ANKARA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea were unacceptable, issuing a warning to "all related sides" after an unmanned vessel reportedly struck a tanker off Turkey's northern coast.

“The war between Russia and Ukraine has clearly begun to threaten navigational safety in the Black Sea. The targeting of vessels in our Exclusive Economic Zone on Friday signals a worrying escalation," Erdogan told reporters.

US President Donald Trump told Israel on Monday to avoid destabilizing Syria and its new leadership, days after a deadly operation by Israeli forces killed 13 people.

Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and invited him for another White House visit, Netanyahu's office said shortly after Trump issued the warning.

"It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria's evolution into a prosperous State," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

DUBLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Dublin City Council has delayed a decision on whether to remove the name of a former Israeli president from a park amid a heated debate on whether the change would be justified or would represent an attack on the area's Jewish community.

Supporters of the move say the name of Chaim Herzog, who was raised in Dublin and served as president of Israel from 1983 to 1993, should be removed as an act of solidarity with Palestinians, citing Herzog's time in Israeli military intelligence and as military governor of the West Bank.

THE HAGUE, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The president of the International Criminal Court said on Monday U.S. sanctions imposed on senior court officials disrupt their personal lives but vowed the institution would not yield to outside pressure.

President Donald Trump's administration slapped targeted sanctions on nine ICC officials, including prosecutors and judges, earlier this year in retaliation for investigations into suspected Israeli war crimes. Sources have said Washington is also mulling sanctions against the entire court.

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand on Monday for the first time since asking the country's president for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial.

Here is what you need to know about the charges that have divided the Israeli public at a time of Middle East turmoil.

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?

Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which Netanyahu denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases.He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

CASE 4000

TEL AVIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court on Monday for the first time since asking the country's president for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, a move backed by close ally U.S. President Donald Trump.

Opposition politicians have come out against the request, with some arguing that any pardon should be conditional on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt. Others have said the prime minister must first call national elections, which are due by October 2026, before requesting any pardon.

OSLO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Norway's minority Labour government failed to win backing for its 2026 draft budget by an end-November deadline but talks will resume in parliament to find a compromise over oil drilling and the wealth fund's Israeli investments, a negotiator said on Monday.

The Norwegian parliament is due to vote on the budget on Friday, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere could be forced to call a vote of confidence if no agreement is reached by then, putting his cabinet on the line.

By Joshua McElwee

BEIRUT, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Pope Leo will meet with leaders from Lebanon's diverse religious sects on Monday, where he is expected to urge them not to flee the country despite years of conflict, political paralysis and economic crisis that have prompted waves of migration.

Leo, the first U.S. pope, will visit Lebanon's Christian community before hosting an inter-religious dialogue with members of Lebanon's Sunni Muslim, Shi'ite Muslim and Druze communities, as well as migrant workers.

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Deaths and injuries from landmines and unexploded ordnance hit a four-year high in 2024, driven by conflicts in Syria and Myanmar as well as European countries moving to withdraw from the treaty banning their use, a new report showed on Monday.

Over 6,000 incidents were recorded last year, including 1,945 deaths and 4,325 injuries - the highest annual total since 2020, according to the Landmine Monitor 2025 report. Nearly 90% were civilians, with almost half women and children.

By Michael Holden

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A former senior British officer has told a public inquiry that British special forces in Afghanistan appeared to commit war crimes by executing suspects and despite widespread knowledge in the chain of command nothing was done.

Britain's defence ministry (MoD) ordered the inquiry after a BBC TV documentary reported that soldiers from the elite Special Air Service (SAS) had killed 54 people during the war in Afghanistan more than a decade ago in suspicious circumstances.