Through AFP
Beauties from Latin America and Asia emerged as the crowd's favorites as the quest for the next Miss Universe neared. An online poll sponsored by contest officials favored Miss Indonesia Zivanna Letisha Siregar, followed by Miss Brazil Larissa Costa and Miss Guatemala Lourdes Figueroa, on the eve of showdown among 15 Miss Universe finalists.
Observers cast tens of thousands of anonymous votes by Internet. Latin American contestants held 11 of the 15 top slots in the informal poll. Reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza hails from Caracas, Venezuela. Contest officials closed a comment section of the online poll because more than 50,000 submissions were recorded in the first couple of days. "It was just so excessive," said Carl Althoff, a spokesman for the pageant. "We weren't able to monitor them."
Dozens of tourists milled about the media center at the Atlantis hotel on Saturday, trying to slip past security and get an unauthorized glimpse of the ballroom where the event would be held Sunday night.
Beauties from Latin America and Asia emerged as the crowd's favorites as the quest for the next Miss Universe neared. An online poll sponsored by contest officials favored Miss Indonesia Zivanna Letisha Siregar, followed by Miss Brazil Larissa Costa and Miss Guatemala Lourdes Figueroa, on the eve of showdown among 15 Miss Universe finalists.
Observers cast tens of thousands of anonymous votes by Internet. Latin American contestants held 11 of the 15 top slots in the informal poll. Reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza hails from Caracas, Venezuela. Contest officials closed a comment section of the online poll because more than 50,000 submissions were recorded in the first couple of days. "It was just so excessive," said Carl Althoff, a spokesman for the pageant. "We weren't able to monitor them."
Dozens of tourists milled about the media center at the Atlantis hotel on Saturday, trying to slip past security and get an unauthorized glimpse of the ballroom where the event would be held Sunday night.
