‘I will not turn away’: Angelina Jolie makes Instagram debut with letter from Afghan teen

Published

4 years ago

August 20, 2021

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Angelina Jolie has made her Instagram debut using her first post to highlight the plight of young women in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.

The actress gained more than 1.8 million followers within two hours of joining the social media platform after posting pictures of a letter she had received from a teenage girl in Afghanistan.

The 46-year-old, who is a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, anonymised the letter, which details the young woman’s fears about living in the country.

The teen wrote about the difficulties of going to school because of Taliban controls, stating: “We all lost our freedom and we are imprisoned again.”

She also says: “We all had rights, we was able to defend our rights freely but when they (the Taliban) came, we are all afraid of them and we think all our dreams are gone.”

Jolie said she feared Afghan people “are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely” following the takeover of the country.

“So I’ve come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights,” she added.

Her short biography on the site noted that as well as working with the UN she is also a mother and filmmaker.

“I was on the border of Afghanistan two weeks before 9/11, where I met Afghan refugees who had fled the Taliban. This was 20 years ago,” she wrote.

“It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country.

“To spend so much time and money, to have bloodshed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand.

“Watching for decades how Afghan refugees – some of the most capable people in the world – are treated like a burden is also sickening.”

She added: “Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much they would do for themselves. And meeting so many women and girls who not only wanted an education, but fought for it.

“Like others who are committed, I will not turn away. I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you’ll join me.”

The post also includes a photo of seven Afghan women, facing away from the camera.

Last week, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, signalling a collapse of the country’s government.

Since then thousands of people have been trying to flee the country, with desperate mothers seen handing their children to troops and people hanging on to planes.

Entertainment

Comedian Milton Jones reveals he’s cancer free

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2025

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Comedian Milton Jones reveals he's cancer free

Comedian Milton Jones has revealed he is cancer free after being treated for prostate cancer.

In April, the 61-year-old, who is known for his appearances on Mock The Week, announced he was cancelling a number of UK tour dates to undergo surgery.

Jones said in a statement: “A few months ago, I had to stop my tour HA!MILTON because I needed treatment for prostate cancer. I’m glad to say I’ve had that treatment and am now cancer-free!

“So, many thanks to all the doctors and nurses who helped me get better – I couldn’t do their job (I tried, but apparently you have to be qualified).”

Thanking his family, friends and fans, he went on to joke: “I have to admit there were a few dark moments when I wondered if anyone would ever see me again, but then I realised that I was leaning against the light switch.

“Thankfully, I’m now in a completely different place, and if you look at my website, you’ll see that very soon I’ll be in lots of other different places on tour too”.

Jones picks up his tour on 15 September in Stafford, touring until the end of November 2025.

The show, whose name is a play on the title of the hit musical Hamilton, promises laughter and unforgettable comedy moments, as well as jokes about giraffes and tomatoes.

The Richmond-born comedian has been hailed as the king of the one-liner, basing his jokes on clever wordplay and surreal humour.

He has performed on Live At The Apollo, Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift reveals release date for new album

Published

3 days ago

August 14, 2025

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Taylor Swift reveals release date for new album

Taylor Swift has revealed the release date for her new album, The Life Of A Showgirl.

The pop megastar announced her 12th studio album earlier this week but didn’t give many details.

Now, in social media posts and an appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, Swift revealed just what fans can expect from the new album.

The Life of Showgirl, written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour, will be released on 3 October.

It consists of 12 songs, including the title track that features pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

The full track list is:

1. The Fate Of Ophelia
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Opalite
4. Father Figure
5. Eldest Daughter
6. Ruin The Friendship
7. Actually Romantic
8. Wi$h Li$t
9. Wood
10. Cancelled!
11. Honey
12. The Life Of A Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)

Long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who worked with Swift on some of her biggest hits, joined the pop star for this album.

Within four hours of posting the full podcast episode on YouTube, it had already gathered 4.7m views.

‘The hardest-working star in pop’

The album follows last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which was released during the Eras tour.

That tour, with shows on five continents and in 51 cities, raked in more than $2.2bn (£1.62bn) and was the highest-grossing tour of all time.

“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said during her podcast appearance.

Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow said after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.

Entertainment

Harvey Weinstein to be tried for third time in New York after mistrial on rape charge

Published

3 days ago

August 13, 2025

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Harvey Weinstein to be tried for third time in New York after mistrial on rape charge

Disgraced US film producer Harvey Weinstein is to be tried for a third time in a sexual assault case.

A jury in New York could not reach a verdict in June against the 73-year-old who was accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, and a mistrial was declared.

Judge Curtis Farber has said he wants the new trial to happen before the end of this year.

The same jury found Weinstein guilty in June of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and not guilty of assaulting Polish former runway model Kaja Sokola the same year.

Weinstein will be sentenced for the guilty verdict in Ms Haley’s case on 30 September.

He denied all of the charges. Throughout the retrial, his lawyers insisted the sexual encounters with his three accusers were “transactional” and “consensual,” and labelled the women as opportunists.

Weinstein was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act by the same court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.

Last year, however, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction, prompting Weinstein’s retrial this summer.

Weinstein was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood – the co-founder of film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, who produced films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.

In 2017, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him propelled the #MeToo movement.

Some of those accusations later led to criminal charges and his convictions in New York and California.

Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He has also denied this charge.