Who runs the world? She

Romanian-born Selina Steinfeld, who was recently crowned “Miss Holocaust Survivor” in Israel. Pic/AP

An 86-year-old great-grandmother who's seen the ugliest of humanity during the Holocaust is now an officially minted beauty-contest winner. Armed with her fiery red hair, gold ensemble, pearl statement necklace and deep rouge lipstick, Romanian-born Selina Steinfeld - who survived the horrors of the Nazis as a young girl - was just crowned "Miss Holocaust Survivor" in Israel on Tuesday.

The pageant, running mostly annually since 2009 by Yad Ezer L'Haver or "Helping Hand," a local foundation that provides services to Holocaust survivors, is meant to honour and recognise living Holocaust survivors, now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, who were robbed of any normal childhood when their lives were shockingly upended in Europe. With 400 entrants whittled down to 10 finalists, it was the first live pageant since 2018.

Steinfeld survived mass massacres of Jews growing up in Romania, but later immigrated to Israel in 1948. Pic/AFP

Founder Shimon Sabag acknowledged the seemingly jarring juxtaposition of parading elderly Holocaust survivors in a pageant, but soon saw the beauty in it, according to the Daily Beast. "It seemed odd, women in their 80s and 90s, but I came to realise that they could do it no less than a girl of 18," said Sabag. "It is not a competition of outward beauty, but one in which each competitor says, ‘I was in Lodz, I managed to survive and raise a family, I volunteer, I feel that I vanquished the Nazis and I'm alive and kicking.' It gives them a drive for life."

"I have no words to express my happiness," said Haifa, Israel-based winner Steinfeld, who, according to the Times of Israel, said she hopes to "lead the people of Israel to beauty and goodness." Steinfeld survived mass roundups and massacres of Jews growing up in Romania, but later immigrated to Israel in 1948. For founder Sabag, it's still a mitzvah to honour these women, considering that only an estimated 1,95,000 survivors are still alive, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Teddy comes home after a year

Six-year-old reunited with soft toy she lost in Glacier National Park

A little girl who lost a special teddy bear she'd had since being adopted froman Ethiopian orphanage thought it was gone forever when she forgot it along a trail in Glacier National Park last year.

Thanks to a social media plea, the sharp eyes and soft heart of a park ranger and the closure of a hiking trail because of grizzly bear activity on the same day a family friend visited the park, the teddy bear is back in the arms of six-year-old Naomi Pascal in Jackson, Wyoming. The bear's return has earned 12,000 likes on the Glacier National Park Facebook page.

Have you got the skills?

A Class XII Kashmiri boy is breaking the Internet with his exceptional football tricks. Shah Huzaib, 18, hailing from the Budgam district of Kashmir has caught everyone's attention with his jaw-dropping football skills and his trick shots. Rising to fame as a ‘trick-shot artiste,' he has been nurturing his skills since 2016.

How long should hugs be?

Psychologists at the Goldsmiths, University of London, have revealed key aspects of the ideal hug, including the optimal time length and style of a squeeze. They found that a longer hug - between five and 10 seconds - delivered a more positive impact compared to shorter ones. They also learned that arm positioning did not matter.

Cow escapes death, ends up on a water slide

A mischievous cow appears to have escaped from a slaughterhouse in Brazil and found its way into a nearby water park. Though it managed to evade death, the huge animal risked collapsing on a tall flume, which it awkwardly trotted down on its knees.

Millionaire dog sells Madonna's ex villa

Gunther, the German Shepherd, had a "meeting" with the real estate agents selling his Miami mansion that his handlers bought from Madonna. He also wore his best faux diamond dog collar for the meeting.

Man earns PhD at 89, becomes a physicist

An 89-year-old Rhode Island man has achieved a goal he spent two decades working towards and nearly a lifetime thinking about - earning his PhD and becoming a physicist. Manfred Steiner recently defended his dissertation successfully at Brown University in Providence.

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