World News Roundup: Egypt unveils 'one of a kind' ancient tomb, expects more finds; Qatar says Gulf Arab bloc needs reform to give it teeth

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Thousands of 'yellow vests' hit French streets in fifth Saturday of protests

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of French cities on Saturday in the fifth weekend of nationwide demonstrations against Emmanuel Macron's government, despite calls to hold off after a shooting in Strasbourg earlier this week. In Paris, police were out in force to contain possible outbursts of violence. But several major stores, such as the Galeries Lafayette, were open to welcome Christmas shoppers.

Egypt unveils 'one of a kind' ancient tomb, expects more finds

Egypt unveiled a well-preserved 4,400-year-old tomb decorated with hieroglyphs and statues south of Cairo on Saturday, and officials expect more discoveries when archaeologists excavate the site further in coming months. The tomb was found in a buried ridge at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara. It was untouched and unlooted, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters at the site. He described the find as "one of a kind in the last decades".

Ukraine's President names leader of new church in split from Russia

Ukraine chose the head of a new national Orthodox church on Saturday, marking an historic split from Russia which its leaders see as vital to the country's security and independence. President Petro Poroshenko said 39-year-old Metropolitan Epifaniy of the Kiev Patriarchate church had been chosen as head of the church by a council, comparing the move to Ukraine's referendum for independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Qatar says Gulf Arab bloc needs reform to give it teeth

Qatar said on Saturday it remained committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) but the bloc needed to enforce its own rules better, signaling a reformed alliance could help end a row between Doha and some of its neighbors. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar was still counting on Kuwait and other regional powers to help solve the row that has seen Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt impose a political and economic boycott on Doha since June 2017.

Nations agree on global climate pact rules, but they are seen as weak

Nearly 200 countries overcame political divisions late on Saturday to agree on rules for implementing a landmark global climate deal, but critics say it is not ambitious enough to prevent the dangerous effects of global warming. After two weeks of talks in the Polish city of Katowice, nations finally reached consensus on a more detailed framework for the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit a rise in average world temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Deep in the red: Chinese county pays price for vanity-project binge

In the heart of an impoverished village in southern China, a life-sized statue of Mao Zedong sits on a platform adorned with intricate stonework, flanked by a diorama of Red Army soldiers and traditional brick-and-tile homes with curved roofs. Officials have spent a small fortune on the project that has transformed the village of Shazhou, in Hunan province, into an open-air museum dedicated to the Chinese Communist Party. But few tourists have come to peer at the inscription at the foot of Mao's statue, or take selfies in front of the heroes of the revolution.

Kosovo approves team for talks with former adversary Serbia

Kosovo's parliament voted on Saturday to form a negotiating team to try to resolve outstanding disputes with Serbia, amid growing tensions between the two neighbors. The two countries committed to a European Union sponsored dialogue aimed at setting all remaining issues between them in 2013, but little progress has been made since.

Australia recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, embassy not moving yet

Australia formally recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but will not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday. Israel described the move as a step in the right direction.

U.S.-led coalition destroys Syrian mosque used as ISIS command centre

The U.S.-led coalition in Syria destroyed on Saturday a mosque in the town of Hajin which had been used as an Islamic State command and control center, the U.S. military said. Hajin is the last big town that the Islamic State holds in its remaining enclave east of the Euphrates River. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, spearheaded by the Kurdish militia, have battled to eliminate the jihadists there for several months.

Dead Guatemalan girl dreamed of sending money home to poor family

The 7-year-old Guatemalan migrant girl who died in U.S. custody this month was inseparable from her father and had looked forward to being able to send money home to support her impoverished family, relatives said on Saturday. Nery Caal, 29, and his daughter Jakelin were in a group of more than 160 migrants who handed themselves in to U.S. border agents in New Mexico on Dec. 6. Jakelin developed a high fever and died hours later while in the care of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

(With inputs from Reuters)