Nation & World Glance

Lebanon starts offensive to clear border of IS militants

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s U.S.-backed army has announced the start of a military offensive to clear Islamic State group militants from the frontier with Syria.

Saturday’s announcement came at the same time as the Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Syrian army announced a similar offensive to clear IS militants from the Syrian side of the border, in the western Qalamoun mountain range.

The long-awaited campaign will involve cooperation between the two sides — although Lebanese authorities insist they are not coordinating with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

The announcement was made by the Lebanese commander Joseph Aoun on Twitter and the Central Military Media outlet.

Icahn steps down as unofficial Trump adviser

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has lost another informal adviser from the business world: billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who gave the White House guidance on its deregulation efforts.

Icahn said in a letter to Trump released Friday that he is stepping down to prevent “partisan bickering” about his unofficial role that Democrats suggested could benefit him financially. Trump lost a pair of business advisory councils on Wednesday over his inability to condemn the role white supremacists played in violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

But Icahn — who made his name and fortune as a corporate raider in the 1980s — indicated that his resignation was due to criticism regarding the appearance of possible ethical conflicts.

“I never had access to nonpublic information or profited from my position, nor do I believe that my role presented conflicts of interest,” Icahn wrote.