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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 Miss World showdown in London in shadow of murder eauty queens from across the globe have descended on London for Sunday’s Miss World 2014 final, a com- Bpetition rocked by the murder of Miss Honduras. Some 121 contestants from Albania to Zimbabwe are tak- ing part in the pageant, but there will be no representative from Honduras following the fatal shooting of finalist Maria Jose Alvarado. The bodies of the 19-year-old national title-holder and her 23-year-old sister Sofia Trinidad were found buried on a remote riverbank near the northwestern city of Santa Barbara on the day Maria Jose was due to fly to London. Tears were shed when the Miss World contestants attend- ed a special remembrance service in London. They held candles and said prayers in their own lan- guages in front of a framed photograph of Alvarado. “We are devastated by this terrible loss of two young women, who were so full of life,” said Miss World chair- woman Julia Morley. The new Miss World will travel to crime- plagued Honduras to build a school in their hometown that will be named in their honour, the contest’s organisers (L-R) Dick Clark Productions’executive producer Barry Adelman, Miss Golden Globe Greer Grammer, actress Kate Beckinsale, announced. Police in Honduras accuse Sofia’s boyfriend of actor Jeremy Piven, actress Paula Patton, actor Peter Krause and Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Theo Kingma shooting the sisters in a fit of jealousy after seeing Sofia attend the 2015 Golden Globe Awards nominations announcement, on Thursday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, dancing with another man at a party. Three other people California. — AFP have appeared in court alongside him for allegedly helping him bury the bodies. Oxford University challenge Female showrunners dominate The contestants arrived in London on November 20 for the 64th annual final, being held at the Excel exhibition cen- tre. The remembrance service was part of a series of events in Golden Globes’ TV comedy race the run-up to the televised extravaganza. here are many different firsts in this year’s Golden Globe nomina- with a particularly feminist slant on relationships, careers and growing The contenders visited prestigious Oxford University to tions, but among the most remarkable is one of the quietest: a up. “Orange” deliciously bobs and weaves between diverse storylines address the Oxford Union debating hall-where some of the subtle sea change in the best TV comedy series field. spotlighting characters of multiple races, sexual orientations, gender world’s finest minds have honed their ideas. T Not only are four of the five contenders first time nominees (sec- identities and economic backgrounds. “Jane” could qualify as US net- “Miss World is not a celebrity; she is an ambassador,” Miss ond season “Orange Is the New Black” was entered as a drama last year work television’s first bilingual weekly series and is built around a feisty United States Elizabeth Safrit told students. and missed the field), but four of the five are overseen by female heroine who not only insists on making her own reproductive deci- “She tells women all around the world that it’s OK to have showrunners. In addition to Jenji Kohan’s “Orange” from Netflix, this sions but also maintains her virginity without seeming like a prude. an opinion. She makes changes happen. She identifies prob- morning’s announcement also brought a third consecutive series nom And “Transparent” is positively earth-shattering in its thoughtful depic- lems and she finds solutions.” Students threw questions at for HBO’s “Girls” (overseen by Jenni Konner and star Lena Dunham) tion of the trans experience (as seen through the eyes of a seven- them, including if they thought there could be such a com- and recognition for critically praised freshmen “Transparent” (created tysomething protagonist-another ultra-rare choice in youth-obsessed petition with no beauty element at all. by Jill Soloway and available on Amazon Instant Video) and The CW’s US entertainment). “Some of us run very fast, some of us speak very well, “Jane the Virgin” (run by Jennie Urman). Only HBO’s “Silicon Valley” is “These are all totally different shows,” says Urman. “They all have some of us have received the gift of outer beauty that’s the literal odd man out. something to say too in comedy, which I really love. When I was start- being emphasised by inner beauty,” replied Miss South Africa “I love hearing people say, ‘I don’t think women are funny,’” says ing out there weren’t a lot of women in these positions. To see so Rolene Strauss. British bookmakers Ladbrokes have the 22- “Jane the Virgin” leading lady and first-time nominee Gina Rodriguez. many women in the category is awesome to me.” year-old medical student as their 2/1 hot favourite, followed “Well, clearly that’s not true! It’s nice for the world to be seeing that. I Meanwhile, the drama race can’t boast quite the same stats when it by Miss England and Miss India at 7/1, Miss Australia at 8/1 know personally, having an amazing and brilliant female showrunner comes to honoring femmes, though it does include Showtime’s “The and Miss Russia at 10/1. is so empowering and encouraging. Women are here and are making Affair” (co-created and overseen by Sarah Treem) and CBS’ “The Good “It’s always one of the hardest events to come up with an impact. Here’s the proof.” Wife,” run by married couple Robert and Michelle King. Other female- odds for,” Ladbrokes spokesman Alex Donohue told AFP. “It’s literally all my favorite shows on television,” says Dunham of run dramas that missed the cut include Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” “Fans think Miss South Africa ticks all the boxes and she the mix. “Something that’s so cool about the Hollywood Foreign Press and ABC’s “Scandal.”—Reuters has been the most popular bet to win, but Miss France at is that they recognize new and groundbreaking and forward-thinking 14/1 shouldn’t be discounted at all and she looks like a good programming.” That’s certainly true of this year’s line-up. “Girls” contin- outside bet to be crowned.” ues to explore the lives of twentysomething singles in the Big Apple Venezuela tops the all-time leader board with six titles, ahead of India and the United Kingdom on five titles each. ‘Beauty with a purpose’ While beauty has always been at the heart of the event, brains, skills and commitment to good causes also play a role. Contestants have to present their “Beauty With a Purpose” projects to the judges. Miss Serbia has been coaching a disabled volleyball team, while Miss India founded an organisation which teaches slum children the importance of washing their hands. Miss Bolivia has been helping to improve the lives of chil- dren living in prison with their jailed parents, bringing them books, other learning materials and even puppies to help them learn how to care for another living thing. The contestants have already been put through their paces on the fitness front, with Miss Finland coming out on top of a test that included a tug of war. Last year’s final was won by Miss Philippines Megan Young. It was held in Bali in Indonesia after switching from the capital Jakarta following protests by Muslim hardliners. Miss World began in 1951, a year before its chief rival Miss Universe. Former Miss World contestants include Oscar-win- ning US actress Halle Berry, a 1986 finalist, and 1994 winner Aishwarya Rai, the Indian movie star. Twelve have appeared in James Bond films. — AFP Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Theo Kingma (C) speaks at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards nominations announcement, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California. From left are Miss Golden Globe Greer Grammer, Dick Clark Productions’ executive producer Barry Adelman , Kingma, actress Kate Beckinsale and actor Jeremy Piven. — AFP.

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