Miss Universe is India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, 70th winner

By ARIEL SCHALIT
Associated Press

EILAT, Israel (AP) — Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned the 70th Miss Universe, topping a field of some 80 contestants in a pageant that was touched by politics and the pandemic. Sunday’s ceremony was held in the Israeli Red Sea resort town of Eilat. The pageant included evening gowns, swimwear and public speaking. But it also drew attention in recent weeks for a grassroots Palestinian-led boycott that urged contestants to skip the event to protest Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. In the end, only Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country with close ties to the Palestinians, did not send a representative, citing the global COVID-19 situation.