Vietnam has made communist history by hosting the Miss Universe competition, which was won once again by the contestant from beauty pageant "super-power", Venezuela.
The former Spice Girl Melanie Brown launched proceedings in the resort town of Nha Trang with the declaration "Good morning Vietnam!"
The event was held at 8am local time to accommodate prime time Sunday evening viewers in the United States.
Aside from marking another step on Vietnam's path to capitalism, historians of the 56-year-old event noted that this was the second year running that Miss USA fell over during the evening gown section.
An estimated one billion television viewers around the world witnessed the young lady's mortification.
Miss Kosovo represented the world's newest country for the first time.
Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, a 22-year-old green-eyed brunette, burst into tears when the American talk show host, Jerry Springer, announced that she had won.
She clinched the title by answering that the difference between men and women is that "men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight. Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves".
A year and a half ago she was kidnapped in her native Venezuela and used a post-event press conference to issue a plea for world peace.
"It's something that happens in my country. You don't even have to have money to be kidnapped," she said. "That's why I wanted to raise my voice and tell the world that violence is not the answer."
She plans to spend the coming year touring the world lecturing on humanitarian issues.
The pageant was not marked by feminist protests such as that which forced the withdrawal of Miss Sweden in Mexico last year.
The organisers are at pains to emphasise the wide-ranging skills, ambition and independence of the contestants.
"Currently Miss Universe is experiencing a rebirth, playing a critical role in making the next hundred years "The Century of Women," the official website states.
Miss UK this year was Lisa Lazarus, a 20-year-old from Carmarthenshire, who holds the titles Miss Llanelli and Miss Swansea. She did not place in the Miss Universe competition.
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