Newscast for Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ruling allows Nigerian villagers to take Royal Dutch Shell to court
In a landmark ruling, a Dutch court has decided it has jurisdiction to hear a case brought by two Nigerian villagers against the oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell. The Nigerians from Oruma village in the Niger Delta region claim an oil spill from a pipeline damaged their source of livelihood. By the ruling, the court would be able to hear the cases brought by two other villagers concerning similar oil pollution in other parts of the Niger Delta. Oil spills from facilities of western oil companies operating in the Niger Delta are common, but effected villagers are rarely compensated. Sam Olukoya reports.

Protests in Iran continue despite arrests and calls for crackdown on opposition
This week in Iran demonstrations have continued on the streets of major cities. Today, pro-government demonstrators took to the streets, calling for the executions of opposition leaders. On Sunday, an estimated 37 people participating in anti-government rallies were killed across Iran, according to the opposition website Jaras. One of those killed was the nephew of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, an opposition leader and 2009 presidential candidate. In the following days, hundreds of students and activists associated with the opposition have been arrested, including the sister of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.

To put this into context, we're joined by Kaveh Ehsani, professor at DePaul University and a co-editor at Middle East Report and the journal Goft-o-gu, or Dialogue, based in Iran.

Obama signs order to broaden public access to national security information
President Obama issued an executive order on Tuesday that revamps the system for protecting national security information.  The order echoes Obama’s campaign promise to create greater transparency in government by encouraging government agencies to make information public whenever possible.  FSRN’s Matt Pearson reports.

2009: a tumultuous year for US politics
2009 is coming to a close, and today, we’re going to take a look back at this monumental year in US politics. It all began with the inauguration of the first black president who had an ambitious agenda.  President Obama’s domestic plan has moved forward, although not at the pace he may have hoped. A tumultuous economy, an attempt at health care reform, two wars, and an attempted terrorist attack are likely to define 2009, as are the super Democratic majority and bitter partisan politics. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

‘Honor Tax’ created in Northern California to recognize tribal residents
In Northern California, local activists have launched what they’re calling an “honor tax.”  It’s a project organized around the idea of paying a token sum of money to the tribal people who originally occupied the land as a way of opening a dialogue with the area's current residents. FSRN's David Brooksher reports.