The Moscow Times
Russia yesterday (Tuesday) said it would soon evacuate its diplomatic staff from Ukraine to "protect their lives," after politicians in Moscow allowed president Vladimir Putin to use force abroad.
"To protect the lives and safety [of diplomats], the Russian leadership decided to evacuate the personnel of Russian foreign missions in Ukraine, which will be implemented in the near future," Moscow's foreign ministry is quoted as saying.
The ministry said its diplomats have received threats and that its embassy and consulate have been under "repeated attacks."
"Ukraine has plunged deeper into chaos," the statement said.
Several Western embassies have relocated from Kyiv to the city of Lviv near the Polish border, as the US and its allies have for months accused Russia of planning an attack on Ukraine.
New Zealand Herald
Two women had a lucky escape from a submerged car in Auckland's Westhaven.
Police confirmed they attended an incident where a vehicle had gone into the harbour off Westhaven Drive.
"The two occupants in the vehicle have been able to get out of the vehicle," they said. A spokesman said the pair were being provided with medical assistance, but were reported to be in a stable condition.
The Police maritime unit is reportedly working to move the submerged vehicle over to the boat ramp at the marina so it can be removed from the water.
A witness driving along Westhaven Drive noticed a car had ditched in the harbour. "Two guys were in the water and the car was half in the water floating and they pulled out one of the ladies," he said. A few moments later, he said two men pulled out a second woman from the car.
The witness said he noticed a broken rail to the side of the road indicating that the car may have smashed into it before going into the water.
"Maybe they put it in reverse instead of forward and it jumped into the water."
San Francisco Chronicle
Freezing temperatures were reportedly expected in parts of the Bay Area this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a freeze warning that includes swathes of the region.
The publication said the warning will go into effect early today (Wednesday) to Friday morning for interior areas in the Bay Area — such as Concord, Livermore, Santa Rosa, Cloverdale and Napa - and the Central Coast, weather officials said.
Cold temperatures yesterday helped produce pea-size hail in some places, with people reporting hail sightings in the North Bay and even as far south as Cupertino in the Bay Area.
Temperatures in those areas could dip into the mid-20s to low 30s (Fahrenheit) in the overnight and early morning hours starting today. Thursday morning was predicted to be the coldest, with temperatures dropping into the mid-20s Fahrenheit, according to the weather agency.
The Rio Times, Brazil
A fight between inmates in a prison in the Brazilian city of Salvador, capital of the north-eastern state of Bahia, ended with five dead and 18 wounded, official sources reported on Monday.
The event occurred on Sunday afternoon when prison officers began to hear gunshots in one of the modules of the Mata Escura Complex, the Bahia Public Security Secretariat is quoted as saying.
Uniformed members of the Military Police immediately went to the place and "prevented the escape of inmates through the main door of that unit", according to the secretariat.
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