Goldmans discuss O.J. Simpson book

Chicago – The father and sister of Ronald Goldman say by seizing control of the O.J. Simpson book, “If I Did It,” they are punishing the man they believe murdered their loved one.

Fred Goldman and his daughter, Kim, appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Thursday to discuss their decision to publish the book, released the same day. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of killing his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Over the summer, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book’s rights to Goldman’s family to help satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson. The Goldmans retitled the book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.”

Winfrey said she won’t buy or read the book, and asked the Goldmans if they don’t feel its proceeds are “blood money.”

“It’s sending him a message,” Kim Goldman said. “He put hours putting together this confession about how he killed Ron and Nicole, and he worked hard thinking he was going to make millions off of it. And we snatched it right out from under him.”

Winfrey said dedicating a show to the topic was a “moral, ethical dilemma” for her. She said she committed to the show when the guests were to also include Nicole Simpson’s sister, Denise Brown, who has been severely critical of the Goldmans for publishing the book.

Brown later refused to share a stage with the Goldmans, however, and Winfrey said felt she had to keep her word to the Goldmans.

Zeta-Jones, Douglas plan to shoot movie in India

Mumbai, India – Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband, Michael Douglas, are planning to shoot a movie in India.

“I’m looking forward to going to India,” the actress was quoted as saying by The Times of India on Thursday. “Michael and I are developing a script that will be set up in India. We will take our kids and all of us will come there, set up camp in India and shoot a film.”

Zeta-Jones didn’t give details about the movie.

Douglas visited Mumbai two years ago and announced plans to co-produce and star in “Racing the Monsoon,” an action-adventure about a diamond heist aboard an Indian train.

Zeta-Jones, Douglas and their two young children live much of the year on the island of Bermuda, the 37-year-old actress said.

Bob Barker joins Hall of Famous Missourians

Jefferson City, Mo. – After more than 6,500 episodes of “The Price Is Right,” it was Bob Barker’s turn to “Come on down.”

House Speaker Rod Jetton and Barry Bennett, a former radio broadcaster who now works for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, couldn’t resist the opportunity to repeat the famed line. Only this time, Barker descended the stairs of the Missouri Capitol Rotunda as he was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.

Barker, 83, is the 30th inductee, joining luminaries such as Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Walter Cronkite, Scott Joplin and Charlie Parker.

Several hundred politicians, office workers and tourists watched the unveiling of Barker’s bronze bust Wednesday.

“I did ‘The Price Is Right’ for 35 years, and they’re asking me how it was to beat up Adam Sandler,” joked Barker, referring to his cameo in Sandler’s 1996 comedy, “Happy Gilmore.”

Barker was born in Washington state and raised on a South Dakota Indian reservation before moving to Springfield, where he worked as a summer bellhop at Lake Taneycomo and graduated from Central High School.

Montgomery asks judge to dismiss slander suit

Lexington, Ky. – John Michael Montgomery has asked a judge to dismiss a slander lawsuit against him, arguing in court filings that statements he made to police qualify as “pure opinion” and cannot be found slanderous.

A fired Lexington police officer filed the lawsuit last month in Fayette County Circuit Court. Joshua Cromer contends the country music star made several false allegations, including that Cromer took his hat, in an interview with the police department’s internal affairs unit after a February 2006 drunken driving arrest.

Attorney Brent Caldwell wrote in motions filed this week that Montgomery, 42, cannot be sued because he was cooperating with police, making his statements privileged.

One motion says Cromer told prosecutors that he took Montgomery’s hat during the arrest and planned to sell it on the eBay auction Web site.

Cromer’s attorney, Shane Sidebottom, said Cromer didn’t take the hat.

Cromer was fired in part for postings made on the social networking Web site MySpace.com and for his actions in connection with Montgomery’s arrest. He is appealing his termination.

Clooney welcomes visit by Sudan president

Rome – George Clooney welcomes the visit to Italy by Sudan’s president, saying increased international contact with the Khartoum leadership could ease the plight of the millions who have fled their homes in Darfur.

“The policy of not talking to them because they’re unsavory hasn’t been very effective,” the 46-year-old actor said in a telephone interview Thursday with The Associated Press.

“So my hope is that having a conversation with this man can somehow further movement toward getting these people back into their homes, their villages.”

President Omar al-Bashir scheduled meetings today with Italian Premier Romano Prodi and Pope Benedict XVI. The rare visit to the West has drawn criticism from the human rights group Amnesty International and some European parliament members who say Italy shouldn’t receive a man whose regime has been accused of genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

More than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been uprooted since ethnic African rebels in Darfur took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government in 2003. The regime is accused of retaliating by unleashing a militia of Arab nomads known as the “janjaweed,” a charge Khartoum denies.