OFF THE PACE Catriona Matthew, the only Scottish woman to... [Derived headline]

OFF THE PACE Catriona Matthew, the only Scottish woman to win amajor title, is the longest of long shots to add another at theKraft Nabisco Championship this week after opening her challengewith a seven-over par 79 over the Dinah Shore tournament course atMission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

She was 12 shots off the early pace, set by Mika Miyazato ofJapan and Germany's Sandra Gal, who became the LPGA Tour's onlyfirst-time winner this season when she triumphed in the Kia Classic,in the City of Industry, California, on Sunday.

England's Karen Stupples led the British challenge on 71, whileBecky Morgan, of Wales, shot 72 and another Englishwoman, LauraDavies, 73.

Picture: David Cannon/Getty

OFF THE PACE Catriona Matthew, the only Scottish woman to... [Derived headline]

OFF THE PACE Catriona Matthew, the only Scottish woman to win amajor title, is the longest of long shots to add another at theKraft Nabisco Championship this week after opening her challengewith a seven-over par 79 over the Dinah Shore tournament course atMission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

She was 12 shots off the early pace, set by Mika Miyazato ofJapan and Germany's Sandra Gal, who became the LPGA Tour's onlyfirst-time winner this season when she triumphed in the Kia Classic,in the City of Industry, California, on Sunday.

England's Karen Stupples led the British challenge on 71, whileBecky Morgan, of Wales, shot 72 and another Englishwoman, LauraDavies, 73.

Picture: David Cannon/Getty

List of movies competing in Venice

A list of the 22 films in competition for the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice Film Festival, which will run from Aug. 31-Sept. 10.

"Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy" by Tomas Alfredson, UK, Germany.

"Wuthering Heights" by Andrea Arnold, UK.

"Texas Killing Fields" by Ami Canaan Mann, United States.

"The Ides of March" by George Clooney, United States.

"Quando la Notte" by Cristina Comencini, Italy.

"Terraferma" by Emanuele Crialese, Italy.

"A Dangerous Method" by David Cronenberg, Canada.

"4:44 Last Day on Earth" by Abel Ferrara, United States.

"Killer Joe" by William Friedkin, United States.

"Un Ete Brulant" by …

U.S. Stocks Head Toward Lower Open

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks headed for a lower opening Wednesday as investors awaited congressional testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke about the economy.

Stocks had rallied last week after interpreting language from the Fed as opening the way to the possibility of a reduction in interest rates. Bernanke's testimony before a joint Congressional committee on the country's economic outlook comes a day after renewed concerns about the housing market helped send stocks lower.

The Dow Jones industrials had their biggest pullback in two weeks Tuesday after a report showing a drop in prices of single-family homes had investors theorizing that the housing market might continue to sour and hurt consumer spending.

Dow industrials futures expiring in June fell 46 points, or 0.37 percent, early Wednesday to 12,438. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 6.40, or 0.44 percent, to 1,434.20. Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 9.50, or 0.52 percent, to 1,800.75.

Beyond concerns about housing, Wall Street is watching as oil prices rise amid political tensions in the Middle East over the detention by Iran of British sailors. Light, sweet crude on Tuesday settled at its highest level since December on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Investors were also awaiting a Commerce Department on orders of durable goods for February. The market expects durable goods, which include items from washing machines to airplanes, will increase 3.0 percent after a 7.8 percent drop in January. Last month's weak reading for January helped contribute to a Feb. 27 global selloff.

In corporate news, homebuilder Beazer Homes USA Inc. is under investigation for its lending practices by several government agencies.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 0.64 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.78 percent. The Shanghai Composite index, after a volatile session in which it had been down sharply, rose 1.09 percent to its eighth straight record close.

In intraday trading, Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.13 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.59 percent, and France's CAC-40 declined 0.58 percent.

PRODUCTS

PLASMA SYSTEMS

Thermal Dynamics has announced two more additions to its expanding automated plasma cutting family, the Auto-Cut 200 and the AutoCut 200 O2. Equipped with XTTM-301 precision torch technology, the Auto-Cut systems outperform all other general purpose plasma systems in its class. The Auto-Cut 200 and Auto-Cut 200 O2 are conventional plasma cutting systems designed for end users engaged in the production cutting of materials of one inch or less. Competitively priced, these systems feature a low cost of operation and are ideal for customers who are not in the market for higher definition plasma cutting equipment. While the Auto-Cut 200 is optimized for air plasma cutting …

Studies from Georgia State University in the Area of Transcultural Nursing Published.(Report)

Researchers detail in 'Metabolic syndrome in African Americans: views on making lifestyle changes,' new data in Transcultural Nursing. "This study explores African American adults' understanding of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and their motivations for making lifestyle changes. African Americans have a greater risk for components of MetS, such as hypertension," investigators in the United States report (see also Transcultural Nursing).

"Three focus groups were conducted with African American adults (n=11) with MetS. Content analysis revealed five themes: Threat of Poor Health, Building Trust With Providers, Gaining Social Support, Seeking Culturally Acceptable Alternatives, and …

Police say students majored in crime.(Main)(Correction notice)

Byline: BRENDAN LYONS Staff Writer

ALBANY - They looked like knock-around guys in college, tough around the edges but from decent upbringings and leisurely earning degrees at colleges from Albany to Saranac Lake.

But there were small signs of trouble, like the posters of gun-toting Hollywood villains that decorated the walls of some of the young men who were attending Lemoyne College in Syracuse when the crime spree began in 2002.

"These guys were organized, well-planned and exhibited a propensity for firearms-related violence," said John Morgan, agent-in-charge of Albany's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "The criminal conduct alleged in …

German adhesives producer Henkel has purchased Brazilian consumer adhesives company Alba Adhesivos from US-headquartered Hexion Specialty Chemicals for an undisclosed sum.(Business Digest)(Brief article)

German adhesives producer Henkel has purchased Brazilian consumer adhesives company Alba Adhesivos from …