Miss Philippines wins Miss World

(BBC) The 2013 Miss World pageant has been won by Miss Philippines, Megan Young, on the Indonesian island of Bali.

US-born Ms Young, 23, beat 126 other contestants and pledged to be “the best Miss World ever”.

The competition was moved to Bali from the capital, Jakarta, because of protests from hardline Muslim groups.

Security for Saturday’s event was high in Bali, a resort island with a majority Hindu population, but no further demonstrations were reported.

Miss France, Marine Lorphelin, came second in the contest and Miss Ghana, Carranzar Naa Okailey Shooter, took third place.

Wearing a glittering gown, Ms Young, who moved to the Philippines at the age of 10, wept as the Miss World sash was put over her shoulder by 2012 winner Miss China.

She told the cheering crowd in Nusa Dua in southern Bali she would “be myself in everything I do, to share what I know and to educate people”.

Heavily armed police patrolled the event in southern Bali
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country and the organisers had originally offered to abandon the contest’s bikini round in an attempt to address complaints of pornography and immorality.

Protests were led by the hardline Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI), which had planned to cross to the island from East Java but were prevented when the port was shut late on Friday.

The event, broadcast in 180 countries, was guarded by heavily armed police with water cannon while some 1,000 FPI members held a prayer session at a mosque outside Jakarta.

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