ATHENS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Greece's parliament lifted the immunity of one of the country's former European Commissioners on Thursday, clearing the way for further action by authorities investigating the "Qatargate" corruption case, one of the biggest scandals to hit the EU.

Dimitris Avramopoulos — a former Athens mayor and current lawmaker with the ruling conservative New Democracy party — has denied any wrongdoing or links to the case, under which several EU officials have been accused of accepting bribes from Qatar.

Qatar has also repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The leaders of France, Lebanon and Jordan on Thursday met in Paris to drum up international support for the cash-strapped Lebanese army which President Emmanuel Macron described as "indispensable" for bringing stability to the country.

Also on the agenda was the creation of a new force to succeed a longstanding UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, where Israel is locked in fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters. 

Sept 17 (Reuters) - Countries across the globe are pushing to curb minors' use of social media platforms includingTikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children's health and safety.

Australia last year became the first country to ban social media for under-16s, with many others following in 2026. The European Commission was the latest to propose such a ban for children under 13.

Below is a summary of implemented and proposedrestrictions divided by country/region in alphabetical order:

By Ariba Shahid, Ruma Paul and Sam Jahan

ISLAMABAD/DHAKA, Sept 17 (Reuters) - In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, Parvin Akter times her cooking to the neighborhood's availability of piped gas. With gas in intermittent supply as a result of a global energy crunch, she now sometimes has to wait until midnight to cook her dinner.

Even switching to an induction cooker has not helped, as power outages often leave food half-cooked.

Palestinian herder Mohammed Emar has set up a fully functional home for his family where his daughters can even sing karaoke. Only it is inside a cave after the Israeli army demolished his two houses.

In the occupied West Bank's arid region of Masafer Yatta, Emar made a smooth concrete floor on two caves' rough limestone ground before applying a white limewash on the brittle stone walls.

On the nights of January 8 and 9, twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi joined thousands of others in protests against the Iranian authorities in the central city of Isfahan.

The 20-year-olds chanted anti-government slogans in the city's Shohada Square during two nights of rallies that took place across the country and were suppressed in a crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead.

By Samia Nakhoul and Timour Azhari

ANKARA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The Houthi capture of ground overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has dealt Saudi Arabia its gravest setback in Yemen in years, exposing intelligence failures, the collapse of Yemeni allies and the limits of U.S. protection.

A Houthi advance this week along the Red Sea coast and the capture of islands at the mouth of the strait, a vital artery for global oil supplies, has also left the kingdom scrambling for backing as Iran and its allies expand their reach.

JERUSALEM, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Israel has added a tender for 2,167 housing units to its E1 settlement expansion plan, Israeli rights groups said of a project that critics say endangers a future Palestinian state.

The project would bisect the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting the land Palestinians hope will form the heart of a state.

By John Irish

PARIS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - European and Arab military chiefs will meet in Paris on Thursday to assess the Lebanese Armed Forces' needs and discuss the looming end of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, amid fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have held several rounds of U.S.-brokered talks aimed at easing tensions along their border. But with elections in Israel and the United States approaching in the coming weeks, diplomats say a breakthrough is unlikely.

By Ahmed Eljechtimi and Alexander Dziadosz

RABAT/CAIRO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Morocco’s political parties are trying to entice young voters to the polls next week with promises of jobs and affordable housing after violent protests last year and aborder rush on the Spanish enclave of Ceuta highlighted widespread discontent.

Uneven development and continuing economic hardship among young people were seen as drivers of both events, against a backdrop of recent progress in sectors such as manufacturing, ports and railways lifting living standards in major cities.