GORE: THE NEW “COMEBACK KID?”

Ross Ritter reported from Cannes that Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth” was as big a hit:

“In Cannes for the European premiere of his powerful global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Gore has been surrounded by adoring crowds and deluged with interview requests. He told me that he gave 23 back-to-back-to-back interviews on Sunday, Hollywood junket-style (all on only one hour’s sleep), and had another 23 scheduled for Monday.

“This is my second visit to Cannes,” he said. “The first was when I was fifteen years old and came here for the summer to study the existentialists — Sartre, Camus… We were not allowed to speak anything but French!” Which may explain his pitch-perfect French accent.

“It’s clear that the film, and the engaging “New Gore” on display both in the film and his public appearances promoting it, have connected with people in a big way.

“The film is an environmental punch in the gut. Gore 2.0 is a revelation, and a critical smash. When asked at his press conference how he should be addressed, he replied “Your Adequacy.” “Hanks himself could not have delivered the line more smoothly,” gushed The Guardian. The Washington Post’s Sebastian Mallaby labeled him “a hero.” Time’s Anne Marie Cox called him “a rock star.” New York magazine touted his “amazing comeback.” And even Fox News’ Roger Friedman described him as “funny and relaxed.” Talk about killer reviews.

“Of course, as potent as the film is (Friedman says the minds of skeptics “will be changed in a nanosecond” and Franklin Foer says “it will certainly change elite opinion”), the other reason is the “Will he or Won’t he?” speculation about 2008.

“He’s saying no — but you can hear the “Run, Al, Run” chant growing louder.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/al-gore-takes-cannes-by-s_b_21466.html

FOX NEWS SLAMS ALJAZEERA
http://www.friendsofaljazeera.org/

JOURNALIST KIDNAPPED IN AZIBAIJAN

”Ahaddin Haziyev, one of the best Azerbaijani journalists and one of the brilliant minds of our country, was kidnapped, taken to Masazir lake, severely beaten and left to die almost to death last night by some people.

“He was deputy editor of Azadlig newspaper and since recently became a editor in chief of Bizim Yol newspaper. His newspaper and himself are very critical of Aliyev¹s regime, the most recent series dedicated to caviar/fish mafia of Azerbaijan, portraying that Aliyev senior sacrificed life for monopoly in this sector.

Haziyev is in Intensive Therapy in the Emergency hospital. Doctors said that it is miracle that he survived. His leg is broken in five places, he has trauma of head, ribs are broken.”

MOSCOW TIMES: “Moscow regional prosecutors opened a murder investigation into the death of a TV Center reporter, whose body was found in his apartment over the weekend, a spokeswoman said Monday.”

MURDOCH TO BRING TIMES OF LONDON TO USA

”EJC: “The Times, Rupert Murdoch’s London-based newspaper, is considering further expansion abroad and is aiming initially to win 10,000 readers for a new US edition, its editor Robert Thomson said on Monday. The Times announced plans to launch a US edition on Friday, making use of fellow News Corp paper the New York Post’s distribution and printing facilities to cap costs. Like the Post, it will be printed in a smaller, tabloid-style format.”