On May 3 a panel of four experts presented United Nations (UN) secretary general Ban Ki-moon with their report on the origin of the cholera epidemic that broke out in Haiti last October. As of April 21 the disease had caused 4,575 deaths, according to the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP). Almost 300,000 people have contracted cholera, and the number is expected to rise as the rainy season starts.

The Native Federation of the Río Madre de Dios and Tributaries (FENAMAD) issued a statement protesting that the state company PeruPetro has demarcated three new oil exploration blocs in Peru's southern Amazon region of Madre de Dios. The new blocs—numbered 187, 190 and 191—are located in the provinces of Tahuamanu and Tambopata, and bring to 22 the number of new exploration blocs instated nationally under President Alan García. FENAMAD charges that the new blocs threaten the Manú Biosphere Reserve and the Vilcabamba-Amboró biological corridor—already under threat by the operations of Hunt Oil and Repsol YPF in Lot 76, established in the ancestral territory of the Harakmbut, Yine and Matziguenka indigenous peoples. Hunt and Repsol have concluded seismic exploration in the bloc, over the protests of traditional indigenous leaders of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, which overlaps with the exploration bloc. The Hunt-Repsol consortium is now about to drill eight test wells in the bloc. (FENAMAD, May 6)

Rescue crews recovered the last of 14 bodies May 8 from the Pozo 3 coal mine hit by a gas explosion in Mexico's northern Coahuila state, while Labor Secretary Javier Lozano called for an overhaul of mine safety in Mexico and the federal Prosecutor General opened an investigation into the disaster. Mexican officials said the May 3 blast was caused by a buildup of gas. A teenage boy who was evidently employed illegally at the mine, Jesús Fernando Lara Ruiz, had his right arm blown off in the explosion. The National Union of Mine and Metal Workers and the Like of the Mexican Republic (SNTMMSRM) said the mine's work force was not unionized, and protested the "completely unsafe conditions under which coal mines operate in the country, and especially in this region known as the coal belt."

Amnesty International (AI) accused forces loyal to Moammar Qaddafi of committing war crimes in Misrata in a report issued May 5. According to the report, Qaddafi's troops have employed excessive use of lethal force against unarmed protesters, turned sniper fire on civilians in residential areas of the city, and deliberately used civilians as "human shields." "Shielding," AI asserted, "is a violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime." Additionally, according to AI, Qaddafi's forces used cluster munitions, which are heavily criticized by international observers and have been the subject of international eradication efforts. Misrata appears to be targeted as a result of its declaration in February of allegiance to opposition forces. While many have been able to escape the widespread violence, those left behind continue to suffer:

Afghan lawmakers on April 30 voted to approve the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline agreement. The Afghan parliament's International Liaison Commission said the agreement will boost the country's economy and strengthen relations between the four nations involved in the project. About 7,000 personnel will be assigned to ensure security for the project in Afghanistan, said Muhammad Anwar Akbari, a member of the commission. The cost of the project is estimated at around $7.8 billion, with construction to begin by 2012 and completion projected for 2014. Reports referenced an unnamed "American firm" that will be involved in building the pipeline.

On May 6, Moroccan authorities announced the arrest of three suspects in last week's bombing of a Marrakesh cafe frequented by tourists. The Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Maghreb Arabe Presse that the group was "the main perpetrator" behind the attack and that at least one member had "swore allegiance to al-Qaeda." (Bloomberg, May 6)

The military began to withdraw from the besieged Syrian city of Daraa on May 5, as more troop were deployed to towns in Homs province. Maj-Gen. Riyad Haddad, announcing the withdrawal form Daraa, did not give any figures of fatalities or detainees among what the Syrian government refers to as "terrorist elements," but he said that 25 soldiers were killed and 177 were wounded in the operation. This statement was denied by activists on social networking sites. At least 16 protesters were reported killed in Homs. Fresh protests were also reported in Hama and Aleppo. On May 6, a total of 27 protesters were reported killed at various locations around the country. (AlJazeera, May 6; Link TV, May 5)

A US drone attack killed two al-Qaeda militants in southern Yemen May 5, days after the apparent killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The apparent target, Anwar al-Awlaki, leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is said to have narrowly escaped. (Reuters, May 6) Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in th capital Sanaa May 6, releasing red, white and black balloons painted with the message "Leave, Ali," with the hope that they would drift over the presidential palace. Near the palace, President Ali Abdullah Saleh was addressing a mass rally of his supporters, where he denounced his opponents as "outlaws, bandits and murderers." (Global Post, May 6)