Miss World turns 60

Miss World contestants pose in London ahead of the finals of the competition next weekend in the city where it all began 60 years ago.

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM - The Miss World competition is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

Contestants posed for photos by London's River Thames, as they glammed up for the world's oldest international beauty pageant.

Organizers dub the competition "Beauty and Brains" to try and rid the event of its superficial stereotypes.

Miss India Kanistha Dhankhar hopes her participation will inspire youth.

(Kanistha Dhankhar, Miss India, saying
"I think my message is that there is so much going on and I feel like the youth today is so taken up by so many things like vanity and things they see on TV, but there is so much more to us and we actually are the future of tomorrow."

Egypt's Donia Hamed believes winning would help support her country's newfound freedom.
 Donia Hamed, Miss Egypt, saying

"At this point in our history we need anything to make us feel like we are part of the world, so anything at all. If I were to win the Miss World title it would be a really big deal for us."

A record 122 young women will compete for the crown on November 6.

The Miss World finals will broadcast live to more than 150 countries, reaching a global audience of more than 1 billion viewers.

Kilmeny Duchardt, Reuters.