People talk

Kilbourn throws himself to the Wolves

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. -- At least Craig Kilborn, host of CBS' "The Late Late Show," didn't cause the Minnesota Timberwolves any problems when he joined the team for two training camp workouts.

Kilborn, a native of Hastings and an avid Wolves fan, brought a camera crew along Monday for footage that will air in the next few weeks.

The 41-year-old, who played basketball at Montana State, also planned to take part in the Wolves' scrimmage Tuesday night at Sexton Arena on the St. John's University campus.

"I haven't taped my ankles in 19 years," Kilborn said. "It was good. I thought it would be more intense. But I hurt my back trying to get in shape, and (coach Flip Saunders) said, if anything bothers you, step out. So once they started playing defense, I stepped out."

Kilborn also played Wolves star Kevin Garnett in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

"KG's in a good mood right now, 'cause he signed that big deal," he said. "Man, I could have beaten him. I had him up to R."

Saunders said the team agreed to the stunt for publicity and to break up the monotony of training camp.

"Let's put it this way: He didn't screw up anything that we did," Saunders said. "It's kind of a good loosening-up thing to have."

As for Kilborn's pre-preseason training regimen?

"He told me he'd been playing halfcourt with Garry Shandling," Saunders said. "I told him, 'That's not really the proper way to get ready for training camp.' But it might be more than some of our guys did coming in."-- From wire reports

Beyonce to launch her own line of clothing

NEW YORK -- In what is becoming a rite of passage for top music stars, Beyonce is adding fashion designer to her list of credits.

Beyonce plans to launch two clothing collections by next year, the fashion trade paper Women's Wear Daily reported Monday. Her design collaborator will be her mother, Tina Knowles, who's also Beyonce's stylist and the author of "Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child" (Regan Books).

The first line will be more "funky and hip-hop," featuring T-shirts and jeans, while the other will be more like a designer collection with feminine dresses and separates, the duo described to WWD. "We want to bring some of the couture look to a broader public," Knowles said.

The 22-year-old added: "People my age love fashion and want to dress in designer clothes, but can't afford it. I want to do something that is affordable, but sophisticated and sexy and feminine -- something I would wear."

Beyonce and her mother were front-row fixtures at both New York and Milan Fashion Weeks this season, and they said they were taking notes.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was among the first successful music-fashion crossovers with his Sean John collection, which has earned him several nominations from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Since then, Jennifer Lopez's J.Lo line has been a strong retail performer, as has Jay-Z's Roc-A-Wear. Meanwhile, Kmart gave Latin star Thalia her own collection, and clothes from Gwen Stefani and Eve should be in stores this spring.

Kutcher, Moore spend down-home weekend in Iowa

HOMESTEAD, Iowa -- Ashton Kutcher and girlfriend Demi Moore left their glamorous Hollywood life for a down-home homecoming weekend with all the Iowa fixings -- pork, Hawkeye football and chitchat about children.

Kutcher, the 25-year-old co-star of the Fox sitcom "That '70s Show," grew up in Iowa and briefly attended the University of Iowa.

The couple flew in Friday hoping to attend the Hawkeyes' homecoming game Saturday against Michigan, but scrapped those plans when paparazzi showed up outside the home of Kutcher's mother, Diane Portwood.

Instead, Kutcher and his girlfriend stayed close to home, rode four-wheelers and spent quiet time with family. They "had their own little homecoming," said Portwood, whose home is in a historic cluster of towns known as the Amana Colonies.

"We had enchiladas and ham, chicken breast -- you know, the regular Iowa meals," she said. When photographers came to the door, "I told them to leave, and if they didn't abide by my wishes, I told them I'd call the law on them."

Portwood had nothing but kind words for Moore, the 40-year-old star of films including "Ghost" and "G.I. Jane."

"What I've found is when you meet many of these so-called celebrities in person, they are really down to earth," Portwood said. "We sat and talked about her kids and my kids and we had a great time."

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MARRAKECH, Morocco -- Oliver Stone has received a lifetime achievement award in Morocco, where he's filming the epic "Alexander" about Alexander the Great.

Stone, the director of provocative films including "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers," was honored late Monday with the Golden Star award during the third edition of the Marrakech international film festival.

