Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Dec. 9

BAGHDAD -- Iraq declared Saturday the liberation of all Iraqi lands from Islamic State (IS) militants after seizing the whole border areas and desert in western Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

"The liberation of all Iraqi lands from the IS has been completed and our heroic forces have tightened their grab on the Iraqi-Syrian border," Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Yarallah, commander of western Iraq operations, said in a brief statement. (Iraq-IS)

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RAMALLAH -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not receive U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his scheduled visit to the region this month in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a Palestinian official said Saturday.

"There will be no meeting with Pence, this is clear and the issue is bigger than just a meeting," Majdi al-Khalidi, Abbas's presidential adviser for diplomatic affairs, told Voice of Palestine radio. (Palestinians-U.S.-Pence)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday that Sri Lanka had joined China's Belt and Road Initiative with the launch of operations at the Hambantota Port through a joint venture between China and Sri Lanka.

The port was handed over to the China Merchant Ports Holdings (CMPH) on a 99-year lease agreement at a ceremony, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority together with CMPH will manage the operations of the southern port. (Sri Lanka-China-Hambantota Port)

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YANGON -- The Myanmar government has formed an advisory commission with experts from home and abroad for the Implementation Committee of Rakhine state, which was established in September, according to a presidential statement on Saturday.

For effective implementation of matters relating to Rakhine state, the advisory commission was formed with a total of 10 local and foreign experts from related fields. (Myanmar-Advisory Commission) Enditem

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump's deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, will step down from her position early next year, the White House said Friday.

"Dina Powell has been a key, trusted advisor in this administration," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Friday. (U.S.-Trump Adviser) Enditem