What happened
Barack Obama condemned the killing of Alex Pretti and urged widespread reflection on national values after federal immigration agents shot him dead in Minneapolis. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed on Saturday during a federal law enforcement operation that has sparked protests and political backlash. Video evidence from the scene has circulated widely, intensifying scrutiny of the confrontation between agents and bystanders.

Who said what
In a statement shared online, Obama called the shooting “a heartbreaking tragedy” and said it should serve as “a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party”. Local officials and Pretti’s family have disputed federal accounts of the encounter, with footage showing him holding a phone rather than posing a threat before being tackled and shot. 

Twice since the start of the year, federal officers have gunned down protesters and in both cases “the Trump team has advanced one-sided narratives to justify each of the killings and demonise the victims”, said Peter Baker in The New York Times. “For Trump, the truth in Minneapolis is what he says it is”.

What next?
Minnesota’s governor and city leaders have joined calls for a thorough investigation, while federal authorities maintain agents acted in self-defence.

What happened
A new survey of UK family doctors has found that obesity is being diagnosed in increasingly young children, with almost a quarter of GPs saying they have treated children aged four or under where weight was a clinical concern. Nearly half reported seeing obesity in children up to the age of seven, including a small number of infants. The findings add to mounting concern about early-years health and the long-term strain childhood obesity places on the NHS.

Who said what
Dr John Holden of the medical defence organisation MDDUS, which conducted the survey, described the results as “an alarming confirmation of the growing crisis of childhood obesity”. 

The factors that explain obesity are “complex”, said Denis Campbell in The Guardian, and include “poverty, lack of access to nutritious food, and children having limited opportunities to be active”. Consequently, GPs often approach the issue cautiously, Dr Holden said, because discussions can trigger distress or anger among parents.

What next?
Health advocates are urging earlier prevention, while the government points to advertising restrictions and planning powers as part of a longer-term strategy to curb childhood obesity.

Panama and Canada have become embroiled in a dispute over a copper mine that could have profound implications for the global resources market. The Cobre Panama mine, which is operated by Canadian mining company First Quantum at a site around 75 miles west of Panama City, has been closed since 2023 following a ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court.

The country had “halted operations” at the mine because its “government concession was deemed unconstitutional”, said The Independent. The closure also came amid protests by environmental groups. The decision to shutter the mine has weighed heavily on Panama’s economy; it “accounted for nearly 5% of Panama's gross domestic product the last year it operated”. 

The two nations are currently awaiting an audit “assessing the condition of the facilities and environmental risks” at Cobre Panama site, said Bloomberg. The fate of the mine has become “one of the biggest uncertainties in the global copper market”. Reopening it would not only give a “significant lift to Panama’s economy and to First Quantum”, but also a boost to the wider copper economy – the mine’s output would “account for nearly 2% of global supply”. 

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said that he will announce his decision about whether to reopen the Cobre Panama mine by June. In the meantime, First Quantum has welcomed a plan to “allow the removal and processing of stockpiled ore” at the site, said Reuters. The copper market “may take some comfort” in that prospect, metals analyst Matt Murphy told industry outlet Mining.com.