecdotes.

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Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Go ahead, FIFA, stop the music if you want. Fans will keep singing anyway.

FIFA limits anthems to 90 seconds so they can get the World Cup games going quickly. But many national songs last much longer, and the fans — particularly South Americans proud to have the cup in their territory — are loudly taking over with a cappella renditions of the anthems that are bringing tears to the eyes of players.

Unintentionally, FIFA has created some of the most emotional and patriotic moments of the World Cup.

"When we hear the anthem being sung like that, we get extra motivated, there's no doubt about that," Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. "It shows that the fans are with us. It has become part of the national team and that has had a great influence on how we play."

Brazilian fans started doing it last year, and supporters of Chile and Colombia have picked up on the idea.

With no music in the background, hearing tens of thousand fans sing together has caused goose bumps for many in the stadiums and shocked players from opposing teams.

Before both of Chile's World Cup games, fans sang for nearly 30 seconds after FIFA cut off their anthem— the chorus of which says Chile will be the tomb of the free or the refuge against oppression.

"The way they sing the national anthem is impressive, spectacular," Chilean federation president Sergio Jadue said.

Colombian fans put on a spectacle in the match against Greece in Belo Horizonte, loudly belting out "Oh Gloria Inmarcesible!" ("Oh Unfading Glory!") for nearly 30 seconds after FIFA stopped the music inside the packed Mineirao Stadium.

Brazil's anthem normally lasts almost four minutes and has an introduction of nearly 20 seconds before the lyrics start. FIFA said the Brazilian federation provided a 60-second version.

After the music ends, Brazilian players and fans continue singing even louder for nearly a minute, belting out the lyrics, which include a reference to "the resounding cry of a heroic people." The sing-a-along ignites the crowd and motivates the team.

"The reaction from the fans to the anthem has been amazing," goalkeeper Julio Cesar said after the opener against Croatia in Sao Paulo. "It brings them closer to us and we get closer to them."

Croatia's players appeared surprised when the crowd kept singing. Some looked to the Brazilian players to see what they were doing, but remained in line respectfully.

FIFA said the fans' singing has not prompted any special instructions, and it was not immediately considering changing the rule.

"I don't think FIFA can stop us from doing this, we will sing if we want to, nobody can stop us," said 36-year-old Brazilian fan Vanessa Molica Teixeira. "It's a way for us to express our nationalism, to show how proud we our or our Selecao."

The first time it happened was before the match against Mexico in last year's Confederations Cup, the World Cup warm-up tournament. Cesar said everybody was caught by surprise when the fans kept singing. The players quickly joined in, and a new tradition was born.

In addition to singing, Brazilian players have started to enter the field with their hands on each other's shoulders. Silva asked the fans to embrace side-by-side while singing, just as the players have been doing. Most of the fans did that in Tuesday's match against Mexico in Fortaleza.

Before a game at the National Stadium in Brasilia on Thursday, Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die sobbed uncontrollably as his nation's anthem was played. He said the "emotion overwhelmed" him as he was thinking about his father who died in 2004, and about his "tough life" before making it to the World Cup.

The French are usually some of the most emotional when singing "La Marseillaise," but there was only frustration when it wasn't played because of an audio-system malfunction before the team's opener in Porto Alegre last week.

"Whether it's the officials, or the players, we're the ones affected by it and it's a pity," France captain Hugo Lloris said. "A national anthem is something so important. We're playing in the World Cup, we're representing our country."

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Associated Press writer Pablo Giussani contributed from Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

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Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni

LOS OLIVOS, Calif. (AP) — From outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, it appears as if Michael Jackson's former home and fantasyland has been frozen in time.

The backyard circus is long gone, but heartfelt notes placed by saddened fans at the property's entrance remain intact five years after Jackson's death. And visitors are still making the pilgrimage.

"I figured it would just be a closed gate, but I still wanted to see it for myself," said James Chen of Seattle, a fan who stopped outside Neverland during a recent road trip with his father.

While many Jackson ventures are thriving after his death, including a new album and Cirque du Soleil shows, there's not been similar movement at Neverland, despite rumors the property could be transformed into a Graceland-like homage or sold to the highest bidder.

Caroline Luz, spokeswomen for Colony Capital LLC, the real estate firm that bailed Jackson out after he defaulted on the $24.5 million he owed on Neverland, said the Santa Ynez Valley property about 150 miles north of Los Angeles is being maintained, but she declined further comment.

The estate was built in 1981 by real estate developer William Bone, who called it Sycamore Valley Ranch. Jackson paid $19.5 million for the hilly, oak- and sycamore-studded property in 1988 and rechristened it Neverland after Peter Pan's island dwelling. He soon added such over-the-top amenities as a zoo and small amusement park.

For nearly 20 years, Neverland was both Jackson's home and a pop culture landmark.

It's where Elizabeth Taylor lavishly married Larry Fortensky in 1991; where Oprah Winfrey famously interviewed Jackson live in front of 90 million viewers in 1993; and where then-wife Lisa Marie Presley and Jackson welcomed children from around the globe ahead of the United Nations' 50th anniversary in 1995.

Jackson later turned his back on Neverland after his 2005 acquittal on charges he molested children at the ranch, opting to live elsewhere in the world until his death in 2009.

"I guess they ruined it for my dad," Jackson's eldest son, Prince, told a civil court jury last year.

With no crush of fans or media throngs in years, and the amusement park just a whirling memory, Neverland's future remains unclear.

During a recent stop outside the property, a landscaper could be seen zipping along the driveway in a red buggy as a guard manned the security shack at the front gate. The wireless router inside was named "SVR Security," a nod to the property's original name.

"It has been really quiet," said local real estate broker William Etling in his office a few miles away in the wine-tasting town of Los Olivos. "There hasn't been any noise about stuff happening out there. I'm surprised they haven't sold it to someone else already."

Etling, author of the Santa Ynez Valley tell-all "Sideways in Neverland," wondered who the buyer of the $35 million, 2,600-acre property might be when a nearby 3,250-acre ranch recently sold for $22 million.

His only guess: Someone who really likes the King of Pop.

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Associated Press Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (AP) — People who live where Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota meet are waiting for the Big Sioux (SOO) River to crest and hoping the levees hold.

Days of thunderstorms upstream have swollen the river that's now expected to crest between 8-10 p.m. Friday more than a foot above the previous record level set in 1969.

Homes are threatened in all three states, including up to 400 in the McCook Lake neighborhood of North Sioux City, South Dakota.

Crews built a temporary levee across Interstate 29, which should protect much of the city but closed off the interstate and forced motorists onto detours.

Floodwaters already block most roads connecting Sioux City, Iowa, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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Pitt reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

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Contact Dirk Lammers at http://www.twitter.com/ddlammers .

Inside that secret box, behind that mysterious locked closet door, sometimes we never want to know what's in there. But other times, we're willing to put everything on the line for it.

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Glynn's youth pastor has just the antidote to help keep a young man away from the "cake-shakers."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about half of the veterans diagnosed with PTSD last year after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan received the recommended therapy despite efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs to beef up its mental health staffing, the Institute of Medicine said in a report released Friday.

About 53 percent of the veterans whose primary diagnosis was PTSD got at least eight psychotherapy sessions within a 14-week period in 2013. But that is significantly short of the department's target of 67 percent, according to the report.

The Institute of Medicine also found issues with the way active members of the military dealing with PTSD are treated. It described the Department of Defense's treatment programs as "ad hoc, incremental, and crisis-driven, with little planning devoted to the development of a long-range approach to obtaining desired outcomes."

Together, the two departments spent nearly $3.3 billion in 2012 to treat patients with PTSD. And while both are making strides to identify and treat people with PTSD, many obstacles remain before they will have an "integrated and higher-performing" system, the report said.

One of the biggest problems is a lack of data to measure which treatments patients are receiving and whether the patients are getting better, said the study's chairman, Sandro Galea of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

"Given that the DOD and VA are responsible for serving millions of service members, families, and veterans, we found it surprising that no PTSD outcome measures are used consistently to know if these treatments are working or not," Galea said. "They could be highly effective, but we won't know unless outcomes are tracked and evaluated."

Galea said tracking does occur with veterans participating in a specific VA program that involves intensive therapy, but that program serves only 1 percent of veterans who have PTSD, and the data suggest the program yields only modest improvement in symptoms.

The VA has come under fire recently because of the troubles some new patients have had getting access to care. The IOM's study has been taking place for years, however. The first phase of study, released in 2012, recommended that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan undergo annual screening for PTSD and that federal agencies conduct more research into which treatments were working.

