Australia third in Miss Universe as Nicaragua wins

Miss Australia Moraya Wilson was beaten to the crown by Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios and the first runner-up from Thailand Anntonia Porsild.

Miss Wilson, a model and beauty pageant titleholder, was crowned Miss Universe Australia in September and experienced controversy over her win.

Miss Wilson faced calls to hand back her Miss Australia crown after it was revealed the 22-year-old was listed by her father as the director of 10 companies.

Her parents Anton and Melinda Wilson were bankrupt property developers who owed more than $45 million to creditors after multiple company liquidations.

A Change.org petition calling for her to step down received 472 out of the target 500 signatures.

"What Miss Wilson has taken from people's future to build a home does not encourage other women to push the limits of what's possible but rather impairs their capacity to forge a better future," the petition said.

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The pageant broke ground in 2023 by including mothers, plus-sized and transgender women among the 84 entrants.

Miss Nicaragua appeared to secure the win late on Saturday night when she confidently answered the question of which woman's shoes would she like to spend a year in by saying Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th-century English writer and philosopher.

She was an advocate of women's rights and is considered one of the forerunners of feminism.

Miss Palacios said she wants to work to close the salary gap between the genders so that women can work in any area.

Miss Universe was last held in El Salvador in 1975. This year's event was another opportunity for President Nayib Bukele to tout changes made under his administration, especially greatly improving the country's safety.

"El Salvador has changed for good and we have shown it again," Bukele said.

"Miss Universe has given us the opportunity to show the world what we are capable of. Thank you for choosing to be part of El Salvador's rebirth."

Bukele is running for re-election despite constitutional term limits and is widely popular for his crackdown on the country's gangs.

But he has faced international criticism for eroding checks and balances on his power and not respecting human rights.

More than 72,000 people have been arrested without due process since a state of emergency was declared in March 2022 in response to a surge in gang violence. The special powers it granted Bukele remain in place.

With Australian Associated Press