Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britain's foreign minister Yvette Cooper will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, after President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of London for ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, which is home to a U.S.-UK air base.

Last year British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, while keeping control of one - Diego Garcia - through a 99-year lease that preserved U.S. operations at the base.

COPENHAGEN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Norway is relocating some of the around 60 soldiers it has in the Middle East to Norway as well as to other countries in the region on security grounds, a spokesperson for the Norwegian armed forces said on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or "really bad things" will happen, setting a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against U.S. bases in the region if attacked.

Feb 20 (Reuters) - FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to attract investment from global leaders and institutions for sustainable development in conflict-affected regions through football.

The Board of Peace, established under the U.S. President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza's reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.

"I love Israel!" Three little words rarely heard together in the Muslim world, and yet have become a common phrase in Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia.

Israel became the only country in the world to recognise Somaliland's independence in December -- something the territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991.

As Ramadan started this week in the deeply Muslim territory, almost all its citizens -- young and old, men and women -- were happy to sing Israel's praises.

FRANKFURT, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have detained a veteran correspondent of German state-backed international broadcaster Deutsche Welle in Ankara, accusing him of "disseminating misleading information" and "insulting the president".

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement late on Thursday it detained Alican Uludag and launched a criminal investigation based on some of his social media posts. He will be brought before prosecutors on Friday.

KYIV, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine could export several billion dollars of military goods and services this year after authorising its first wartime foreign sales and is considering introducing a tax on those exports, a senior Ukrainian defence official said.

Earlier this month, the state commission handling related licences in wartime approved the majority of 40 applications from defence sector producers for exports of materiel and services, Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Kyiv's National Security and Defence Council, told Reuters in an interview.

Seven months after deadly clashes between Syria's Druze minority and government‑backed forces, the spiritual leader of Druze in neighbouring Israel said members of the community across the border remained in peril.

"They're still besieged -- completely encircled. They aren't allowed to bring in any humanitarian aid, including the aid we're trying to deliver," Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif told AFP in an interview this week.

At a military base in northeast Syria, Roksan Mohammed recalled joining the battle against Islamic State group jihadists. Now her all-woman fighting unit is at risk after a deal with Damascus ended the Kurds' de facto autonomy.

"We made many sacrifices," said Mohammed, spokesperson for the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), who stood with a gun slung over her shoulder.

"Thousands of martyrs shed their blood, including many of my close comrades," the 37-year-old added.

FIFA will spearhead a $75 million fund to rebuild soccer facilities in Gaza that were destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump and the sport's governing body said Thursday.

Trump made the announcement in Washington at the first meeting of his "Board of Peace," an amorphous institution that features two dozen of the US president's close allies and is initially focused on rebuilding the Gaza strip.

"I'm also pleased to announce that FIFA will be helping to raise a total of $75 million for projects in Gaza," said Trump.

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Iran told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday that Tehran will consider bases, facilities and assets of the "hostile force" in the region as legitimate targets if it faces military aggression.

U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric towards Iran "signals a real risk of military aggression," Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations said in the letter, adding Iran did not want a war.

Iran will respond "decisively" if subjected to military aggression, the letter said.