For active military, the report notes that each service branch has established its own prevention programs, trains its own mental health staff, and has its own programs and services for PTSD treatment. It said the service branch's lacked an overarching authority to enforce policies related to preventing, treating and screening for PTSD.

The report also said DOD leaders aren't consistently held accountable for implementing policies and programs to manage PTSD effectively.

The panel pointed out that the VA has at least established minimum care requirements nationally. Still, it's unclear whether staff adheres to the standards. The VA's computer health records system allows clinicians to track what medications the patients are receiving, but it does not allow for more complete tracking of the types of therapy being used. A new template was supposed to be available for clinicians beginning last November but was not operational as of late January, the report said.

In a statement, VA officials said they were briefed on the findings this week and will address the recommendations, but they did not go into more detail about how they would do so. A formal response to Congress is due Jan. 1, 2015.

The Defense Department said it's been taking steps to address problems cited in the report.

"We agree with the IOM that although great strides have been made, critical gaps remain. We are already taking practical steps to address many of these issues," said Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a Defense Department spokeswoman.

For example, she said, beginning in September, all services were directed to begin collecting symptom severity and outcome data for PTSD, anxiety, and depression at all points of service using standardized measures.

The report recommended that the two departments work together to develop and enact a management system that would document a patient's progress over the course of their treatment, regardless of where they get care.

Among the other findings by the IOM:

—PTSD has also increased among veterans from long-ago conflicts. In 2013, 62,536 new cases of PTSD were diagnosed in veterans who did not serve in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

—Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars use the VA at rates double those of other veterans, 54 percent for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans versus 27 percent for all veterans.

—PTSD is the third most common major service-connected disability after hearing loss and ringing of the ears.

The Institute of Medicine is an independent group of experts that advises the federal government on medical issues. Its recommendations often make their way into laws drafted by Congress and policies implemented by federal agencies.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia has resumed a military buildup near Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday, calling it "a very regrettable step backward."

"I can confirm that we now see a new Russian military buildup — at least a few thousand more Russian troops deployed to the Ukrainian border, and we see troop maneuvers in the neighborhood of Ukraine," Rassmussen said in London.

"If they're deployed to seal the border and stop the flow of weapons and fighters that would be a positive step. But that's not what we're seeing."

Instead, the NATO chief said, Russia appears bent on using its military to intimidate Ukraine further.

"I consider this a very regrettable step backwards and it seems that Russia keeps the option to intervene further," Rasmussen said. "So the international community would have to respond firmly if Russia were to intervene further. That would imply deeper sanctions which would have a negative impact on Russia."

NATO estimated at one point there were up to 40,000 Russian forces deployed near the border with Ukraine, but reported last month that many of the soldiers and their equipment had been pulled back.

In his speech, Rasmussen said the U.S.-led NATO alliance is at a turning point.

"The world that we helped to build after the end of the Cold War is being challenged in different ways and from different directions," he told his audience at Chatham House.

"To our east, Russia's aggression against Ukraine is an attempt to rewrite international rules and recreate a sphere of influence. At the same time, to our south, we see states or extreme groups using violence to assert their power. And overall, we see threats old and new, from piracy to terrorism to cyber-attacks."

NEW YORK (AP) — RadioShack's stock is trading below $1 per share for the first time in its history — and has the investment world wondering if it will eventually be delisted.

Shares of RadioShack Corp. slid 10 cents, or 9.6 percent, to 93 cents in Friday afternoon trading. The New York Stock Exchange could delist the stock if it closes below $1 per share for 30 consecutive trading days.

The stock is well below its all-time high of $79.50 set in December 1999. Since then, RadioShack has had trouble finding its place in the evolving retail and technology landscape.

Long known as a destination for batteries and obscure electronic parts, RadioShack has sought to remake itself as a specialist in wireless devices and accessories. But growth in the wireless business is slowing, as more people have smartphones and see fewer reasons to upgrade.

RadioShack's turnaround efforts have included cutting costs, renovating stores and shuffling management. It announced in March that it planned to close up to 1,100 of its stores in the U.S., leaving it with more than 4,000 U.S. locations.

Earlier this month the chain reported that its first-quarter loss widened and revenue declined in part due to softness in its mobile business and consumer electronics. The results missed Wall Street's expectations.

RadioShack is attempting to update its image and remain competitive against online and discount retailers. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company is working on building its pipeline of new products, including private brand and exclusive items such as those from new partnerships with Quirky and PCH.

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Harley-Davidson will unveil its first electric motorcycle next week, and President Matt Levatich said he expects the company known for its big touring bikes and iconic brand to become a leader in developing technology and standards for electric vehicles.

Harley will show handmade demonstration models Monday at an invitation-only event in New York. The company will then take about two dozen bikes on a 30-city tour for riders to test drive and provide feedback. Harley will use the information it gathers to refine motorcycle, which might not hit the market for several more years.

The venture is a risk for Harley because there's currently almost no market for full-size electric motorcycles. The millions of two-wheeled electric vehicles sold each year are almost exclusively scooters and low-powered bikes that appeal to Chinese commuters. But one analyst said investment by a major manufacturer could help create demand, and Levatich emphasized in an interview with The Associated Press that Harley is interested in the long-term potential, regardless of immediate demand.

"We think that the trends in both EV technology and customer openness to EV products, both automotive and motorcycles, is only going to increase, and when you think about sustainability and environmental trends, we just see that being an increasing part of the lifestyle and the requirements of riders," Levatich said. "So, nobody can predict right now how big that industry will be or how significant it will be."

At the same time, Levatich and others involved in creating the sleek, futuristic LiveWire predicted it would sell based on performance, not environmental awareness. With no need to shift gears, the slim, sporty bike can go from 0 to 60 mph in about 4 seconds. The engine is silent, but the meshing of gears emits a hum like a jet airplane taking off.

"Some people may get on it thinking, 'golf cart,'" lead engineer Jeff Richlen said. "And they get off thinking, 'rocket ship.'"

One hurdle the company has yet to address is the limited range offered by electric motorcycles. The batteries typically must be recharged after about 130 miles, and that can take 30 minutes to an hour.

San Jose State University police Capt. Alan Cavallo helped his department buy two bikes from Zero Motorcycles, the current top-selling brand, and said officers have been "super happy" with the quiet, environmentally friendly bikes made nearby in Scotts Valley, California. But he said American riders who like to hit the highway would likely lose patience with the technology.

"That's the deal with the cars; you can't jump in a Tesla and drive to LA, it won't make it," Cavallo said, adding later, "People want the convenience of 'I pull into a gas station, I pour some gas in my tank and I go.'"

Zero Motorcycles introduced its first full-size motorcycle in 2010 and expects to sell about 2,400 bikes this year, said Scot Harden, the company's vice president of global marketing. That would give it about half of the global market for full-size, high-powered electric motorcycles.

In comparison, Harley-Davidson alone sold more than 260,000 conventional motorcycles last year.

Outsiders focused on electric vehicle development predicted Harley would help boost sales for all electric motorcycle makers by creating greater awareness of and demand for electric bikes. Yamaha also has shown an electric motorcycle.

"It's the old 'a rising tide raises all boats,'" said Gary Gauthier, business and technology adviser for NextEnergy, a Detroit-based nonprofit focused on energy development.

John Gartner, a research director for the consulting firm Navigant Research, noted the major automakers helped drive sales for hybrid and electric cars.

"Their marketing budgets are much larger and they have dealerships set up everywhere, and so it's much easier for companies like Ford, BMW and Honda to advertise about their electric vehicles," Gartner said.

Levatich said true growth will require common standards for rapid charging and other features, as well as places for people to plug in. Harley expects to play a key role in developing electric vehicle standards, and its dealership network could provide charging stations to serve all drivers, he said.

"We've been very silent up to this point about our investment in EV technology," Levatich said. "... but now that we're public, and we're in this space, we expect to be involved and a part of leading the development of the standards, and the technology and the infrastructure necessary to further the acceptance and the utility of electric vehicles."

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces mounting pressure to form an inclusive government or step aside following the loss of large swaths of territory to Sunni militants, with both a top Shiite cleric and the White House strongly hinting he is in part to blame for the crisis.

The most respected voice for Iraq's Shiite majority on Friday joined calls for al-Maliki to reach out to the Kurdish and Sunni minorities a day after President Barack Obama challenged him to create a leadership representative of all Iraqis.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's thinly veiled reproach was the most influential to place blame on the Shiite prime minister for the nation's spiraling crisis, the most severe since U.S. troops withdrew at the end of 2011.

Over the past two weeks, Iraq has lost a big chunk of the north to the al-Qaida-inspired Sunni militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, whose lightning offensive led to the capture of Mosul, the nation's second-largest city.

