Briefly

UNITED STATES

Reassurance over trade despite clamps on border

US President Donald Trump and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, have agreed on the importance of preserving bilateral trade and critical services, despite US-Mexico border restrictions to fight the novel coronavirus, a White House spokesman said. "The two leaders discussed the coronavirus pandemic and the close United States-Mexico cooperation on efforts to combat the virus," said White House spokesman Judd Deere on Saturday after the two leaders spoke by telephone. "President Trump and President Lopez Obrador agreed on the importance of preserving trade and critical services, regardless of travel restrictions," Deere said, referring to an agreement to limit movement across the US-Mexico border to essential travel only.

Kenny Rogers, maestro of country music, dead at 81

The country music singer Kenny Rogers, who helped bring the genre into the mainstream during a career spanning six decades, has died aged 81, his family announced. With hits such as "The Gambler," "Lucille" and the duet "Islands in the Stream" with Dolly Parton, the three-time Grammy winner left an indelible mark on American music. "Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of a hospice and surrounded by his family," the family said in a statement late on Friday. The family was planning a small private service "out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency".

IRAN

French researcher freed in apparent prisoner swap

Roland Marchal, a French researcher imprisoned in Iran for more than nine months, arrived in Paris on Saturday after France released an Iranian who was threatened with extradition to the United States. Earlier President Emmanuel Macron said Teheran freed Marchal after France released Jallal Rohollahnejad, an engineer accused in the US of "violating sanctions placed on the country". Macron "is happy to announce the release of Roland Marchal, imprisoned in Iran since June 2019" but he "urges the Iranian authorities to immediately free" fellow researcher Fariba Adelkhah, his office said. Adelkhah is a citizen of both Iran and France, but Teheran does not recognize dual nationality.

Agencies