Iceland's Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir began her year-long reign as Miss World on Sunday after beating 101 other girls in a global pageant staged in this sleepy resort town.
The 21-year-old Reykjavik student and daughter of Miss Iceland 1983 expressed delight and astonishment at winning the title and thanked her mother for her advice.
"It came as a big shock but the feeling is incredible -- I am numb," said the green-eyed brunette. "I did not hear my name at first. I just heard it echo around the room. I only knew it was me because nobody else moved.
PHOTO: AP
"My mum gave me some advice for how to behave, and it seems to have worked," Vilhjalmsdottir said. "She told me to be myself, not be fake in any way, and to relax. I am so pleased that she was able to be here to see me win the title."
Vilhjalmsdottir will serve as a goodwill ambassador and charity fund-raiser for children's causes throughout next year and is likely to profit from a host of modeling and acting contracts.
Organizers said Saturday night's pageant, in its 55th edition, reached an estimated audience of 2 billion.
Runner-up was Miss Mexico Dafne Molina Lona, representing the Americas, while the third place went to Miss Puerto Rico Ingrid Marie Rivera Santos, representing the Caribbean zone.
Vilhjalmsdottir's mother Unnur Steinsson represented Iceland in 1983 and came in the top five in the global contest.
"I am just speechless," Steinsson said. "There are simply no words to describe my feelings right now. I am now totally beside myself with joy to see her as Miss World."
Vilhjalmsdottir is a student from Reykjavik who has interned as a policewoman during her summer holidays while studying anthropology and aspiring toward a career in law.
Winning the coveted title is likely to change her life, as she embarks on a rigorous year of charity appearances and advocating humanitarian causes.
"In the coming year I want to do just as much as I can to help," she said. "I would love to do what I can do for charity and for the children of the world."
Vilhjalmsdottir beat finalists from six zones, including Miss Italy Sofia Bruscoli, awarded the title of Miss South Europe, Miss Tanzania Nancy Abraham Sumary, who was named Miss Africa, and Miss Korea Oh Eun-young, who was crowned Miss Asia Pacific.
The cherished title "Beauty With A Purpose" also went to Miss Korea, an award commemorating her humanitarian fund-raising and charity work.
Miss Russia Yulia Ivanova won the bathing suit section, while Miss America Virgin Islands Kmisha-Victoria Counts won the talent contest with her soul singing.
This year, for the first time, all nine judges were former Miss World title holders, inclu-ding Miss World 1953 Denise Perrier Lanfranchi of France.
Vilhjalmsdottir takes over from Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, who in a year of globetrotting visited tsunami-hit Banda Aceh in Indonesia as well as Russia, Tibet and her native Peru, where she worked to improve children's education.
The venue of next year's contest has not yet been announced.
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
On Monday morning, in quick succession, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) released statements announcing “that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) have invited KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to lead a delegation on a visit to the mainland” as the KMT’s press release worded it. The KMT’s press release added “Chairwoman Cheng expressed her gratitude for the invitation and has gladly accepted it.” Beijing’s official Xinhua news release described Song Tao (宋濤), head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CCP Central Committee, as
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
Last week saw Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), receive a 17-year sentence for crimes involving political corruption. This was only the opening round: the case is likely to drag on for several more years in appeals. Both the TPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are claiming that the prosecutors are engaging in a political witch hunt, green terror, fascism and so forth. It is easy to see this as a kind of compensation. After all, otherwise they would have to admit that the rather impressive collection of evidence against Ko actually
RSS