The gravity of the crisis has forced the usually reclusive al-Sistani, who normally stays above the political fray, to wade into politics, and his comments, delivered through a representative, could ultimately seal al-Maliki's fate.

Calling for a dialogue between the political coalitions that won seats in the April 30 parliamentary election, al-Sistani said it was imperative that they form "an effective government that enjoys broad national support, avoids past mistakes and opens new horizons toward a better future for all Iraqis."

Al-Sistani is deeply revered by Iraq's majority Shiites, and his critical words could force al-Maliki, who emerged from relative obscurity in 2006 to lead the country, to step down.

On Thursday, Obama stopped short of calling for al-Maliki to resign, but his carefully worded comments did all but that. "Only leaders that can govern with an inclusive agenda are going to be able to truly bring the Iraqi people together and help them through this crisis," Obama said.

The Iranian-born al-Sistani, believed to be 86, lives in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, where he rarely ventures out of his modest house and does not give media interviews. His call to arms last week prompted thousands of Shiites to volunteer to fight against the Sunni militants who have carved out a vast fiefdom astride the Iraq-Syria border.

For the past two years, al-Sistani has shunned politicians of all sects, but the latest crisis appears to have forced him to speak out.

His call to arms has given the fight against the Sunni insurgents the feel of a religious war, but his office in Najaf dismissed that charge, saying the top cleric was addressing all Iraqis.

Al-Maliki's State of Law bloc won the most seats in the April vote, but his hopes to retain his job are in doubt with rivals challenging him from within the broader Shiite alliance. In order to govern, his bloc must first form a majority coalition in the new 328-seat legislature, which must meet by June 30.

If al-Maliki were to relinquish his post now, according to the constitution the president, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would assume the job until a new prime minister is elected. But the ailing Talabani has been in Germany for treatment since 2012, so his deputy, Khudeir al-Khuzaie, a Shiite, would step in for him.

Al-Maliki's Shiite-led government has long been accused of discriminating against Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish populations. But it is his perceived marginalization of the once-dominant Sunnis that has sparked violence reminiscent of Iraq's darkest years of sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007.

Shiite politicians familiar with the secretive efforts to remove al-Maliki said two names mentioned as replacements are former vice president Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite and French-educated economist, and Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite who served as Iraq's first prime minister after Saddam Hussein's ouster. Others include Ahmad Chalabi, a one-time Washington favorite to lead Iraq, and Bayan Jabr, another Shiite who served as finance and interior minister under al-Maliki.

Nearly three years after he heralded the end of America's war in Iraq, Obama announced Thursday he was deploying up to 300 military advisers to help quell the insurgency. They join some 275 troops in and around Iraq to provide security and support for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and other American interests.

But the U.S. leader was adamant that U.S. troops would not be returning to combat.

Obama has held off approving the airstrikes sought by the Iraqi government, though he says he could still approve "targeted and precise" strikes if the situation required it and if U.S. intelligence gathering identified potential targets.

Manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft are now flying over Iraq 24 hours a day on intelligence missions, U.S. officials say.

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Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Part of a lawsuit against NBC Universal that claims that the television network defamed George Zimmerman in a 2012 broadcast was thrown out by a Florida judge Thursday, putting the entire litigation in jeopardy.

Zimmerman's attorneys waited too long under Florida statute to ask NBC to retract what it claimed were libelous statements in a March 19, 2012 broadcast that they said made their client sound like a racist, Seminole County Circuit Judge Debra Nelson ruled. Zimmerman was not at the hearing.

The statue requires five days written notice identifying potentially libelous statements. A letter claiming the network edited Zimmerman's 911 call to police to make it sound like he was a racist was sent to network executives on Dec. 4, 2012.

Three other NBC broadcasts from March 20, 22 and 27, that included the reference are still in question, but the judge said she had to do more homework on the issues before making a final decision.

The defamation case had been postponed pending the conclusion of Zimmerman's murder trial in July 2012. The 30-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted of second-degree murder in 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's February 2012 death in Sanford. The case took on a life of its own, with questions raised about race and Florida's "stand your ground" defense law.

Zimmerman's attorney, James Beasley Jr., identified not just negligent reporting by NBC, but apologies it made acknowledging problems in the four broadcasts. The editing made it sound like Zimmerman voluntarily told an operator that Martin was black. He was actually responding to a dispatcher's question about the Miami teen's race. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic. .

NBC apologized on April 3, 2012, for "an error in the production process" and fired a reporter and a producer afterward.

Beasley accused NBC of "manipulating Zimmerman's own words." The edited recordings included multiple deletions and removal of some of the dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher.

Attorneys for NBC also argued that Zimmerman was both a "limited purpose" public figure and an "involuntary" public figure when the broadcasts occurred. Defamation law gives news organizations wide protections when covering public figures, who must prove that the news organization acted with malice and knowledge that the allegations were false.

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — In the midst of throwing away a four-shot lead, Michelle Wie never lost sight of the big picture at Pinehurst No. 2.

The U.S. Women's Open rarely goes according to plan, and Saturday was no exception. Wie knows that from experience long ago, and she settled down with four important pars to wind up with a 54-hole share of the lead for the third time in her career.

Wie was a teenager the other two times. Now at 24, she was one round away from capturing her first major.

"I'm just grateful for another opportunity," Wie said after salvaging a 2-over 72 to tie Amy Yang. "Tomorrow I'm going to play as hard as I can and hope for the best."

Yang, who earned a spot in the final group for the second time in three years, didn't make a par until the eighth hole in a wild round so typical of this day. Only a sloppy bogey on the final hole cost her the outright lead, though she was more than happy with a 68.

They were at 2-under 208, the only players still under par.

A pivotal moment for Wie came on the 12th hole. She reached 6 under for the tournament with back-to-back birdies at the turn. She made her first double bogey of the tournament with a tee shot she hooked into the pine trees on the 11th. Her next drive sailed well to the right and settled on a sandy path. Instead of punching under the trees and over the bunker to the green — anything long is a tough up-and-down — she pitched out to the fairway and made bogey.

"U.S. Opens are tough," she said. "I feel like maybe on a different golf course, I would have taken that chance. You just don't want to be too greedy out here. Even though you make bogey, sometimes you just don't want to make a double out here. I felt like I made the right decision there."

The USGA set the course up relative to what the men faced last Saturday in the U.S. Open when wire-to-wire winner Martin Kaymer had his only over-par round with a 72. It was short (6,270 yards) but tough because of the pin positions.

That didn't stop Juli Inkster. The 53-year-old Hall of Famer, who has said her 35th appearance in the Women's Open will be her last, had a tournament-best 66 to get into contention. She will be in the penultimate group, four shots out of the lead, still dreaming of a third Open title that would make her by 10 years the oldest Women's Open winner.

"You can think and you can dream all you want," Inkster said. "But the bottom line is you've got to come out and make the shots. And if I'm tied for the lead coming up 18, then maybe I'll think about it. I've got a long way to go. I'm just going to enjoy the moment and hit a few balls and see what happens."

Also remaining in the hunt was Lexi Thompson, who won the first LPGA major this year in a final-round duel with Wie, and pulled within one shot of Wie with a pair of birdies early in the round.

It fell apart on two holes.

Thompson missed the green to the left on No. 8 — the worst spot at Pinehurst — and her first chip fell down the slope, leading to double bogey.

On the next hole, she went long over the green and chose to take relief she really didn't need from a white line marking the TV tower. Thompson went to the drop zone, and her ball rolled back into a divot. Worst yet, she still used her putter, and it hopped high out of the divot and had no chance to reach the green. She made another double bogey, then made three straight bogeys on the back nine. She birdied the final hole for a 74 that left over 3 over.

Na Yeon Choi had a 71 and was in the group with Inkster at 2-over 212 along with Stephanie Meadow (69) and 18-year-old amateur Minjee Lee of Australia (72). Another shot back were So Yeon Ryu, who played her final 10 holes in 3 under for a 70, and Karrie Webb, who went the final 12 holes without a bogey for a 70.

"Michelle Wie has put a few of us back into the tournament," Webb said. "Two hours ago, I didn't think I had a shot. I'm pretty happy about that."

Wie hit 8-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the par-3 ninth, and then hit a beautiful lag from about 80 feet for at two-putt birdie on the par-5 10th to reach 6 under. One swing changed everything.

The back tee on No. 11 was used for the first time all week, playing at 444 yards. Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who missed the cut as the Women's Open's youngest qualifier in history, walked the final 12 holes with the last group. "Man, that hole is like 10 times harder from there," she said. "Well, maybe not for them."

