Greek singer Helena Paparizou has won the annual Eurovision Song Contest (50th session, hosted in Ukraine), one of Europe's most popular TV events.
Greece beat 23 nations with song "My Number One", winning 230 points - 38 points ahead of second place Malta.
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, who attended the competition with his family, handed Paparizou the Eurovision award.
Clad in a short golden dress, Paparizou, who was born and raised in Sweden, gave an energetic performance which included elements of traditional Greek national dance.
The Eurovision contest, first held in 1956, is often associated with music of questionable merit, bizarre costumes and marked political bias in the voting.
Yet all these elements have contributed to its enduring popularity.
Sources: BBC/AFP/Reuters
