WORLD

WORLD
Canada's mad cow probesuggests U.S. origin
TORONTO -- Canada's lone case of mad cow disease may have originated in the United States, according to a report issued Thursday by Canadian investigators, who have been unable to pinpoint the source of the infection.
In its final report, made public Thursday, on the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, detected May 20 in Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency raised the possibility the disease arrived in Canada in a large 1998 shipment of pregnant U.S. cows.
The 25,000 animals were born before a ban imposed a year earlier on cattle feed containing animal protein from cows and other ruminants. Eating infected tissue is considered the most likely way that BSE is spread among cattle.
DNA testing is underway to try to learn if the single infected animal in Alberta, known as the index case, had any links to the cows imported in 1998
NATION
Liberty Media to buymajority stake in QVC
PHILADELPHIA -- Liberty Media Corp. has agreed to buy Comcast's majority stake in the lucrative shopping channel QVC for $7.9 billion, the companies said Thursday.
Liberty, which already owns 42 percent of QVC, told Comcast in March it wanted to end their joint ownership of QVC and negotiate a sale to one party or the other.
Liberty Media, based in Englewood, Colo., owns Starz Encore and has interests in Discovery Communications Inc., Court TV, AOL Time Warner Inc., USA Interactive, Telewest Communications, Motorola Inc., Sprint PCS Group and News Corp.
Comcast is the nation's largest cable operator, with more than 22 million customers and cable systems in 17 of the nation's 20 largest cities.
QVC had revenues of $4.38 billion last year, accounting for more than a third of Comcast's overall $12.46 billion in revenue for the year.
Associated Press