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NEED TO KNOW
Miss International 2025 has crowned its newest winner
Last year's 2024 winner was Huỳnh Thị Thanh Thủy, who became the first-ever Vietnamese winner of the Miss International competition
The pageant was held in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 27
Miss Internationalhas a new queen.On Thursday, Nov. 27, the international competition hosted its pageant at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, eventually crowning Catalina Duque, who was there representing Colombia, as its new winner.
80 contestants from across the globe competed for the crown in the pageant, which wasoriginally founded in Long Beach, Calif., in 1960.
Venezuela's ninth Miss International winner, Andrea Rubio from 2023, returned to the pageant this year as host and was joined by 2019 Miss International Japan Momi Okada and Max Powers.
Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty
The run of show for the pageant included the top 20 contestants competing in both swimsuit and evening gown, with the top 10 competing in public speaking by sharing their sustainable development goal initiatives.Last year, Vietnam'sHuỳnh Thị Thanh Thủytook home the crown, marking the country's first-ever winner.
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Thanh Thủy/Instagram
This year's competition comes after the world of pageantry has been featured in the headlines.
The Miss Universe pageant was awash with controversy in the lead-up to the pageant, which took place on Nov. 21, following aconfrontation between Miss Mexico(who ultimately went on to be crowned Miss Universe) and a pageant executive, Nawat Itsaragrisil.Later, the pageant made headlines after multiple judges resigned, including judgeOmar Harfouch, who claimed a lack of transparency as well as the alleged formation of an "impromptu jury" in his reasoning for resigning. The pageantrefuted Harfouch's claims in a statementposted shortly after his resignation announcement.
Miss International/Instagram
In the following days, some Miss Universe contestants alsorelinquished their titles, including Miss Côte d'Ivoire Olivia Yace, who wrote of her resignation that she "must remain true to my values: respect, dignity, excellence, and equal opportunity the strongest pillars that guide me."She also clarified that her resignation includes "any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee."
Brigitta Schabackalso stepped down from the title of Miss Universe Estonia days after representing the country at Miss Universe 2025.
The former titleholder, 28,announcedthe news with an Instagram post shared on Sunday, Nov. 23, writing, "My values and work ethics do not align with those of the National Director, Natalie Korneitsik."
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