Iran and IAEA
U.N. inspectors found “nothing to be worried about” in a first look at a previously secret uranium enrichment site in Iran last month, the International Atomic Energy chief said in remarks published Thursday. Mohamed ElBaradei also told the New York Times that he was examining possible compromises to unblock a draft nuclear cooperation deal between Iran and three major powers that has foundered over Iranian objections.

Israel and Lebanon
Hezbollah in a statement Thursday vehemently denied Israel’s claims that it seized a sizable weapons cache destined for the Shiite resistance. The Israeli army said it unloaded 36 containers of weapons at the Israeli port of Ashdod before allowing the Antigua-flagged vessel Francop to set sail Thursday. Israeli military officials said the Polish captain and crew knew nothing of the contents of the containers.

Karadzic
The war crimes tribunal trying Bosnian genocide suspect Radovan Karadzic is imposing a lawyer on him, it announced Thursday. Karadzic, who is accused of responsibility for the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, had been representing himself, but refused to appear in court because he said he has not had enough time to prepare.

Russia
Russia will use its Armed Forces outside the country only in extreme circumstances to protect Russian nationals, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. “Such decisions will be made only when absolutely necessary,” Medvedev said at a meeting with members of the upper house of Russia’s parliament. “Our citizens must be protected in any part of the world, and they must feel protected by the state.” He stressed that such decisions “must be set in law.”

Russia and US
Russia has reiterated its proposal to the United States to sign a bilateral extradition agreement, the Russian justice minister said. Although Moscow and Washington agreed in 2007 to draft an agreement on the extradition of crime suspects, further progress on the deal is still pending.

Canada
Fewer Canadian infants die before their first birthday compared with the Americans, but Canada ranked behind most European countries on the health-care indicator in a new report. Canada ranked 25th out of 31 countries in the world in infant mortality, researchers from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found.

Venezuela and US
On October 27, Rep. Connie Mack (Rep. FL) introduced HR 872: Calling for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its support of Iran, Hezbollah, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP). Its sole co-sponsor was Rep. Ron Klein (Dem. FL). HR 872 is round two for Mack. On March 13, 2008, he and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R. FL) introduced HR 1049 (with eight co-sponsors) “calling for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism (and) condemn(ing) the Venezuelan government for it support of terrorist organizations,” at that time referring to the FARC-EP. The resolution died in the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Swine Flu
A 13-year-old Iowa cat has been infected with swine flu, veterinary and federal officials said Wednesday, and it is believed to be the first case of the H1N1 virus in a feline. The domestic shorthaired cat was treated last week at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames and has recovered, officials said. The virus also has been confirmed in two ferrets – one in Oregon and the other in Nebraska – but they died. “We’ve known certainly it’s possible this could happen,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner. “This may be the first instance where we have documentation that transmission occurred involving cats or dogs.”

Lithuania and US
Parliamentarians in Lithuania have voted to launch an investigation into allegations that the CIA operated a clandestine prison in the Baltic state to hold ’suspected al-Qaeda terrorists.’ The lawmakers have asked the National Security and Defense Committee of the parliament to find out whether Lithuania had hosted al-Qaeda suspects in secret prisons and, if so, whether Lithuanian state authorities were aware of it. In August, the US-based ABC News alleged in a report, citing unnamed former intelligence officials, that a secret CIA prison operated near Vilnius airport from early 2004 to late 2005, and that CIA planes flew into Lithuania with high-profile al-Qaeda suspects.