The Miss World Contest official site has published a statement released by the Nigerian President trying to deflate the controversy surrounding the case of Amina Lawal, a Nigerian woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.
The Miss World contest 2002 is due to be held at the Abuja National Stadium on November 30 - Miss Nigeria, Agbani Darego, was crowned Miss World last year. However, representatives from Belgium, France (in the picture, above), Denmark, Norway, the Ivory Coast and Kenya have confirmed that they will not be taking part because of the controversy. The European Union has also called for a boycott.
Earlier posts:
---> Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002, will boycott the World Contest (7 comments)
---> Miss Italia is plain, Italians complain
---> The two Miss Carolinas
---> Miss Switzerland's hot pictorial