Definitely for them based on their shots.

Wie hit a snap-hook that rambled through the trees and left her no shot but to go sideways and slightly back. She hit her third in a greenside bunker, blasted out about 25 feet long and nearly off the green and made double bogey.

"You can't be in the tree here," Wie said. "But I felt like I grinded out there."

That's what it usually takes in the U.S. Women's Open. Wie shot 82 in final round at Cherry Hills when she was 15. She missed a playoff at Newport by two shots a year later. She is back again, a 24-year-old former teen prodigy, 18 holes away and still a long way to go.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kanye West and Annie Leibovitz have issued a joint statement clarifying comments the rapper made recently about the photographer.

The Thursday statement says West's comments Tuesday at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival regarding Leibovitz's availability to shoot his wedding "have been taken out of context and sensationalized."

West was frustrated that he couldn't secure Leibovitz's services for his marriage to Kim Kardashian last month, the statement says, but he was not assigning blame. Their representatives had been negotiating, but did not reach an agreement by the time of the wedding.

The statement says West's dream was to bring together his favorite creatives, and that Leibovitz was his first choice to capture "one of the most special days in Kim and Kanye's life."

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Online:

http://kanyewest.com

SEATTLE (AP) — A lawyer for U.S. soccer star Hope Solo says she's not guilty of any crime, and that she herself was assaulted and injured during the altercation that led to her arrest early Saturday.

Attorney Todd Maybrown emailed a statement on her behalf to The Associated Press. It says, "We look forward to the opportunity to present the true facts in court and to having this matter behind Hope very soon."

Police in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland said Solo, a longtime goalkeeper for the women's national team, was arrested just before 1 a.m. at her sister's house for investigation of domestic violence assault. They say she was intoxicated and upset, and that she had assaulted her sister and 17-year-old nephew.

Solo was being held in jail pending a court appearance Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Banks are making it easier for small businesses to get loans, and they're giving companies better terms and lower interest rates.

That's the conclusion of researchers at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp., who Wednesday released the results of a survey on small business financing.

Forty-four percent of the small businesses surveyed last month said they received bank loans during the previous three months. That's a sizeable increase from 39 percent in February and 34 percent last fall.

The Pepperdine Private Capital Access Index for small businesses rose to 27.7 from 27.1 in February. It measures companies' demand for and ease in getting financing, including loans.

Banks are taking more steps to persuade small businesses to borrow, said Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. CEO Jeff Stibel. Interest rates for small businesses, which had been about 15 percent, are falling, he said. Banks are also willing to lend for longer terms than they did a few years ago. Stibel's company compiles credit reports on small businesses.

Banks are willing to lend because small businesses are generally healthier than they were during the recession and its aftermath, Stibel said. Their cash flow is stronger and they're keeping their expenses down, which makes them more appealing to risk-averse banks that want to lend.

"We're entering a new normal," he said.

Small business owners who have been conservative with their finances since the recession began 6 1/2 years ago are still cautious, the survey shows. An index measuring their demand for outside financing of all types fell 1.3 points to 32.1.

Companies' hiring plans are also conservative. Forty-seven percent of small businesses said they had no plans to hire in the next six months, up 2 percentage points from February. The number of businesses planning to hire up to two employees rose to 35 percent from 33 percent, but the number of companies planning to hire three to 10 workers fell slightly.

Stibel said he expects hiring to increase. He noted that many owners are getting lines of credit, but aren't rushing to use them. They want to be sure they have the money on hand when they're ready to expand or hire, he said.

Owners' revenue expectations for their companies were little changed from February. Many owners have said in separate surveys they won't hire until they have enough new business to justify expanding their payrolls.

The survey included responses from 1,251 companies of all sizes.

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — Some wanted to play soccer barefoot on the beach with Brazilians, experiencing for themselves those romanticized images they'd seen on TV. Others dreamed of attending meaningful games in the homeland of Pele, soaking up the passion for the game permeating not just the stadiums, but every corner of every neighborhood.

If they could do that, maybe tip back a few caipirinhas, munch on coxinhas, take a dip in the south Atlantic, and cheer on the U.S. national team, what a trip it would be.

Brazil turned out to be the perfect place for the traveling American fan base to come into its own at the World Cup — to gather festively before games on foreign soil and take over arenas during matches.

"Huge party! It was awesome," Miami resident Katie McCrath said of a gathering hosted by the booster club American Outlaws before Monday's tournament opener for the U.S., a 2-1 triumph over Ghana in Natal. "They filled the streets."

They filled a large part of the stadium, too.

"That was one of the really neat things about the first game — hearing the national anthem and it almost feeling like a home game," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said as the U.S. prepared for its next match Sunday against Portugal in Manaus. "Being far away and having all those fans there for us was just an amazing feeling."

South America's largest country is one in which influences from Europe, Africa and the Americas are mixed in a tropical climate and on bountiful land with stunning scenery. That demographic, geographic and cultural cocktail gives Brazil an exotic appeal to travelers worldwide.

Guests at Brazilian hotels often awake to breakfast spreads of tropical fruit unavailable at home. They curb mid-day hunger with fried dumplings of ground chicken called coxinhas at snack huts by the beach, and wash them down with caipirinhas, fruity cocktails featuring cachaca, a fiery spirit made from sugar cane juice.

Combine all that with Brazil's renowned enthusiasm for "o jogo bonito," or the beautiful game, and the 2014 World Cup becomes a two-for-one bucket-list opportunity for fans across the globe. Americans have seized it in force.

According to FIFA, more than 200,000 tickets for games in Brazil were purchased by U.S. residents. While a chunk of those residents surely have ancestry in soccer-loving countries like Mexico, that figure ranked second among all nations worldwide, behind only the host country.

The crowd in Natal was laced with red, white and blue. Chants of "I believe that we will win," a common U.S. soccer cheer, thundered throughout the arena. The stars and stripes waved in seemingly every section.

"We had heard that there was a ton Americans, so we were anticipating that," American goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "And it was fun for once just to have the upper hand."

Among the fans in Natal was Greg Conley of Boston, who's been to every World Cup since 1990, when he saw the U.S. play in Florence, Italy. Back then, he recalled, Americans in the stands consisted of a smattering of college-age fans who happened to be in Europe, or family and friends of team members.

Excluding 1994, when the World Cup came to the States, Conley said the game in Natal marked "the first time I saw the U.S. fan base dominate — and that's the correct word — a stadium, as well as outside the stadium and the vicinity of the stadium in the hours leading up to the game and after the game."

The American Outlaws use social media to promote pregame gatherings. Katie McCrath went with her husband, Steve, a soccer coach at Barry University. The throng at the pizza place picked for the rally was too thick to get near the door.

"As an American to be there, seeing all those people, all that energy, it was unbelievable," she said.

Former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now a soccer analyst for ESPN, said a 2006 World Cup match in Kaiserslautern, Germany, between the U.S. and Italy was the first time he could recall a noticeable pro-American crowd at a World Cup game overseas.

He figured the showing in Brazil would be unprecedented — not simply because soccer's popularity continues to rise in the U.S.

"What limited history (Americans) know of the game, Brazil carries huge weight and it's a country where you can go hang out on the beach," Keller said.

That is precisely what Conley has done. The 50-year-old, who plays recreational soccer back home, made his World Cup base in Olinda, near the host city of Recife, because he hoped to get into a pickup game on the beach.

On Thursday, he waited in the sand behind a net for the better part of an hour, shagging loose balls until he was finally picked to join a team. Afterward, he said he'd experienced the soccer equivalent of playing pickup basketball on an outdoor court in New York City — something he'd done in college.

"One of my main objectives was to play soccer on the beach with locals during the World Cup," Conley said, his feet sore but his face beaming. "It worked out fantastic. I got my jogo bonito experience."

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AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley and Ron Blum in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Ryan Moore had an eagle and two birdies Saturday in a bogey-free 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Aaron Baddeley in the Travelers Championship.

The 31-year-old Moore had a 13-under 197 total at TPC River Highlands after opening with rounds of 63 and 68. He won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia at the start of the season in October for his third PGA Tour title.

Baddeley had six birdies and a bogey in a 65.

Sergio Garcia, K.J. Choi, Scott Langley and Michael Putnam were tied for third at 11 under. Garcia had a 65, Choi shot 69, Langley 70 and Putnam 69.

Masters champion Bubba Watson was nine strokes back after a 67. He won in 2010 at River Highlands.

Moore has finished in the top 10 four times in eight starts at the Travelers.

