CANADA. BEAUTY QUEEN LAUNCHES QUEST TO SAVE NAMESAKE FROM DEATH SENTENCE IN IRAN

a Canadian beauty queen's campaign to save the life of an Iranian teenager was drawing worldwide interest, with more than 7,000 people signing a petition. The petition, addressed to the United Nations and Iran, asked that the death sentence of a young woman named Nazanin be commuted. Amnesty International said the woman was 17 when she "reportedly admitted stabbing to death one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 16-year-old niece in a park in Karaj in March, 2005." Nazanin was convicted of murder. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, who represented Canada and was runner-up in the 2003 Miss World contest in China, said she hoped her Miss World profile would help save the Iranian girl.