Iran has sentenced Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi in absentia to one year in prison and a travel ban over "propaganda activities" against the country, his lawyer told AFP on Monday.

The sentence includes a two-year travel ban and prohibition of Panahi from membership in any political or social groups, lawyer Mostafa Nili told AFP, adding that they would file an appeal.

Nili said the charges against Panahi were engaging in "propaganda activities" against the state but did not elaborate. "Mr. Panahi is outside Iran right now," he added.

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, the prime minister’s office said, shortly after Trump wrote on social media that Israel should maintain dialogue with Syria.

Netanyahu's office said they discussed disarming Palestinian militant group Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. They also discussed Israel establishing ties with countries that do not recognise it.

Trump also invited Netanyahu to meet at the White House in "the near future", the prime minister's office said, without specifying a date.

The president of the International Criminal Court and key European members on Monday issued a defiant declaration of the tribunal's independence in the face of US sanctions against several of its top officials.

Opening an annual meeting that brought together representatives from the countries that are part of the ICC, Tomoko Akane said: "Let me be explicit. We never accept any kind of pressure from anyone."

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.