Miss Colombia Crowned Miss Universe

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega, a relative pageant newcomer, has been crowned Miss Universe, beating out first runner-up Miss USA Nia Sanchez and contestants from more than 80 other countries at last night's pageant in Miami. Vega, a 22-year-old student of business administration from Barranquilla, Colombia, said she would wear the crown with "pride and excitement" as she heard the news that fans in Colombia had taken to the streets to celebrate. As Miss Universe, Vega will receive an undisclosed salary, a luxury apartment in New York, a wardrobe and oodles of beauty products, and a one-year scholarship from the New York Film Academy.

After Sanchez, the 24-year-old Miss USA from Las Vegas, the second runner-up was Miss Ukraine Diana Harkusha. Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell and Miss Netherlands Yasmin Verheijen were also among the top five, emerging from the field of 88 contestants. Politics overshadowed the lead-up to this year's pageant after Miss Israel posed for a highly controversial selfie. (More Miss Universe stories.)