Angelina Jolie halts film premiere to get serious about world affairs

Angelina Jolie took time out of the festivities surrounding the London premiere of her new Disney film Maleficent to get serious about current affairs on Thursday night (08May14).

The actress and her fiance Brad Pitt hit the red carpet for the high-profile event and she used the premiere to vent her frustrations about world crises in the Ukraine and Nigeria.

Clearly not done commenting about the kidnapping and enslaving of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls at the hands of Boko Haram Islamists, Jolie, who serves as a United Nations special envoy for refugees, told reporters it was "heart-warming" to be asked about the story.

She previously commented about the drama at a promotional event in Paris, France, on Monday (05May14), when she called the militants' actions "unthinkably cruel and evil".

At the premiere she added, "The important thing is to understand that this happens because these men think they can get away with this and they can do this. We have to start arresting people for this, we have to start bringing them to justice and we have to start making it an absolute crime that puts fear in these men, so that they think twice about this kind of action."

The Boko Haram Islamists, who have confessed to kidnapping the girls as part of a protest about their western education, have been condemned by celebrities and world leaders.

More than 270 students were kidnapped in Borno state, Nigeria last month by the militants, who stormed their school in the dead of night on 14 April (14) and drove the girls off to an undisclosed location.

More than 220 teens are still being held captive, according to Nigerian police.

Jolie also said she was increasingly concerned about the people of the Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists have ignored a public call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone a referendum on self-rule, declaring they would go ahead with a vote this weekend (09-10May14) that could lead to war.

The actress said, "I can't imagine anybody from that region isn't just terrified that the worst is yet to come."