Portal:Current events/2008 October 1

October 1, 2008 (Wednesday)

Russia's supreme court declares the imperial dynasty victims of political repression, marking the official rehabilitation of the house of Romanov. The decision overturns a lower court ruling that classified the killings as plain murder, and exonerates Emperor Nicholas II and his family of the alleged crimes the Bolshevik regime used to justify their killing. (Reuters)
The United States Senate passes the civilian nuclear agreement with India by a vote of 86–13. India has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but may now undertake nuclear trade to the States (TOI)
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that a Metrolink engineer sent a text message 22 seconds before the Chatsworth train collision in Los Angeles, California, that killed 25 people. (CBS)
Mayor of Melbourne John So announces his resignation. (news.com.au)
United States Army General David D. McKiernan, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, says that a greater military presence is "needed as quickly as possible." (CNN)
Subprime mortgage crisis:
- U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter says that "more than 400 economists, including Nobel laureates, appealed to Congress to slow down and make sure [they] got [the bailout bill] right". (NHPR) (Nashua Telegraph)
- Swedish Minister for Finance Anders Borg slams the culture of "greed" exemplified by U.S. financial institutions and its role in precipitating the current financial crisis. (The Local)
- The U.S. Senate approves HR1424, a revised version of the proposed bailout of the nation's financial system. (BBC)
A new U.S. Armed Forces Unified Combatant Command for Africa—AFRICOM—is created. Main functions of AFRICOM include fighting terror, securing oil supplies in Africa, and supporting U.S. foreign policy in the region where Chinese influence is growing. (BBC) (The Nation)
A series of 4 blasts set off in Agartala, capital of the Indian state of Tripura, killing at least 4 people and injuring 100. Times of India