More than half of Russians worry that their nation is facing an imminent threat of war from other states, a recent poll shows. They also overwhelmingly place their confidence in the Russian Armed Forces.

Some 56 percent of people in Russia believe that there is an "existing military threat" to their country from some other nations, according to a newly published survey conducted by the Levada Center. However, only 15 percent are fully confident that this threat is real, while more than 40 percent are not so sure.

The general fear of a potentially looming military conflict appears to be in decline in Russia as the number of people, who believe in an imminent threat of war, has fallen by 12 percent over recent years. Back in 2015, it was 68 percent.

Meanwhile, most Russians trust in the nation's Armed Forces ability to repel any potential aggression and defend the country in case of a military conflict.

Some 88 percent of people told Levada they believe that the military would "protect Russia" should a war break out. A half of all respondents also felt perfectly confident about the Russian Armed Forces' abilities.

Sri Lanka has halted imports of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder until the company proves its product is free from cancer-causing asbestos, two government officials and the product's local distributor told Reuters.

Stocks of the product already in Sri Lanka can still be sold, but there will be no new imports of the talc, a popular healthcare product across Sri Lanka and much of Asia, until J&J India, from where Sri Lanka imports the product, provides fresh test results.

On Dec. 14, Reuters reported that the U.S. drugs and consumer products group knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder, leading to tests in several countries, including in India.

Chris Howard, 23, was booked into the Gwinnett County, Georgia, jail in February 2017 after testing positive for marijuana while on probation for a drunk driving arrest. According to a local news report, he had shared a marijuana cookie with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

On February 15, Howard had a seizure and went into convulsions while in a holding cell. Surveillance video shows several jail deputies forcefully holding Howard down. The deputies subsequently claimed that Howard was being "aggressive," something I couldn't see in any of the surveillance footage that has been released, all of which shows Howard on the ground.

Eventually, Howard was removed from the holding tank but rather than being brought someplace to receive medical treatment, he's put in a separate jail cell and left there for at least 30 minutes. Surveillance footage from the cell shows Howard, not raging or acting aggressive, writhing around on the floor in apparent pain and occasionally managing to get to his knees and beat on the door in an attempt to get somebody to help him.

#ToxicTwitter

In 2018, Amnesty International published a series of reports alleging that Twitter is toxic for female journalists, activists, and politicians. Amnesty's first report was based on interviews and surveys with women about their experiences of abuse or harassment on social media. The second report, published in December, was based on crowdsourced data collection and machine learning. Amnesty concluded that, "the violence and abuse many women experience on Twitter has a detrimental effect on their right to express themselves equally, freely, and without fear."

The result of Amnesty's #ToxicTwitter campaign has been striking, with several leading news organizations positively covering Amnesty's research. In March, Reuters reported that Twitter is "failing women," and New York Magazine reported that "Twitter Violates Women's Human Rights." In December, Wired reported that "Twitter is Indeed Toxic for Women," and the Financial Times reported that "Twitter shares tumble amid concern over 'toxic' content" after the company was labeled the "Harvey Weinstein of social media" by Citron Research following Amnesty's report. Naturally, for many, the take-away is that "women have a dramatically different experience on Twitter than men," a sentiment endorsed by Amnesty International.

The French government won't stop the Yellow Vests by force, but only by doing what the people demand, according to prominent protester Jerome Rodrigues, who may remain blind in one eye after being injured by the police.

"The president [Emmanuel Macron] declared war on us and our injuries are battle wounds. The traumatic weapons are equipped with collimators [optical sights] - such equipment is used on the battlefield, at war," Rodrigues told RT.

"I never thought that such a thing could happen in France," he added, describing what the country has been going through in recent months as "dark times."

The activist, who calls himself "a hyper pacifist," was broadcasting live on Facebook from a rally in Paris last weekend when a police officer fired at him from an LBD 40 non-lethal gun. A projectile hit him in the eye, leading to hospitalization and a medically induced coma. The man said "there are no guarantees that the injured eye will be able to see again."

A Russian Su-27 jet fighter was filmed confronting an F-15 as it fended off the US-made aircraft by executing a risky maneuver mid-air, while both warplanes flew dangerously close to each other.

A 40-second clip, which began circulating on Russian social media on Thursday, shows what appears to be an F-15 jet fighter flying in close proximity to an unnamed aircraft. The Russian Su-27 warplane can be seen approaching the American-made jet from the side.

As the two planes get extremely close to each other, the Su-27 makes a breathtaking maneuver, forcing the F-15 to turn away, fly further from the plane and ultimately disappear from sight.

