20 year-old Marelisa Gibson Villegas is the newly crowned Miss Venezuela 2009 pageant held at the Poliedro de Caracas on September 24, 2009

Miss Venezuela 2009
Reigning Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez crowns her sucessor

CARACAS, September 24, 2009 - Marelisa Gibson Villegas (photo), a 20-year old student of architecture, won the Miss Venezuela 2009 pageant held at the Poliedro de Caracas on September 24th.

The 1.78 m beauty, who was the top favorite to win according to experts and bookies, will represent Venezuela at the Miss Universe 2010 contest, where she will try to win a third consecutive crown for the country.

Marelisa had also been the winner of the "Rostro Ebel" award, given to the contestant with the most beautiful face. Stefania Fernandez had been the recipient of this award prior to being crowned Miss Venezuela.

Crowned as Miss World Venezuela was Miss Zulia, Adriana Vasini, also a favorite. The 22-year old from Maracaibo stands 1.78 m tall and will represent the country at the Miss World 2010 pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

The crown of Miss Venezuela International went to Miss Trujillo, 18-year old Elizabeth Mosquera. She will compete at the 2010 Miss International pageant in Japan.

Completing the Top 5, were the contestants from Tachira (Mariangela Bonnani) and Amazonas (Jessica Guillen). They will compete in contests like Reina Hispanoamericana and Reina Internacional del Cafe.

Special awards went to Zulia (Miss Internet), Merida (Miss Photogenic), and Vargas (Miss Congeniality).

(Thank you and credits to http://www.globalbeauties.com)

Zenisha Moktan, 20-year old student from Kathmandu is the newly crowned Miss Nepal 2009 on September 24, 2009

Miss Nepal 2009

KATHMANDU, September 24, 2009 - Zenisha Moktan, a 20-year old student from Kathmandu, was crowned Miss Nepal 2009 during an event held on September 24, 2009.

The 1.68 m beauty will represent Nepal at the Miss World pageant to take place in South Africa next December.

Around 100 Maoist protesters staged a sit-in as the beauty contest got under way, police said.

The demonstrators blocked the road and shouted "down with Miss Nepal" and "stop the exploitation of women," but left voluntarily as the contest began, police inspector Tul Bahadur Karki told AFP.

"Around 100 Maoist women staged a sit-in at the gate of where the beauty contest was being held," said Karki.

"The protesters left the scene as soon as the programme started."

The contest to select Nepal's candidate for the annual Miss World competition is being held under tight security after it was cancelled last year by the former Maoist-led government, which branded it anti-women.

The Maoists formed a government last year after winning landmark elections, and lawmakers from the party later said they would not allow the Miss Nepal event to take place.

But Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal -- who goes by the name Prachanda -- resigned as prime minister in May after just eight months in the job.

Contestants for the Miss Nepal crown must impress the judges with a performance of traditional songs and dances, and are questioned on their ambitions and political views.

But unlike Western beauty pageants, Miss Nepal does not have a swimsuit round. Contestants in the deeply conservative, majority-Hindu nation appear in traditional saris. (AP)

(Thank you and credits to http://www.globalbeauties.com)