...Washington. I’m Frances Alonzo. An Iranian nuclear physicist has been killed by a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a motorcycle. Iranian (prosecutor) general Abbas Jaafar Dolatabadi is pointing the finger at Western intelligence agencies. Edward Yeranian reports for VOA from Cairo. Iranian government TV is calling the (explosion) that killed the physics professor in Tehran University a terrorist act. The TV report says a bomb hidden in a motorcycle killed Massoud Ali-Mohammadi as he was getting into his car. The TV showed (relatives) of Mohammadi crying in front of the building where he lived as a large crowd of bystanders gathered around his burned-out vehicle. Most windows in the modern-looking building where he (resided) appeared to have been blown out from the force of the explosion. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmenparast (accused) Israel, America and Iranian mercenaries of being behind the terrorist incident. Tehran prosecutor general Abbas Jaafar Dolatabadi told Iranian TV a similar story, saying because Massoud Ali-Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist, it was likely the CIA and the Mossad spy services and their agents had a hand in this killing. Edward Yeranian for VOA news Cairo. Iraqi security forces say they have seized explosives and arrested 25 people who planned to carry out terrorist (attacks) in the capital. A Baghdad military (spokesman) said Iraqi forces confiscated 400 kilograms of powerful explosives and 60 explosive devices during search operations throughout Baghdad on Tuesday. An Iraqi government spokesman said forces carried out the raid after receiving a tip from a citizen of possible car bombings in the city. Nigeria’s President Umaru Yar'Adua has made his first public comments since being (hospitalized) in Saudi Arabia in November saying he’s getting better and hopes to resume his duties. In a telephone interview with the BBC, the president said he hopes to make what he called (tremendous) progress very soon and return to Nigeria. The interview was recorded late Monday and aired on Tuesday. Witnesses in central Somalia say at least 14 people have been killed in a third day of fighting between / Islamist groups. The militant group al-Shabaab and the more (moderate) Ahlu Sunna Wal-Jama clashed in the villages of Wabho and Warhole late on Monday. Local residents say the fighting continued into Tuesday and has prompted that hundreds of people to flee their homes. Freedom House, a US-based organization that monitors democracy and political rights worldwide, says global freedom declined last year for the fourth (consecutive) year. VOA’s William Ide has details from Washington. Freedom House says that whether it was the (brutal) repression of demonstrators in Iran, the sweeping detention of activists in China, or the murder of journalists and human rights advocates in Russia, 2009 was a year that was (marked) by intensified repression of human rights defenders and civic activists. Arch Puddington, director of research at Freedom House says that last year 40 countries saw some degree of decline while 16 improved. “...and the declines were notable in almost every part of the world, but particularly in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the former Soviet Union.” Freedom House ranks each country in its (annual) survey by using one of three rankings for freedom: free, partly free or not free. According to its ranking system, the number of free countries in territories remains steady at 89, but the number of those not free rose to 47, an increase of five from the previous year. William Ide, VOA news, Washington. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Japanese foreign minister in Hawaii Tuesday for talks expected to focus on the disagreement over a US (military) base on Okinawa. Clinton is on the first leg of a Pacific tour that will take her to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. US stocks were lower in early (trading). The Dow Jones industrial average was down 68 points at 10,596. The S&P 500 has slipped 10 points to 1,137. All the NASDAQ was 24 points lower at 2,288. More details on this and more at voanews.com, I’m Frances Alonzo in Washington, VOA news.