PILGER, Neb. (AP) — A storm packing rare dual tornadoes tore through a tiny farming town in northeast Nebraska, killing a 5-year-old child, leaving grain bins crumpled like discarded soda cans and flattening dozens of homes.

All the residents of the town of Pilger — some 350 people — evacuated their homes, many leaving for shelters in nearby towns, after the powerful twisters slammed the area Monday afternoon. Nebraska State Patrol closed all roads into town.

"More than half of the town is gone — absolutely gone," Stanton County Commissioner Jerry Weatherholt said. "The co-op is gone, the grain bins are gone, and it looks like almost every house in town has some damage. It's a complete mess."

Emergency crews and residents spent the evening sifting through demolished homes and businesses in the town about 80 miles northwest of Omaha.

Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger estimated that 50 to 75 percent of Pilger was heavily damaged or destroyed in the storm. The local school is likely beyond repair, he said.

"It's total devastation," Unger said.

The storm was part of a larger system that started to track across the nation's midsection Monday afternoon. More stormy weather was forecast Tuesday in an area stretching from eastern Montana to New York. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said powerful winds, large hail and a few tornadoes are possibly, particularly in Iowa, Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

The Stanton County Sheriff's Office said a 5-year-old child was killed but did not identify the child further or provide details of the circumstances of the death. At least 19 people were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The National Weather Service said the two twisters touched down within roughly a mile of each other. Crews planned to examine the area Tuesday to determine the intensity of the unusual twin twisters, said Barbara Mayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley.

"It's less common for two tornadoes to track together for so long, especially with that same intensity," she said. "By no means is it unprecedented. But we don't see it often."

Authorities were expected to allow residents to return Tuesday morning to survey the damage and gather any immediate valuables. The Stanton County Sheriff's Office said law enforcement would escort residents back to their properties.

Jodi Richey, a spokeswoman for Faith Regional Health Services in nearby Norfolk, said 16 people were treated at that facility. Some were in critical condition but others were released after treatment.

Providence Medical Center in Wayne treated three tornado victims, including two who had lacerations, said hospital spokeswoman Sandy Bartling. Two were released Monday evening, and the third was in stable condition.

Authorities said the first tornado touched down around 3:45 p.m. and downed several power lines before it leveled a farmhouse.

Then a second tornado was spotted southwest of Pilger, according to the Stanton County Sheriff's Office. Shortly afterward, the town suffered a "direct hit" that leveled several buildings, including the Fire Department building.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman declared a state of emergency, and the National Guard was preparing to assist local emergency responders and help with the cleanup. Heineman and officials with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency were expected to arrive Tuesday morning.

A shelter was established at Wisner-Pilger Jr.-Sr. High School in nearby Wisner. About a dozen residents had arrived at the makeshift shelter by 9:30 p.m. and school officials expected more to come later, said Wisner-Pilger Schools Superintendent Chad Boyer.

"I just have to use one word — devastation," Boyer said by phone from inside the school. "It's a tremendous loss all around the town."

Tornadoes also caused damage in Cuming and Wayne counties, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said in a news release. National Weather Service meteorologists also tracked a reported tornado near the town of Burwell, in central Nebraska. Mayes said the service had not received reports of damage.

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Associated Press writer Grant Schulte contributed from Lincoln, Nebraska.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is set Saturday to close a conference designed to mobilize religious conservative voters before the upcoming midterm elections and the 2016 presidential contest.

Jindal is the last of several prospective Republican presidential candidates to address more than 1,000 evangelical Christians attending the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference. He recently took steps in Louisiana to block the use of tests tied to Common Core education standards, a position favored by tea party supporters and conservatives.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio were among those who also addressed the three-day gathering.

The conference highlights the balancing act confronting Republicans. Religious conservatives continue to wield influence in the GOP, while the Republican National Committee calls for an "inclusive and welcoming" tone on divisive social issues.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New crime data show Apple's addition of a "kill switch" to its iPhones last September has sharply reduced robberies and thefts, authorities said Thursday.

The report by state attorneys general, prosecutors, police and other officials from a year-old initiative called "Secure Our Smartphones" said Google and Microsoft will incorporate a kill switch into the next version of their operating systems on smartphones. The three systems — Android, iOS, and Windows Phone — are used in 97 percent of smartphones in the U.S.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, part of the initiative, said the data show crimes meanwhile surged against people carrying phones without switches intended to make them useless to thieves.

"The statistics released today illustrate the stunning effectiveness of kill switches, and the commitments of Google and Microsoft are giant steps toward consumer safety," he said. The report noted a Consumer Reports estimate that 3.1 million mobile devices were stolen nationally in 2013, double a year earlier.

In New York City, robberies of Apple products fell 19 percent while grand larcenies dropped 29 percent in the first five months of 2014 compared with a year earlier, according to the report. Robberies and grand larcenies involving a Samsung smartphone, which didn't have a kill switch during much of that time, rose more than 40 percent. Samsung introduced a kill switch in April.

Crime data from police in San Francisco and London, comparing the six months before Apple's switch to the six months following, showed similar trends, according to the report.

In San Francisco, iPhone robberies declined 38 percent, while robberies of Samsung devices increased 12 percent.

In London, Apple thefts declined 24 percent, while Samsung thefts increased 3 percent.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, also part of the initiative, said that the statistics prove that a technological solution to prevent theft was possible. He called for legislation "at all levels" to make anti-theft solutions mandatory.

"Compared to all of the cool things smartphones can do these days, this is not that advanced," Gascon said. "I believe ending the victimization of millions of Americans is the coolest thing a smartphone can do."

Google spokesman Christopher Katsaros said Thursday the next version of Android will include "a factory reset protection solution to help deter smartphone theft." The company plans to release more details shortly, he said.

Microsoft plans to offer "theft-deterrent features" as an update for all phones running Windows Phone 8.0 and newer, subject to mobile operator and phone manufacturer approvals by July 2015, vice president Fred Humphries posted online Thursday. It will update the Find My Phone feature, making it capable of remotely erasing personal data, rendering phones inoperable by unauthorized users except to call 911 and prevent reactivation without the authorized user's permission. It will allow reactivating phones recovered by authorized users and restore erased data stored in the cloud, he wrote.

Apple did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

The iPhone switch is an opt-in feature, requiring users to enable it by touching a series of buttons: settings, iCloud, Find My iPhone. It allows the user to locate the phone on a map and remotely lock or erase it. The initiative, with 29 state attorneys general, dozens of prosecutors, police and other officials as members, advocates kill switches as standard features where users would have to opt out.

Minnesota last month became the first state to mandate a kill switch on all smartphones tablets sold in the state effective July 2015.

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Associated Press writer Terry Collins in San Francisco contributed to this report.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — The way Iran was defending, it was always going to take a little magic from Lionel Messi to send Argentina into the second round of the World Cup.

Until stoppage time on Saturday, Messi had been stifled by Iran's solid back line. Then, out of nowhere, the Argentina captain produced something very special, as he has done so many times for Barcelona, by scoring a stunning goal for a 1-0 victory.

Goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who watched the goal from the other end of the pitch, said Messi "rubbed his magic lamp and we won."

Messi was more pragmatic.

"When I saw that I had scored I was very happy, because we were in added time already and wanted to qualify for the next phase," he said.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella watched as Iran tightly marked his star player, but said he always had faith that Messi might deliver when it counted.

"Messi continued on throughout the match," Sabella said. "He had perseverance, patience, attitude. He always had an eye for goal in his own way."

It was Messi's third World Cup goal since 2006. The fixture was also significant for him because it was his 88th Argentina appearance, surpassing Diego Maradona's 87.

However, the Group F match had nearly been a disaster for Argentina. Besides defending, Iran also took the match to Argentina in the second half, creating several chances to win it and cause a tournament sensation.

Iran was punished, however, for those missed chances. Messi, getting a rare touch, quickly moved the ball toward his dangerous left foot and fired a curling shot from 20 yards (meters) just beyond the reach of the diving goalkeeper and into the left corner of the net.

"In the first half, we had four or five clear chances to score a goal and in the second half, they complicated things for us with counterattacks," Sabella said. "But having Messi resolved everything."

The goal showed why Messi has been voted world player of the year no fewer than four times.

Up until that point, he had been kept quiet by Iran's stoic defending, while Argentina had at times been exposed to counterattacks.

"It was a difficult game to be honest," Messi said. "They were able to close up at the back, so it was difficult for us to break down the defense. It was very hot for us."

Iran had several chances to win it, especially in the second half. The best of those opportunities came in the 67th minute, when midfielder Ashkan Dejagah's powerful header from close range was tipped just over the bar by Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

"We know that it would be a difficult, tense match," Romero said. "Thank God I could get my hand on the ball and it didn't go in."

