A CONTESTANT from the African nation of Angola has emerged the winner at the 60th edition of the world biggest beauty pageant, Miss Universe, that was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil last Monday.
Leila Lopes, 25, beat 88 other contestants to win the title.
Ukraine’s Olesia Stefanko of Ukraine became first runner-up, while the second runner-up position was taken by Priscila Machado of Brazil.
Third and fourth runners-up positions were taken by Miss Philippines and Miss China respectively.
Leila, who hails from Benguela in western Angola and is of Cabo Verdean descent, is a student in Great Britain.
She was crowned Miss Angola after representing the Angolan community in Great Britain at the pageant.
Leila is the fourth African to be crowned Miss Universe in the pageant’s history. The first was Yolanda Kloppers, Miss South Africa (1978); followed by Michelle McLean, Miss Namibia (1992), and Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Botswana (1999).
Guyana’s representative, Kara Lord,  did not make the cut into the top 16.
Today, the Sunday Chronicle features a pictorial of Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes, and our own Guyanese beauty, Kara Lord.