Festival organizers also screened Stone's new documentary, "Comandante," about Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which has drawn the scorn of some Cuban expatriate groups in Florida.

"I wanted to show the portrait of a dictator that very few people know about," Stone, 57, told reporters. "I just wanted to say, 'Listen to Fidel Castro speak in his own words, then make up your own opinion."'

Morocco has sought to build its movie industry, but the fallout from five deadly terrorist attacks in the port city of Casablanca in May has turned away some Hollywood studios from filming here.

Stone praised Moritz Borman, the producer of "Alexander," for "real personal courage" in holding to plans to film in Morocco after the May 16 bombings that left 33 bystanders and 12 attackers dead.

With a budget of nearly $200 million, "Alexander" is being partially filmed near Marrakech in one of the largest film projects ever in this north African kingdom. Colin Farrell plays Alexander, and Val Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie co-star.

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VILNIUS, Lithuania -- A French rock star held in Lithuania on suspicion of manslaughter in the beating death of his actress girlfriend will stay in prison through Dec. 31, a Lithuanian judge ruled Tuesday.

Bertrand Cantat, lead singer of the popular French band Noir Desir, or Black Desire, has been held in Lithuania since late July after his girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant, was found beaten into a coma. She later died.

His lawyer, Virginijus Leonas Papirtis, had sought the singer's release, saying he posed no risk of fleeing from the Baltic state of 3.5 million.

Like previous hearings, Cantat was not in court Tuesday.

Trintignant, 41, died Aug. 1 in a Paris hospital after she was beaten while in Lithuania where she was starring in a film. An autopsy found she died from multiple blows to her face and head.

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LONDON -- Luciano Pavarotti, in London to promote his first ever pop album, said he'll spend his retirement teaching aspiring opera stars.

"I will teach. Teaching I think is the most difficult thing, teaching is more difficult than singing," the 67-year-old tenor said Monday. "Why? Because you have to transfer a thought from your brain to the brain of the other person and the throat of the other person."

Pavarotti said he expected to teach mostly in Modena, Italy, his hometown, and in New York, where he also spends much of his time.

He said he would teach for free, because he wants to work with people who are good -- not just those who could afford to pay him.

Pavarotti was to sing in concert Tuesday to launch his album "Ti Adoro," a pop venture after a 40-year career in opera.

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On the Net:

http://www.lucianopavarotti.it/indexe.html

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LONDON -- Barbara Windsor, known for her roles in the "Carry On" films, has broken her ankle, her spokesman said.

The 66-year-old actress slipped on the stairs of her London home, fracturing her ankle in two places, her manager, Barry Burnett, said Sunday.

Windsor, who plays landlady Peggy Mitchell in the popular TV soap opera "EastEnders," has undergone surgery and was expected to be hospitalized for several days, Burnett said.

Her career took off when she appeared in 1964's "Carry on Spying." Her film roles also include "A Study in Terror" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Earlier this year, Windsor was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus, but is recovering well, Burnett said.

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On the Net:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/

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STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Europe, the poodle-haired 1980s rock band, is planning a comeback.

The Swedish band -- whose hit "The Final Countdown" is a favorite during the last seconds of sporting events -- is recording an album with new material, and a world tour is planned.

"After the first band jam in years it felt so right, like we've just been away for a lunch break," drummer Ian Haugland said recently.

Singer Joey Tempest said the new music is "fresh and hard but still with the typical Europe melodies in focus."

Europe split up in 1992. They reunited for a millennium concert in Stockholm on New Year's Eve 1999.

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NEW YORK -- Dolly Parton and Norah Jones will perform "The Grass Is Blue" at The 37th Annual CMA Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 5.

Vince Gill will host the show, which will air live on CBS (8 p.m. ET). Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett will perform their hit duet, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

"The Grass Is Blue" is a Parton song recorded by Jones for the upcoming "Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton" tribute album.

"The unique combinations of Dolly and Norah and Alan and Jimmy will create those exciting magical moments that 'The CMA Awards' have become known for and music fans love," Ed Benson, County Music Association executive director, said last week.

-- From wire reports