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India's Yukta Mookhey is Miss World

Miss India Yukta Mookhey, 20, was crowned Miss World 1999 in London last night.

The second and third prizes in the competition, which attracted entrants from 94 countries, went to Miss Venezuala Martina Thorogood, 24, and Miss South Africa Sonia Raciti, 21.

"I did my best and I left the rest to god," said Mookhey later, wearing a tight-fitting sky-blue sequinned evening gown.

She also expressed the desire to visit Paris, "because it is so romantic".

Competitors donned both evening wear and swimsuits to parade before eight judges, including world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis and Formula One racing driver Eddie Irvine.

But demonstrators outside the west London Olympia Centre, where the contest was held, denounced it as a "sexist cattle market". 'Fat chicks are cool,' declared one banner, while another said: "Women's bodies are not for sale."

Reuters

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