America's new beauty queen Nina Davuluri has received a torrent of racist abuse after she won the Miss America pageant on Sunday night. She is the first woman of Indian descent to win. Many people left messages on Twitter questioning why a "non-American" had become Miss America. Many tweeters mistook her for an Arab. Others said she looked like a terrorist. One tweeter said: "Well they just picked a Muslim for Miss America. That must've made Obama happy. Maybe he had a vote." Ms Davuluri was born in New York and grew up following the Hindu faith in Oklahoma and Michigan.

The tweets are big news in Indian media. The Times of India wrote: "The tiara had barely been placed on her head and the customary tears of joy had just emerged when racist taunts erupted on social media, marring the moment of triumph for the first ever Miss America of Indian origin." Ms Davuluri ignored the comments and said she didn't care what a few people thought. She said: "I have to rise above that. I always viewed myself as first and foremost American." She was happy the contest "has embraced diversity" and thankful children could "relate to a new Miss America".