It is not clear when and where the altercation was filmed.

Commenters on social media suggested that the F-15 might have come too close to a Russian aircraft transporting government officials.

Pair allegedly smuggled four tons of gold into Japan in 50 shipments over past two years

Japanese police arrested on Wednesday two Israeli men living in Tokyo for attempting to smuggle 220 kilograms of gold nuggets in 2017 -- the largest haul seized in the country.

They were also held for alleged violation of Japan's customs law by successfully smuggling by air a further amount of about 200 kg of gold -- worth some 924 million yen ($8.42 million) -- disguised as auto parts from Hong Kong, in November 2017, and evading some 70 million yen in consumption tax.

With the Super Bowl just days away, federal law enforcement officials announced Wednesday they have arrested 33 people in metro Atlanta on sex-trafficking charges. Authorities said they had also rescued four victims as part of the operation.

Advocates have warned that large sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, are attractive to those in the sex-trafficking trade. They say the crime can surge when lots of free-spending travelers are around.

The 33 arrests came during the past four days, according to Nick Annan, Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge. But Annan declined to discuss specifics of the cases, citing ongoing efforts that will continue throughout the week.

"We plan to continue what we're doing," Annan said.

More than 40 local and state law enforcement agencies, along with 25 federal agencies, are assisting with security for the Super Bowl. Officers and security members have been visible throughout downtown Atlanta where events have been held, and those efforts will continue until hours after the big game. So far, all of the months of planning for keeping fans safe in Atlanta has paid off. And those efforts will ramp up as the game gets closer and more visitors arrive.

On Jan. 23 and 24, Homeland Security assisted in a joint operation in Douglas County using undercover officers, social media sites and local hotel rooms, the Douglasville Police Department said Wednesday. Sixteen people were arrested, according to police, and the youngest person involved was 17. The timing of the crackdown was related to the Super Bowl, police said.
Investigators have also found more than 2,000 counterfeit items, according to Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security. Neilsen didn't discuss details about the phony items found. But police have warned fans about fake tickets being sold.

Although the NFL puts special holograms and other features on tickets that help distinguish real ones from fakes, most people won't be able to tell the difference. Police warn ticket-buyers to purchase only from a reputable source.

As part of the massive security operation, the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration conducted low-altitude helicopter flights over downtown Atlanta and areas around Buckhead earlier this week, and those will resume Sunday before the game.

Key law enforcement leaders, including Atlanta police Chief Erika Shields, spoke about security efforts during a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Georgia World Congress Center. Shields said security planning for the Super Bowl began over two years ago, and so far everything is going as planned.

Shields encouraged those heading to the game or other Super Bowl events to plan ahead and rely on public transportation. For those who insist on driving, secure valuables ahead of time, she said. Call 911 or alert an officer to anything suspicious. But above all, Shields encouraged fans to have fun.

"This is a fantastic city," Shields said. "We really want people to come and just have a great time."

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz might be running for president. If he does, it'll be as an independent centrist. Needless to say, this will split the anti-Trump vote and very well could give Trump a second term. That's why the political Left is hurling hate and vitriol at Schultz, who has also trashed Medicare for All, and other policies pushed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), for being un-American. Harris recently said on a CNN town hall that she would gut private health insurance. Schultz thinks Tomahawk Liz's agenda is nothing but full-blown socialism. The former coffee company executive also said that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's (D-NY) campaign to soak the rich at the tippy tops on the income bracket is what pushed him to think about a presidential run as an independent (via CNBC):

Billionaire former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is no fan of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal to slap a 70 percent marginal tax rate on income above $10 million.

In an interview Monday night, he cited her idea as one of the reasons he could never run for president as a Democrat. Schultz believes the party has moved too far left, and he doesn't believe in their tax and spending priorities.

"I respect the Democratic Party. I no longer feel affiliated because I don't know their views represent the majority of Americans. I don't think we want a 70 percent income tax in America," Schultz told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York.

A 22-year-old security officer at Booker T. Washington Elementary School has been arrested and charged with sexual battery for blindfolding and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old student, authorities said.

Malcolm Curtis Tillman of Tampa was arrested Wednesday after investigators received forensic evidence that supported an allegation from the girl, according to Tampa police. He was hired July 1, a school district spokeswoman said, as the district boosted its security staff under a new state mandate to station a guardian at every elementary school.

The girl told investigators Tillman took her out of class to a "game room" at the school on Jan. 10 and told her to sit on a chair with her hands behind her back, according an arrest report and a search warrant affidavit filed in the case.

"He told (her) he was going to take care of (her) and it was going to be okay," the affidavit says.