News Headlines - 02 May 2013

▽BBC News - Europe: a cautious rate cut

For the first time in 10 months the European Central Bank has cut its main interest rate, from 0.75% to 0.50%. It is now at an all-time low. Some had expected a larger cut, in response to growing anxiety in Europe over growth and unemployment.

▽Mayday Distress of Europe’s Anti-Austerity Left

A collective howl of protest and despair will resound through Europe's streets and squares on Wednesday at the annual May 1 rallies, which, in happier times, celebrate the dignity of human labor.

▽Fact-Finding in Syria | Foreign Affairs

The Obama administration is still looking for hard evidence that the Assad regime used chemical weapons in Syria. Although finding it is easier said than done, it is possible. The really important question is how the government will use evidence after it is collected.

▽Obama's visit to Mexico: a chance to be a better neighbour | guardian.co.uk

American strategic doctrine suggests that Mexico is of second-level importance to the United States. It ranks below Japan and Indonesia, Brazil and India, Egypt and Israel, and European powers including Britain, France, and Germany. This is a grave geopolitical miscalculation. With the exception of China, and perhaps Turkey, no country in the world matters as much to the United States as Mexico.

▽Pentagon Expects to Enlist Apple, Samsung Devices - WSJ.com

The U.S. Department of Defense expects in coming weeks to grant two separate security approvals for Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, along with iPhones and iPads running Apple's latest operating system—moves that would boost the number of U.S. government agencies allowed to use those devices.