Canada confirms sixth case of mad cow disease

TORONTO – Canada confirmed on Tuesday its sixth case of mad cow disease and said it would investigate where the cow was born and what other animals may have eaten the same feed.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said test results confirmed what was suspected last week. The animal was at least 15 years of age, and was born before Canada implemented restrictions on potentially dangerous feed in 1997.

The agency said it was launching an investigation.

U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman Ed Loyd said last week trade was resumed with Canada with the assumption that more mad cow cases would be found. Loyd said U.S. officials have “a high level of confidence in the safeguards and mitigating measures in place in the U.S. and Canada.”

Iran: No quick answer on incentives

Iran rejected Russia’s and China’s calls for a quick response to incentives to suspend its nuclear program, indicating Tuesday that it wanted to negotiate the terms of the offer. The exchange among the three allies came a day after diplomats said the U.S., Britain and France would revive a push to punish the Islamic republic with possible U.N. Security Council sanctions if it does not suspend uranium enrichment and agree to talks on its nuclear program by July 12.

Afghanistan: Cart bomb hurts 10

A bomb hidden in a cart exploded Tuesday in a crowded intersection of downtown Kabul, injuring 10 people. On Monday, five Afghan laborers were ambushed and fatally shot on their way to a U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan.

Israel: Palestinian rocket hits city

Palestinian militants hit an Israeli city with a rocket from Gaza for the first time on Tuesday, causing no casualties but drawing a pledge of harsh retaliation from Israel while it was already in the midst of a military offensive. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the rocket fire on the coastal city of Ashkelon a “major escalation” in tensions. Early today, Israeli aircraft struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza for the second time in a week, the military said.

Spain: Derailed train was speeding

A train that derailed and killed 41 people in Spain’s worst subway accident was traveling at twice the normal speed, a government official said Tuesday. The train’s excessive speed has led officials to believe the driver had either fainted or become otherwise indisposed before it derailed and overturned inside an underground tunnel in Valencia on Monday, said Jose Ramon Garcia Anton, Valencia’s regional transport minister. The train was traveling at 50 mph, rather than the average 25 mph at the curved section where it derailed, Garcia Anton said.

Tibet: Dalai Lama talks falter

Talks between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama have made “no substantial progress,” and the exiled Tibetan leader threatens China’s unity and security, Tibet’s Beijing-appointed leader charged Tuesday. Champa Phuntsok repeated Chinese accusations that the Dalai Lama wants formal independence for the Himalayan region. The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, is still widely revered in Tibet. The Dalai Lama has said he wants only greater autonomy in hopes of preserving Tibet’s Buddhist culture.