Syrian regime forces and "moderate" rebels will cease fire in northern parts of Homs province on Thursday after Russia struck a deal with the opposition on implementing a third safe zone, Moscow said. 

"From 1200 local time (0900 GMT), units of the moderate opposition and government forces will completely stop firing," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

With Mosul in ruins and nearly a million displaced, Iraq now faces the enormous task of restoring order and rebuilding its second city after driving out Islamic State group jihadists.

Qatar, currently boycotted by four Arab states, on Wednesday created a new permanent residents status for certain groups of foreigners, including those who have worked for the benefit of the emirate.

Six soldiers of a new anti-jihadist force formed by the United Arab Emirates were killed and others were abducted Wednesday in an al-Qaida suicide bombing in southern Yemen, a Yemeni military official said.

Human rights groups have raised fears for a detained Moroccan activist who was hospitalized a month into a hunger strike over his arrest following protests in the troubled Rif region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to step in on Wednesday to prevent tensions with Jordan spiraling into a brawl between two lawmakers who agreed to meet on the border.

Qatar announced on Wednesday a five-billion-euro order for seven warships from Italy in the midst of a nearly two-month diplomatic crisis with neighboring Saudi Arabia and its allies.

A prominent cyberactivist who was detained on the first anniversary of the 2011 uprising that sparked the Syrian civil war was secretly executed nearly two years ago, his widow said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked two officials, including retired general and former Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, to work to end the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

Turkey and its main regional ally Qatar on Tuesday launched military exercises in the emirate that will involve some 250 Turkish troops and 30 armored vehicles, reports said.