Earlier, lone striker Reza Ghoochannejhad's header from close range was saved by Romero after a cross from the right. He also missed a chance for a late winner when his shot was again saved by Romero.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said two people made the difference in the match: Messi and referee Milorad Mazic. Queiroz said the referee should have pointed to the penalty spot when Argentina right back Pablo Zabaleta mistimed his challenge on Dejagah in the second half.

"I hope they don't punish me, but I'm telling the truth: It was a penalty," Queiroz said, stressing that Mazic had a clear view. "The referee played a role in this game.

"Messi was great, he scored the winning goal. The referee, I'm sorry to say, was not."

Before the match, Iran faced criticism for its defensive tactics after a dour 0-0 draw against Nigeria. But before Messi's strike, Iranian and Brazilian fans were singing "Ole, ole, ole, ole, Iran Iran!" in recognition of the team's attempts to score a winner.

But Messi denied Iran what would have ranked as its greatest result by drawing with the former world champions.

Despite the defeat, Iran can still hope to qualify for the second round. Nigeria plays Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lost its opener 2-1 to Argentina, later Saturday.

The victory sent the pro-Argentina crowd into raptures and most of them stayed in the stands at Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte well after the match. They chanted and waved scarves and flags, and cheered highlights — including Messi's goal — shown on the big screens.

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Lineups:

Argentina: Sergio Romero, Pablo Zabaleta, Federico Fernandez, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo, Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria (Lucas Biglia, 90, injury time), Lionel Messi (captain), Sergio Aguero (Ezequiel Lavezzi, 76), Gonzalo Higuain (Rodrigo Palacio, 76).

Iran: Alireza Haghighi, Jalal Hosseini, Amirhossein Sadeghi, Pejman Montazeri, Mehrdad Pooladi, Ehsan Haji Safi (Reza Haghighi, 88), Javad Nekounam (captain), Andranik Teymourian, Ashkan Dejagah (Alireza Jahanbakhsh, 85), Masoud Shojaei (Khosro Heydari, 76), Reza Ghoochannejhad.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive spending bill to fund five Cabinet departments for the upcoming budget year is about to hit the Senate floor, giving senators a rare opportunity for open debate on legislation of any kind.

Maybe. The chamber easily advanced the measure on a 95-3 test vote, but a subsequent agreement for debate terms proved elusive Tuesday. Democrats controlling the Senate have for years followed their GOP predecessors in restricting the ability of the rank and file to offer amendments to legislation, under longstanding Senate traditions.

The hybrid $180 billion measure by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., would fund the departments of Commerce, Justice, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture for the 2015 budget year beginning Oct. 1.

It would be the first opportunity in several years for senators to have extended debate and offer floor amendments to an annual appropriations bill, but it's not clear whether the bitterly divided chamber will rise to the occasion. Negotiations to bypass floor procedures and begin debate Tuesday evening failed to bear fruit.

Republicans are sure to try to force votes that would make politically endangered Democrats squirm. And if Democrats try to quash such opportunities, they could seem high-handed. But the debate also promises votes on substantive issues such as revising hours of operation rules for the trucking industry.

The measure comes as the annual appropriations season is entering overdrive and key players like Mikulski are trying to revive the powerful Appropriations panel, which has been disrespected by both House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in recent years.

The House, meanwhile, takes up a $570 billion Pentagon funding measure Wednesday, hours after the House Appropriations Committee was set to approve a bipartisan measure funding the Energy Department, Army Corp of Engineers water projects and the Defense Department's nuclear weapons program.

But House subcommittee debate Wednesday on a measure slashing the Internal Revenue Service's budget promises to be far more partisan, as was last week's floor debate on the Agriculture Department's measure, which opened the door for school districts to opt out of healthier school lunch standards — a top priority of first lady Michele Obama.

The Senate panel gave initial approval to bipartisan bills funding foreign aid and energy and water programs. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who serves on the panel but participates chiefly at high-profile moments, has signaled that later this week he'll press an amendment to block any Environmental Protection Agency rules on carbon emissions from existing power plants, a move that, if successful, promises to boost his standing in eastern Kentucky coal country. He's got a good shot at winning since several pro-coal Democrats populate the panel.

Such amendments allow lawmakers opportunities to weigh in on issues big and small. The Senate floor measure, for example, would boost grants to help communities ease backlogs of rape tests, ease House GOP cuts to Amtrak and transportation grants, and, under a bipartisan provision by Maine Republican Susan Collins, relax government rules aimed at keeping tired truckers off the road.

In a dysfunctional Congress, the annual appropriations process is often the only game in town.

BEIRUT (AP) — In a reflection of how intertwined the Syria and Iraq conflicts have become, thousands of Shiite Iraqi militiamen helping President Bashar Assad crush the Sunni-led uprising against him are returning home, putting a strain on the overstretched Syrian military as it struggles to retain territory recaptured in recent months from rebels.

The borders between the two countries are being largely ignored, with fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said to be crossing freely from one side to the other, transporting weapons, equipment and cash in a development that has potential to shift the balance of power in a largely stalemated battle.

The seizure of large chunks of Iraq by militants does offer Assad a messaging victory: he has long insisted that the uprising against him is the work of foreign-inspired Islamic extremists, suggesting that the West needs to work with him to check the influence of jihadis, and that the radicals, not the divided and weaker pro-Western moderate rebels, are the real alternative to his rule.

The violent actions and speedy successes of the same group in Iraq, against a government the West does essentially support, seem to align with his argument. And he can relish the fact that the U.S. is weighing airstrikes against Sunni militants in Iraq — and possibly Syria — while shying away from any military action against his government for the past three years.

But the developments also threaten to upset what has recently been an upward trend by Assad's forces in the three-year-old Syrian conflict.

The Syrian government is heavily reliant on foreign fighters to bolster its ranks and help quell the largely Sunni insurgency engulfing the country. They include thousands of Shiite Hezbollah fighters, Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers and Iraqi militiamen who left their homes and headed to Syria to defend what they see as an attack on the Shiite regional axis comprised of Iran, Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government in Iraq.

That axis is now under mounting pressure. The militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are carving out an ever-expanding fiefdom along the Iraqi-Syrian border. Earlier this month, they seized Iraq's city of Mosul — and they have vowed to march on to the Iraqi capital Baghdad as well. In the past few days, the militants seized two strategically located towns along the Euphrates River, including the Qaim border crossing with Syria — advancing their efforts to etch out a large region straddling the two conflict-ridden countries.

"The developments in Iraq are a double-edged sword for Assad," said Randa Slim, a director at the Washington-based Middle East Institute. "On one hand, these developments help Assad's narrative to his constituents and to the West that his fight is with terrorists and not against democrats." On the other hand, she said, the Islamic State's rapid and successful incursion into Iraq undermines Assad's claim that he is able to defeat them.

In the most immediate outcome, thousands of Iraqi Shiite militiamen fighting in Syria are heading back home to defend against the Sunni blitz, leaving behind gaping holes in areas under their control.

In interviews conducted by The Associated Press with returning Shiite fighters in Baghdad, many said they were responding to a call to arms issued in recent days by Iraq's Shiite spiritual leader Ali al-Sistani. Others said they considered Iraq to be the mother battle.

"Yes, we took part in the fighting in Syria. But now the priority is Iraq," said Jassem al-Jazaeri, a senior official in Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades, which is believed to be funded and trained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Most of the Shiite Iraqi fighters in Syria — believed by some estimates to number between 20,000 and 30,000 — have been battling rebels in suburbs of the Syrian capital and particularly in the vicinity of Sayida Zeinab, home to a major Shiite shrine by the same name.

Syrian opposition activists say Syrian rebels are already exploiting the vacuum left by the Iraqis to mount attacks. A number of Hezbollah fighters were killed in an attack on the town of Rankous in the Qalamoun region last week. The town fell to government and Hezbollah forces two months ago.

Firas Abi Ali, head of Middle East and North Africa Analysis, IHS Country Risk, said in a recent analysis that the Syrian government will compensate for any redeployment of Iraqi fighters using manpower drawn mainly from Hezbollah.

"However, the Iraqi fighters' departure would probably temporarily reduce the ability of the Syrian government to mount new offensives and place it on the strategic defensive," he said.

Another concern for Assad is the possibility that the Islamic State might transfer advanced weapons and vehicles from Iraq across the border into Syria.

A senior Iraqi intelligence official confirmed that fighters have indeed begun doing this. The official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said the fighters recently seized depots in Mosul containing up to 400,000 pieces of weaponry and ammunition, and that a quarter of it has been moved to Syria, possibly for storage and safe guarding.

