DUBAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accepted an invitation to join U.S. President Donald Trump's newly proposed “Board of Peace,” the UAE foreign ministry said on Tuesday, placing Abu Dhabi among the first governments to publicly endorse the initiative.

The ministry said the UAE stood ready to “contribute actively to the mission of the Board of Peace, supporting greater cooperation, stability, and prosperity for all,” marking Abu Dhabi's formal alignmentwith Washington’s new conflict‑resolution effort.

Iran has been pressing ahead with arrests following a wave of protests, according to local media and monitors, as the country faces international pressure over a crackdown rights groups said led to thousands of deaths under cover of ongoing internet restrictions.

Here are key developments:

- Arrests -

Iranian state media continues to regularly report arrests of people it says were part of a "terrorist operation" spurred by Tehran's arch foes Israel and the United States.

DUBAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Any attack on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would trigger a declaration of jihad, or holy war, the Iranian Students News Agency quoted Iran's national security parliamentary commission as saying on Tuesday.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have grown following a severe crackdown of protests across Iran, which U.S. President Donald trump warned could lead to a response from Washington.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The world is experiencing a shift away from rules and international law, French President Emmanuel Macron told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

"It's ... a shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest," Macron said, adding that what he called "imperial ambitions" were resurfacing..

(Reporting by Michel Rose and Alessandro Parodi, editing by Richard Lough)

DUBAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's 90-year-old King Salman chaired in person a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Saudi state TV reported, days after he left hospital where he was undergoing medical tests.

King Salman, whose country is the world's largest oil exporter and a major U.S. ally in the Middle East, went to a hospital in Riyadh on Friday for medical tests and left on the same day.

Saudi TV published a video dated January 20, showing the king chairing the cabinet and reading files with his ministers. Reuters could not independently verify the video.

By Alexander Cornwell

TEL AVIV, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Several European countries are considering whether to stop sending personnel to a U.S. military-led coordination centre for Gaza, saying it has failed to increase aid flows to the war-shattered enclave or achieve political change, diplomats said.

US President Donald Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called "Board of Peace", a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1-billion price tag for permanent membership.

The board, which Trump will launch with what has been billed as a signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza.

But a draft of the charter seen by AFP does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory.

- What will it do? -

By Mohammad Yunus Yawar

KABUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Militant group Islamic State claimed an explosion that officials said killed a Chinese national and six Afghans, while injuring several more as it tore through a Chinese-run restaurant in a heavily guarded part of Afghanistan's capital.

Monday's blast took place in the commercial Shahr-e-Naw area that is home to offices, shopping complexes and embassies, police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said. It is considered one of the safest neighbourhoods in the city.

Jan 20 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State was negotiating a handover of the Al-Hol camp, which houses IS-linked civilians, to Syrian authorities, three Syrian sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

One of the sources, a Syrian official, said the talks were focused on a smooth transition of control from Kurdish security forces who had been holding the camp, to avoid any security risks or detainees fleeing.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Mahmoud Hasano and Khalil Ashawi; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

ANKARA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will soon decide whether to join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative after having received an invitation, Turkey's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"We have received an invitation. Our President is being invited as a founding member, on behalf of Turkey (and) will likely make his decision on this matter very soon," Hakan Fidan said in a televised interview with state media.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)