PAGEANT Circle

Letícia Cocito, 18, has been named Miss Grande Curitiba 2021 for Miss Brasil Mundo (Miss Brazil World) 2021 competition. The first-year biomedical student will join the rest of the contestants from across the country in the national final at Brasilia Palace Hotel this August 19. Forty-eight beauties will compete during the 61st edition of Miss Brasil Mundo. The winner will represent Brazil at the Miss World 2021 pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, later this year. Photo: Letícia Cocito / Instagram

Phonvilai Luanglath, 24, has been officially named Miss World Laos 2021 after the original winner, Phongsavanh Souphavady, stepped down as titleholder due to an age limit issue. Miss World Organization requires the contestants must be between 17 to 26 years old before the entry date of the international pageant. “I apologize to the organizers and the audience who always believed in the competition. Many thanks to my parents, relatives, and all strangers who have always supported me," Phongsavanh said when she announced her resignation. The new Miss World Laos finished as the first runner-up during the national competition held at the Landmark Mekong Riverside Hotel in Vientiane last Wednesday, March 31. Phonvilai will now prepare to represent Laos at the Miss World 2021 pageant to be held at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico later this year. Photo: Miss World Laos

Gizzelle Uys of South Africa was crowned Miss Eco International 2020 in a competition held at the Baron Resort Sharm El Sheikh in South Sinai, Egypt on Sunday, April 4. The 23-year-old actress, model and dancer who hails from Pretoria bested 38 other beauties to win the international pageant. Kelley Day of the Philippines and Alexandria Kelly of the United States of America were the first and second runners-up, respectively, while Steffanía Rodríguez of Venezuela and Kristel Ruiz Freeman of Costa Rica completed the Top 5. The new Miss Eco International succeeds Amy Nur Tinie Abdul Aziz of Malaysia who took over the title after the last winner from Peru, Suheyn Cipriani, was dethroned. Hosted by Nancy Magdy, the event was the 6th edition of the pageant that aims to promote the protection and preservation of our environment. Photo: Miss Eco International

Tangia Zaman Methila triumphed over nine other finalists to be crowned Miss Universe Bangladesh 2020 in a national final held on Saturday, April 3 at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in Dhaka. The 28-year-old model and actress is no stranger to pageantry. She was named Miss Supranational Bangladesh 2019 and traveled to Katowice, Poland, to compete in the Miss Supranational 2019 pageant. Farzana Yasmin and Farzana Akter Ani were the first and second runners-up, respectively, while Aonkita Dey, Apana Chakma, Fatema Tuz Johura, Mariyam Ahmed, Masuda Khan, Nidra Dey, and Towhida Tusnim Tifa were the rest of the Top 10 finalists. The new Miss Universe Bangladesh succeeds the last winner from 2019, Shirin Akter Shila. She will represent her south Asian country at the 69th Miss Universe pageant in Hollywood, Florida, USA, this May. Photos: Miss Universe Bangladesh

Miss East Flanders, Kedist Deltour, was crowned Miss Belgium 2021 on Wednesday, March 31 in a gala show held at the Proximus Theater (formerly Plopsa Theater) in Adinkerke, De Panne. The 23-year-old hairdresser who hails from Nazareth (East Flanders) succeeds Céline Van Ouytsel. She bested 32 other contestants to win her national title. Thanaree Scheerlinck was named first runner-up while Louise-Marie Losfeld finished second runner-up. Elodie Gualano, Cassandra Tordeur, and Camilia Martinez were the third, fourth, and fifth runners-up, respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the national pageant took place without a live audience. During the show, the new Miss Belgium shared her difficult childhood in which she was adopted from Ethiopia after the death of her mother, as a child of 10, together with her brother and sister. Kedist will represent Belgium at either Miss World or Miss Universe pageant. Photos: Miss Belgium

Miss Mexico 2021 grand final will be held this July 3 in the northwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua. The recent announcement was made by the Miss Mexico Organization on its official social media pages. Chihuahua's Ashley Alvídrez, the reigning Miss Mexico, has been waiting to crown her successor who will compete in the 70th Miss World pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, later this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 4th edition of the national competition has been postponed a few times. The national organization is responsible for sending Mexican representatives to Miss Grand International and Miss World pageants. Its greatest achievement was producing the first-ever Mexican woman to win Miss World, Vanessa Ponce (Miss World 2018). Photo: Miss Mexico Organization

Radinela Chusheva, a native of Sofia, has been officially named Miss Universe Bulgaria 2020. The announcement was made on Miss Universe Bulgaria's official social media page. The 24-year-old beauty succeeds Lora Asenova and will now prepare to represent her Balkan country at the 69th Miss Universe pageant in Hollywood, Florida, USA, this May. Sofia holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in marketing. She was a professional athlete and Bulgarian medalist in rhythmic gymnastics. The new Miss Universe Bulgaria stands 5 feet 7 inches tall. She speaks English and Romanian fluently, and enjoys sports, dancing, and painting in her free time. Photos: Kostadin Krastev - Koko / Miss Universe Bulgaria