In a report Saturday, the global intelligence outfit Stratfor said the group has seized from retreating Iraqi soldiers armored vehicles, small arms, ammunition, artillery, communication devices, and possibly more.

"This gear would provide a substantial boost on the battleground in Syria, and the group has indeed already begun to transfer some of this equipment across the border," said the report.

Opposition activists in eastern Syria say they have not yet seen anything to indicate any game changing weapons at play.

Still, such reports are likely to make the West even less inclined to supply rebels in Syria with the advanced weaponry they need to confront Assad's military superiority.

"This will translate into less pressure on the Assad regime and more reluctance to arm the moderate Syrian rebel groups for fear that those weapons will fall in the hands of the jihadis," Slim said.

Observers also say the Iraq chaos is putting a strain on Shiite powerhouse Iran, as it labors to prop up beleaguered allies in both Iraq and Syria. Suleiman Takieddine, a columnist writing in the Lebanese daily As-Safir, said Iran's ability to endure a long war of attribution on multiple fronts, "economically, militarily and politically," is in doubt.

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Abdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad.

COTIA, Brazil (AP) — Vegetarians, vegans and those Brazilians who go gluten-free flock to popular Ser-Afim some 45 minutes outside Sao Paulo in the countryside just to eat brunch or lunch.

Or, to cheer for Argentina. Owner Silvia Belton Lopes is Argentinian. When Sergio Luiz showed up sporting Argentine baby blue for the country's first World Cup game, Belton Lopes made an offer: Come back in gear again and be treated to a free lunch.

After lunch, Luiz and Suellen Varrabal moved next door to watch Argentina's thrilling 1-0 victory over Iran on Lionel Messi's stoppage-time goal at Belton Lopes' husband's pizza place called Jao do Grao — offering dessert pizzas named Michael Jackson, Barbie and Willi Ronca, and a "Kung-Fu Panda" tomato sauce pie with mozzarella, tomato sauce, alfalfa sprouts and gorgonzola.

When Argentina scored, a small group of fans waved a giant flag and jumped out of their seats, roaring.

Belton Lopes is well known for her generosity. When the restaurant reopens in January after the Christmas and New Year's holidays, she treats patrons to meals when they come to the register to pay after a meal.

A couple from Texas visits twice a year and is hopeful of opening a similar vegetarian restaurant there, Marco Lopes said.

A T-shirt on the wall, in English, reads, "Don't Panic It's Organic."

— By Janie McCauley — www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

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NEYMAR TO MASSA

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian Formula One driver Felipe Massa said he got some extra motivation from Brazil striker Neymar before winning the pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday.

"Just before I go to the car my son gave me a little Neymar, a little one, so I bring the little one to the car and I put on the side of my helmet. It was a nice feeling," said Massa, who hadn't started from the pole since 2008, when his son, 4-year-old Felipe, had not been born yet.

The Williams driver said he knows "there is a lot going on in Brazil in this moment" because of the World Cup, and he is paying attention even though he's far away.

"I'm a great fan of football, so I hope we can have a great World Cup," Massa said. "I know what it is to win at home, so I can imagine winning the World Cup at home is like a dream come true, not just for the players but also for everybody which is watching. So I really hope the best for Brazil."

Massa twice won his home race, in 2006 and 2008, when he drove for Ferrari.

— By Tales Azzoni — www.twitter.com/tazzoni

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PIOJO TWEETS

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Selfies, elaborate jokes, photo bombs involving his squad's biggest stars and now exclusive team news. Mexico's Miguel Herrera is not one of those national team coaches afraid of Twitter.

In the past month, the 46-year-old former player has seen the number of people following him on Twitter more than double. On Friday, he revealed in a tweet that he intends to use the same lineup for Monday's crucial final group game against Croatia as he did for the 0-0 draw with Brazil. Surely that will add many more to the 619,000 people currently following @MiguelHerreraDT.

The man who generally goes by the nickname Piojo (louse) has proved a hit on and off the pitch. He's set an example for the relaxed atmosphere at Mexico's base in Santos. Piojo has happily signed countless autographs and posed for pictures — many of them destined for social media — for the fans outside the team hotel.

Short, squat, smiling and capable of saying anything — he labeled Bosnia-Herzegovina players "pigs" after what he saw as unfair substitutions during a World Cup warm-up match earlier this month — Herrera is social media's dream manager. Just don't get him started on Fabio Capello, the Italian coach of the Russia national team, who has banned all his players from using Twitter.

— By Luke Norman

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IMPOSSIBLE TRAFFIC

SAO PAULO (AP) — Sao Paulo city officials are hoping for the impossible: avoid a massive traffic jam Monday when Brazil meets Cameroon in Brasilia and Chile takes on the Netherlands at the Itaquerao Stadium in South America's biggest city.

They fear a repeat of last Tuesday's chaos when choking congestion brought the city to a near standstill as fans rushed home to watch the Brazil-Mexico game, causing more than 300 kilometers of traffic jams at a time of day when the average is less than 40 kilometers.

Even Brazil great Pele got stuck and had to watch the first half in his car as he traveled from Santos to Sao Paulo.

The stage for a chaotic traffic situation Monday was set earlier this week when Sao Paulo's City Council refused to declare a holiday for Brazil's upcoming World Cup games.

Mayor Fernando Haddad countered by decreeing that municipal civil servants and students at the city's public schools will have the day off Monday.

Banks, stores and factories have also agreed to close some two hours early to give employees time to get home on time for the Brazil-Cameroon game and avoid major traffic snarls.

— By Stan Lehman

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DIRK'S PRIORITIES

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki had to make sure organizers of his celebrity baseball game in the Dallas area knew where the 7-foot German's priorities were.

The annual charity event with his name on it was set for the first pitch about four hours after the start of Germany's World Cup match against Ghana on Saturday. It certainly tightened the window for Nowitzki's pregame activities.

"I told them I can't come here before 4:30," Nowitzki said the day before his game, drawing laughs from reporters. "I can't leave in the second half of a tight game."

Of course, Germany could always make things easier for the country's most famous basketball player by doing what it did to Portugal in the opener — taking a 3-0 halftime lead. Even then, it'll be hard to pull Nowitzki away from the TV.

"For every German, it's huge," the 2011 NBA Finals MVP said. "We have to watch every game. I had my jersey on for Game 1. I had my scarf. So I'm ready to roll."

— By Schuyler Dixon — www.twitter.com/apschuyler

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MARADONA MAKES IT

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Diego Maradona made it into the stands this time.

After claiming he was blocked from watching his country play its World Cup opener, the Argentina great sat in the crowd Saturday at Mineirao Stadium for the match against Iran.

Maradona, who captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, has been one of FIFA's fiercest and most regular critics. The sport's governing body said that he simply didn't have the proper credentials last Sunday.

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Associated Press reporters will be filing dispatches about happenings in and around Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. Follow AP journalists covering the World Cup on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/world-cup-2014

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Lionel Messi finally found a way through Iran's defensive wall with a superb goal in stoppage time to give Argentina a 1-0 victory on Saturday and a place in the World Cup knockout stages.

Iran had defended solidly throughout the game and also took the match to Argentina in the second half, creating several chances to win the Group F match and cause a tournament sensation.

But Iran was punished for those missed chances when Messi picked up the ball about 20 yards (meters) out and smacked a shot into the left hand corner.

"In the first half, we had four or five clear chances to score a goal and in the second half, they complicated things for us with counterattacks," Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. "But having Messi resolved everything."

It was a moment of individual brilliance, and showed why Messi has been voted world player of the year no fewer than four times. Messi, getting a rare touch, quickly moved the ball toward his dangerous left foot and fired a curling shot just beyond the reach of the diving goalkeeper and into the left corner of the net.

"When I saw that I had scored I was very happy, because we were in added time already and wanted to qualify for the next phase," Messi said.

Up until that point, he had been kept quiet by Iran's stoic defending, while Argentina had at times been exposed to counterattacks.

"It was a difficult game to be honest," Messi said. "They were able to close up at the back, so it was difficult for us to break down the defense. It was very hot for us."

Iran had several chances to win it, especially in the second half. The best of those opportunities came in the 67th minute, when midfielder Ashkan Dejagah's powerful header from close range was tipped just over the bar by Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

"We know that it would be a difficult, tense match," Romero said. "Thank God I could get my hand on the ball and it didn't go in.

"Messi then rubbed his magic lamp and we won."

