A Ukrainian skeleton athlete ended his third run at the Beijing Olympics on Friday night by revealing a small sign to the cameras urging peace in his homeland.

The message from Vladyslav Heraskevych read: "No War in Ukraine." The sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Formula One extended its contract to continue racing in Bahrain until 2036, saying Friday that the Middle Eastern country holds a "very special place in our sport."

The Sakhir-based circuit has held F1 races since 2004 and will stage the season-opener next month.

Russia could invade Ukraine during the current Beijing Winter Olympics so Americans should leave the Eastern European country immediately, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

Blinken did not detail the reasons behind the State Department's latest security alert that calls on all American citizens to leave Ukraine.

Hugh Jackman is playing one of musical theater's greatest con men on Broadway these days but he's not fooling anyone: He's the real deal.

As Harold Hill in a glorious and exuberant new revival of "The Music Man," Jackman is like a coiled spring, effortlessly leaping onto desks, two-stepping with kids, tossing books into the air and pounding out a rhythm on his thighs. He's even magnetic in a romantic clinch.

Sting is selling his music catalog, including hits he made with the Police and as a solo artist, joining a chorus of stars who are cashing in with investors who see value in licensing their songs.

Universal said Thursday that its music-publishing arm bought the catalog, including "Every Breath You Take," "Roxanne" and "Fields of Gold." Financial terms were not disclosed.

Jennifer Lopez is very good at being very famous.

That might sound more like a circumstance and not a rarified skill, but that's just because she'd never let you see the work behind it. The same goes for her competence as a romantic comedy heroine. She might not always get the best material, but her rom-com charm is undeniable and even underrated 25 years after her breakout in "Selena." The only time we as a culture seem to consider a performance of hers especially noteworthy is when she's in something more "serious" (see: "Out of Sight," "Hustlers").

Police are punishing Chinese traders for cashing in by reselling scarce dolls of Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen at up to 10 times retail price.

Buyers stood in line overnight in freezing weather and emptied store shelves after the Winter Games opened Feb. 4. News reports say factory employees were called back from their Lunar New Year holiday to make more panda mascots.

Thai authorities scrambled Friday to contain the country's second oil spill in less than three weeks in the Gulf of Thailand.

An estimated 5 tons (1,320 gallons) was believed to have leaked 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the eastern province of Rayong, in the same location where at least 22 tons (5,800 gallons) spilled into the sea on Jan. 25.

A Russian gallery says one of its security guards has vandalized an avant-garde painting on loan from the country's top art repository by drawing eyes on the picture's deliberately featureless faces. It said the damage can be repaired.

The Yeltsin Center in Ekaterinburg said the vandalism of the painting "Three Figures" by Anna Leporskaya occurred Dec. 7. It said the suspected culprit worked for a private company providing security at the gallery.

World shares declined Friday after a sell-off on Wall Street spurred by news that inflation in the U.S. jumped 7.5% in January.

Benchmarks fell in London, Paris and Hong Kong and U.S. futures also were lower. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday.