New Miss World crowned

BEIJING (AP):

Alexandria Mills, a soft-spoken 18-year-old from Louisville, was named the winner in Saturday night's contest in southern China. The tall blonde was a relative surprise winner after speculation focused on other contestants.

Second place went to Emma Wareus of Botswana, and Adriana Vasini of Venezuela came third. The host country's own contestant, Tang Xiao, also was among the final five.

"It's a cliché, but this really is a dream come true," Mills said in a news release from contest organisers. "I can't believe it's happening to me. My time has come. I'm loving it!"

According to a brief biography on the Miss World website, Mills recently graduated from high school and would like to become a teacher. She is a vegetarian and enjoys travelling, photography and playing the French horn.

"I've never met a stranger, and enjoy meeting new people," she says in the bio.

Retrospective theme

For the final, she was wearing a shimmering ivory-coloured dress slit up the leg.

Mills takes over the title from Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, who was named Miss World 2009 at a ceremony in South Africa last December.

Women from more than 100 countries participated in the contest, organisers said.

This is the 60th year of the Miss World Competition, and organizers brought back contestants from past decades to give the night a retrospective theme.

Win Twisted Spiritz tickets!

To win a ticket to Twisted Spiritz on November 6, please answer one of the following questions correctly:

1) Which disc jockeys are playing at Twisted Spiritz on November 6th?

2) What are the names of two Smirnoff Vodka flavours?

To participate, call our toll free line at 1-888-843-7827 today between 5 - 6 p.m. Tickets may be redeemed on November 4 at The Gleaner Company's Business Development and Marketing Department by 4 p.m.