Earlier, lone striker Reza Ghoochannejhad's header from close range was saved by Romero after a cross from the right. He later missed a chance for a late winner when his shot was again saved by Romero.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said two people made the difference in the match: Messi and referee Milorad Mazic. Queiroz said the referee should have pointed to the penalty spot when Argentina right back Pablo Zabaleta mistimed his challenge on Dejagah in the second half.

"I hope they don't punish me, but I'm telling the truth: It was a penalty," Queiroz said, stressing that Mazic had a clear view. "The referee played a role in this game.

"Messi was great, he scored the winning goal. The referee, I'm sorry to say, was not."

Before the match, Iran faced criticism for its defensive tactics after a dour 0-0 draw against Nigeria. But before Messi's strike, Iranian and Brazilian fans were singing "Ole, ole, ole, ole, Iran Iran!" in recognition of the team's attempts to score a winner.

But Messi denied Iran what would have ranked as its greatest result by drawing with the former world champions.

Despite the defeat, after opening with a 0-0 draw against Nigeria, Iran can still hope to qualify for the second round. Nigeria plays Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lost its opener 2-1 to Argentina, later on Saturday.

The victory sent the pro-Argentina crowd into raptures and most of them stayed in the stands well after the match, chanting and waving scarves and flags, and watching highlights — including Messi's goal — on the big screens.

It almost looked like Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella's decision to return to an attacking lineup would backfire. In Argentina's 2-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Group F opener, Sabella started with a more defensive 5-3-2 lineup with only two strikers.

He then changed to a 4-3-3 formation in the second half — a system favored by Messi — and he continued with that lineup at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. In the first half, it looked like Argentina would score at least one goal, but Iran's defense stood firm and the South Americans nearly paid for several missed chances until Messi's winner.

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Lineups:

Argentina: Sergio Romero, Pablo Zabaleta, Federico Fernandez, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo, Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria (Lucas Biglia, 90, injury time), Lionel Messi (captain), Sergio Aguero (Ezequiel Lavezzi, 76), Gonzalo Higuain (Rodrigo Palacio, 76).

Iran: Alireza Haghighi, Jalal Hosseini, Amirhossein Sadeghi, Pejman Montazeri, Mehrdad Pooladi, Ehsan Haji Safi (Reza Haghighi, 88), Javad Nekounam (captain), Andranik Teymourian, Ashkan Dejagah (Alireza Jahanbakhsh, 85), Masoud Shojaei (Khosro Heydari, 76), Reza Ghoochannejhad.

HONG KONG (AP) — The stars of "Transformers: Age of Extinction," including Mark Wahlberg and good-guy robot Optimus Prime, were attending the film's worldwide premiere Thursday in Hong Kong, which was a key part of the blockbuster franchise's latest installment.

Wahlberg and other cast members including Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer and Nicola Peltz walked the red carpet to the screening as a giant statue of Autobot leader Optimus Prime overlooked the venue next to a waterfront promenade on famed Victoria Harbor.

The film's debut in the southern Chinese metropolis ahead of its launch in New York next week is the latest sign of Hollywood's increasing focus on China's booming film market.

The fourth installment of the Michael Bay-directed franchise is due in North American and Chinese cinemas June 27. While the films have been derided by critics as superficial, mindless action flicks overloaded with computer-generated effects, that hasn't hurt their global appeal. 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.

Production in Hong Kong last year made world headlines after it was disrupted by two extortion attempts, including an incident in which a man reportedly swung an air conditioner at Bay's head. One assailant in that incident was later sentenced to 30 months in prison..

Wahlberg stars as a mechanic who finds a rundown truck that turns out to be Optimus Prime. While most of the film is set in the U.S., Hong Kong's skyscraper-studded skyline is the backdrop for the climactic battle sequence, in which the Transformers — giant, sentient robots that change into cars, jets and helicopters — trash the city onscreen.

The Autobots and their Decepticon enemies clash in the tenements of Kowloon and above the financial district's glittering towers. Spaceships hover above the city, tearing apart a waterfront convention center and throwing the former British colony's iconic Star Ferry about like a toy.

Other nods to China including scenes featuring the Great Wall in Beijing and the southern factory hub of Guangzhou, where a nefarious tycoon played by Tucci collaborates with Chinese actress Li Bingbing's biotech CEO character to produce robots based on the metal Transformers are made of. Four other minor roles were filled through a talent search on Chinese TV.

The premiere "can be viewed as an indication of Asia's growing importance in the global industry — and that Hong Kong, as an extension of the China market was both convenient and meaningful for the venue," said Rance Pow, president of Shanghai-based film consultancy Artisan gateway.

China is the world's second-biggest film market, with box-office revenues up by nearly a third in the first quarter after rising 27.5 percent last year to $3.6 billion.

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AP writer Angela Chen contributed to this report.

Follow Kelvin Chan at twitter.com/chanman

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support Saturday for Ukraine's unilateral cease-fire in its battle against pro-Russian separatists and appealed to both sides to halt all military operations.

But he warned that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's blueprint for peace would not be viable without action to start peace negotiations.

The qualified Russian backing for Poroshenko's effort to halt the conflict was another in a series of shifting Kremlin moves and statements that leave unclear the level of Moscow's commitment to de-escalating the conflict.

Putin's conciliatory words came on the same day he ordered large-scale military exercises that NATO criticized as likely to raise tensions. U.S. officials also accused Russian troops of moving back into positions near the border with Ukraine's troubled east.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin "calls on the opposing sides to halt any military activities and sit down at the negotiating table."

The statement said Putin supported Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's decision to order Ukrainian troops to observe a unilateral cease-fire starting Friday night.

But it added that Putin wanted to draw "attention to the fact that the proposed plan, without practical action directed at a beginning for a negotiating process, will not be viable or realistic."

Poroshenko bills the unilateral cease-fire as designed to inspire a wider peace plan that would include an amnesty for pro-Russian separatist fighters who disarm.

Further steps would include joint security patrols, a buffer zone on the border, early regional and parliamentary elections, protections for the language rights of people who use Russian as their main language, and eventually changes in the constitution to permit more regional self-government.

Ukrainian troops have struggled for weeks to suppress separatists who have seized buildings and declared independence in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions near the border with Russia.

Ukraine and the United States have accused Russia of supporting the insurgency, including by permitting tanks to cross the border and wind up in the rebels' arsenal. Russia counters that it is not supporting the insurgents and Russians who have joined the fighting are doing so as private citizens.

U.S. and European leaders have called on Russia to play a constructive role in settling the conflict and halt what they say is support for the rebels. The U.S. and European Union have imposed financial sanctions on specific Russian officials but have held off on targeting entire economic sectors.

It remains unclear whether Russia can or will influence the pro-Russian fighters to de-escalate the conflict. Putin has consulted with Poroshenko several times by phone on the Ukraine cease-fire initiative, but earlier Russian statements on the peace plan had criticized it sharply as an "ultimatum" seeking to pressure rebels to disarm.

The more open-minded tone of the latest Kremlin statement contrasted with Putin's move Saturday to order military forces in central Russia to go on combat alert and to launch an exercise for airborne troops.

The combat alert in the central military district, which encompasses the Volga region and the Ural mountains but not western Russia, will last until next Saturday and involve 65,000 troops, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu on Saturday lamented Moscow's military exercises, saying that "it can be seen as a further escalation of the crisis with Ukraine."

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's embattled east have dismissed the cease-fire as fake — and continued to shoot at Ukraine border positions after the truce began Friday night.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said six troops were wounded in attacks on border posts shortly before the truce's start, while three others were wounded in later mortar and sniper attacks on two posts.

Nonetheless, no large-scale fighting was reported Saturday, the first full day of what is to be a 6 -day stand-down by the Ukrainian military ending Friday morning.

In Donetsk, a group of armed men gathered Saturday in the central square to take a military oath to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Pavel Gubarev, who describes himself as governor of the breakaway republic, said there was no sign of any cease-fire near Slovyansk, scene of serious clashes for several months.

"There is no cease-fire over there," Gubarev said. "There is shooting all the time, and this cease-fire that Poroshenko is talking about is just fake. The Ukrainian forces are either not under his control, or he is just a liar."

Tension between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply in February when protests in favor of closer ties with the European Union drove pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from power. Russia denounced the events as a coup and annexed Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking Crimea region. Rebellion in the eastern regions broke out shortly afterward, with Ukraine accusing Russia of supporting it.

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Associated Press reporter staff Marko Drobnjakovic in Donetsk contributed to this report.

In a major upset, the world's champion soccer team, Spain, lost to Chile 2-0 and has been eliminated from the World Cup tournament. Spaniards have had to deal with a lot of bad news of late. This is the last thing they expected from the world's No. 1 champion team.