- News>
Never A Dull Moment At The Miss Universe Pageant
Panama City, May 29: The 72 most beautiful women in the world have descended on Panama city for the June 3 Miss Universe pageant, but so far have had to brave downpours, paparazzi, protesting students, money problems and even a fist fight.
Panama City, May 29: The 72 most beautiful women in the world have descended on Panama city for the June 3 Miss Universe pageant, but so far have had to brave downpours, paparazzi, protesting students, money problems and even a fist fight.
The contestants have been preparing here for a week to replace reigning Miss Panama -- who was crowned in September after Miss Russia relinquished the title amid a swirl of reports about a secret marriage and pregnancy.
The contestants' every move have been shadowed by the tabloids, one of which reported that Miss Spain (Eva Maria Gonzalez) and her roommate Miss Colombia (Diana Lucia Mantilla) got into a fistfight over Gonzalez's smoking habit.
The two girls were all smiles later when they publicly denied the report. Mantilla also drew some attention when she gave fellow contestants copies of her rendition of the song, "I am Colombian."
Despite the almost constant downpours since they arrived, the contestants' grueling daily schedule remains on track: banquets, fashion shows by local designers, charity auctions and a candelight vigil for AIDS victims. `
And all of the "Misses" are trailed by the paparazzi's erupting flashes wherever they go.
However, the beauty queens had to cancel some public event yesterday, when hundreds of angry students took to the streets to protest tax reforms and the Miss Universe pageant itself.
Bureau Report
The contestants have been preparing here for a week to replace reigning Miss Panama -- who was crowned in September after Miss Russia relinquished the title amid a swirl of reports about a secret marriage and pregnancy.
The contestants' every move have been shadowed by the tabloids, one of which reported that Miss Spain (Eva Maria Gonzalez) and her roommate Miss Colombia (Diana Lucia Mantilla) got into a fistfight over Gonzalez's smoking habit.
The two girls were all smiles later when they publicly denied the report. Mantilla also drew some attention when she gave fellow contestants copies of her rendition of the song, "I am Colombian."
Despite the almost constant downpours since they arrived, the contestants' grueling daily schedule remains on track: banquets, fashion shows by local designers, charity auctions and a candelight vigil for AIDS victims. `
And all of the "Misses" are trailed by the paparazzi's erupting flashes wherever they go.
However, the beauty queens had to cancel some public event yesterday, when hundreds of angry students took to the streets to protest tax reforms and the Miss Universe pageant itself.
Bureau Report