Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza crowned Miss Universe Vietnam stage

Vietnam has made communist history by hosting the Miss

Universe competition, which was won once again by the contestant from beauty

pageant "super-power", Venezuela.

Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza clinched the

title with her answer about the difference between men and women

The former Spice Girl Melanie Brown launched

proceedings in the resort town of Nha Trang with the declaration "Good morning

Vietnam!"

The event was held at 8am local time to

accommodate prime time Sunday evening viewers in the United States.

Aside from marking another step on Vietnam's path

to capitalism, historians of the 56-year-old event noted that this was the

second year running that Miss USA fell over during the evening gown section.

An estimated one billion television viewers

around the world witnessed the young lady's mortification.

Miss Kosovo represented the world's newest

country for the first time.

Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, a 22-year-old

green-eyed brunette, burst into tears when the American talk show host, Jerry

Springer, announced that she had won.

She clinched the title by answering that the

difference between men and women is that "men think that the fastest way to go

to a point is to go straight. Women know that the faster way to go to a point is

to go to the curves".

A year and a half ago she was kidnapped in her

native Venezuela and used a post-event press conference to issue a plea for

world peace.

"It's something that happens in my country. You

don't even have to have money to be kidnapped," she said. "That's why I wanted

to raise my voice and tell the world that violence is not the answer."

She plans to spend the coming year touring the

world lecturing on humanitarian issues.

The pageant was not marked by feminist protests

such as that which forced the withdrawal of Miss Sweden in Mexico last year.

The organisers are at pains to emphasise the

wide-ranging skills, ambition and independence of the contestants.

"Currently Miss Universe is experiencing a

rebirth, playing a critical role in making the next hundred years "The Century

of Women," the official website states.

Miss UK this year was Lisa Lazarus, a 20-year-old

from Carmarthenshire, who holds the titles Miss Llanelli and Miss Swansea. She

did not place in the Miss Universe competition.

DAYANA MENDOZA

MISS UNIVERSE 2008

This evening, during one of the year’s most

exciting live international television events, a star-studded panel of judges

chose Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, as MISS UNIVERSE® 2008

live from the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang,

Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.

Ms. Mendoza is 22 years-old and her career

ambition is to become an Interior Designer. She also enjoys photography and is

interested in advertising

The judging panel for the 2008 Miss Universe

Pageant included: Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President of the Trump

Organization; fashion designer and entrepreneur Roberto Cavalli; Nadine

Velazquez, international cover girl and star of NBC’s "My Name Is Earl";

Jennifer Hawkins, television presenter and Miss Universe 2004; Louis Licari,

celebrity colorist and "Today Show" ambush makeover expert; Joe Cinque,

President of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences; Bollywood film &

TV star, dancer, model Eesha Koppikhar; Nguyen Cong Khe, Editor in Chief of

Thanh Nien newspaper and international shoe designer Taryn Rose. Jerry Springer

and Mel B hosted the telecast of the 57th Annual Miss Universe competition where

Lady GaGa performed her hit "Just Dance".

Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from

80 countries and territories around the world competed in three categories:

swimsuit, evening gown and personality interview. Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007,

crowned her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast,

before an estimated worldwide viewing audience of more than 1 billion

viewers.

Here's the complete list of the 2008 Miss

Universe contestants. You can view photos, watch videos, and read

interviews at the Miss Universe official website.



Albania - Matilda

Mcini

Angola - Lesly Pereira

Antigua & Barbuda - Athina

James

Argentina - Maria Silvana Belli

Aruba - Tracey Nicolaas

Australia - Laura Dundovic

Bahamas - Sacha

Scott

Belgium - Alizee Poulicek

Bolivia - Kate David

Brazil - Natalia

Anderle

Canada - Samatha Tajik

Cayman Islands - Rebecca Parchment

China

- Ziya Wei

Colombia - Taliana Vargas

Costa Rica - Maria Teresa

Rodriguez

Croatia - Snjezana Loncarevic

Curacao- Jenyfer Natividad

Mercelina

Cyprus - Dimitra Sergiou

Czech Republic - Eliska

Buckova

Denmark - Maria Sten Knudsen

Dominican Republic - Marianne Cruz

Gonzalez

Ecuador - Domenica Saporiti

Egypt - Yara Naoum

El Salvador -

Rebeca Moreno

Estonia - Julia Kovaljova

Finland - Satu Tuomisto

France

- Laura Tanguy

Georgia - Gvantsa Daraselia

Germany - Madina Taher

Ghana

- Yvette Nsiah

Greece - Dionysia Koukiou

Guam - Siera

Robertson

Guatemala - Jennifer Chiong

Honduras - Diana Gabriela

Barrasa

Hungary - Jazmin Dammak

India - Simran Kaur Mundi

Indonesia -

Putri Raemawasti

Ireland - Lynn Kelly

Israel - Shunit Faragi

Italy -

Claudia Ferraris

Jamaica - April Jackson

Japan - Hiroko Mima

Kazakhstan

- Alfina Nassuriva

Korea - Sun Lee

Kosovo - Zana Krasniqi





Malaysia -

Levy Li Su Lin

Mauritius - Olivia Carey

Mexico - Elisa

Najera

Montenegro - Dasa Zivkovic

Netherlands - Charlotte Labee

New

Zealand - Samantha Powell

Nicaragua - Thelma Rodriguez

Nigeria - Stephanie

Oforka

Norway - Mariann Birkedal

Panama - Carolina Dementiev

Justavino

Paraguay - Giannina Ruffinelli

Peru - Karol

Castillo

Philippines - Jennifer Barrientos

Poland - Barbara

Tatara

Puerto Rico - Ingrid Rivera

Russia - Vera Krasova

Serbia -

Bojana Boric

Singapore - Shenise Wong

Slovak Republic - Sandra

Manakova

Slovenia - Anamarija Avbelj

South Africa - Tansey

Coetzee

Spain - Clausia Moro

Sri Lanka - Aruni Rajapaksha

Switzerland -

Amanda Ammann

Tanzania - Amanda Ole Sulul

Thailand - Gavintra

Photijak

Trinidad & Tobago - Anya Ayoung-Chee

Turkey - Sinem

Sulun

Turks & Caicos - Angelica Lightbourne









UK - Lisa

Lazarus

Ukraine - Eleonora Masalab

Uruguay - Paula Diaz Galione

USA -

Crystle Stewart

Venezula - Daya Mendoza

Vietnam - Lam Thuy Nguyen

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