People News

World's beauties vie for Miss Universe crown in Las Vegas

Aug 23, 2010, 19:38 GMT

A handout picture provided by the Miss Universe Organization on 23 August 2010 shows Viivi Pumpanen, Miss Finland 2010 (L), and Anna Prelevits, Miss Greece 2010 (R), preparing backstage during the 2010 Miss Universe Presentation Show EPA/MATT PETIT/MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

Las Vegas - More than 80 of the world's most beautiful women were vying Monday for the title of Miss Universe in a pageant taking place in Las Vegas.

The final of the contest, which is expected to attract over 600 million viewers around the world, will be broadcast from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Monday night in an event hosted by NBC entertainment anchor Natalie Morales and rocker Bret Michaels.

The judges of the event, which is owned by property magnate Donald Trump, include William Baldwin, Chynna Phillips, musician Sheila E, Olympian Evan Lysacek, actress Jane Seymour, supermodel Niki Taylor and illusionist Kris Angel. The judges rate the contestants on their appearances in a variety of costumes, including a swimsuit competition, and also on their answers to a series of questions.

Bookmakers have identified the favourites for the coveted tiara as Miss Ireland Rozanna Purcells, Miss Philippines Venus Raj, Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete and Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson, who is hoping to make it three wins in a row for her country.

Another highly touted candidate is Miss USA, a Muslim American named Rima Fakih, whose pageant costume is a gold lame dress featuring the presidential seal - a symbol of her support for embattled US President Barack Obama.

'The symbolism of this costume is a tribute to your work to bring peace to the world,' Fakih said in a promotional video for the Miss Universe pageant. Fakih, 24, immigrated to the US with her family from Lebanon at the age of 8 and is believed to be the first Muslim to be crowned Miss USA.

The major controversy surrounding this year's event has been the decision of organizers to release photos of many of the contestants adorned with nothing more than body paint. When commentators in the US accused the organization of reaching a new low, a spokesman for Miss Universe vigorously defended the move.

'The contestants who compete at Miss Universe are diverse, as they represent more than 82 countries around the globe,' said organizers in a statement. 'Many of their cultures embrace nudity.'