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The oil price has dropped steeply as tensions in the Middle East appeared to ease.For the first time since the very start of the month, the cost of a barrel of the benchmark oil Brent crude is below $72 at $71.93. The oil price stood at $76 on Friday evening, before Monday morning's fall of more than 5%.It means the cost of oil is cheaper than it has been for the vast majority of the past two years. The cost of oil impacts the price of filling a tank with petrol or diesel and should trickle down to pump prices in about 10 days. It comes as the threat of further conflict escalation in the Middle East appeared to lessen.Iran and Israel have been exchanging missile strikes but the latest comments from Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei avoided directly threatening Israel in a spee...

Police in Shanghai have been targeting Halloween celebrations, seemingly due to costumes considered politically sensitive.At least half a dozen people in costumes in the city's Zhongshan Park were seen being led away by officers on Friday night. Although there has been no official notice banning Halloween, local officials appear to be trying to prevent a repeat of last year.Then China's financial capital saw some people dressed up in hazmat suits linked to COVID-19 and other outift related to social and economic issues Image: Last year in Shanghai, some wore Halloween costumes linked to sensitive topics like China's handling of COVID-19. Pic: Costfoto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Others wore costumes made of blank sheets of pape...

The former president of the Philippines has admitted to having a "death squad" of gangsters while he was a city mayor.Rodrigo Duterte, 79, was giving evidence to a senate inquiry into drug-related killings during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. He denied authorising police to shoot thousands of suspects during a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs at that time - but commented on his time as mayor of the southern city of Davao instead.He told the senate on Monday: "I can make the confession now if you want. I had a death squad of seven, but they were not policemen, they were also gangsters."I'll ask a gangster to kill somebody. 'If you will not kill (that person), I will kill you now.'" The inquiry's chairman, senator Aquilino Pimentel III pressed Mr Duterte for more details, but he refused...

There is intense interest in the trial of Gerard Depardieu in Paris.Warning: This article contains details of alleged sexual assaults that some readers might find distressing. Members of the public queued to get access to the criminal court, despite the fact Depardieu's lawyer had said that the actor was too ill to attend on Monday.There wasn't a free seat in the courtroom as proceedings began.In the front row, flanked by their lawyers, were the women who allege the French film star sexually assaulted them on the set of a movie in 2021. To their left, the slick city legal team representing the 75-year-old actor.Depardieu is accused of two sexual assaults. If found guilty it could carry a sentence of five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (£62,000).Both women allege that on separate oc...

Volkswagen is planning to shut at least three factories in Germany and lay off tens of thousands of staff.Its remaining plants in Germany are also set to be downsized, according to the head of the company's works council Daniela Cavallo. Europe's biggest carmaker has spent weeks negotiating with unions over its plans to revamp its business and cut costs, which have spiralled thanks to labour and energy prices.The German firm employs about 300,000 people in its home country and operates 10 plants, but has said a major restructuring is needed.Ms Cavallo told workers at VW's biggest plant in Wolfsburg that the company was "absolutely serious about all this" and the proposals were not "sabre-rattling". Image: Daniela Cavallo speaks to employees a...