Miss Universe 2011..Miss Angola

SAO PAULO (AP) — Leila Lopes from Angola was crowned Miss Universe Monday night, smoothly handling an interview question about what physical trait she would change if she could by stating it was her inner beauty and principles that counted most.
The 25-year-old Lopes is Angola's first winner. She beat out 88 other competitors to win the title during the 60th anniversary of the world's biggest beauty pageant. She replaces last year's winner, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.
"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said when asked her interview question. "I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."
The first runner-up was 23-year-old Olesia Stefanko of Ukraine and the second runner-up was Priscila Machado of Brazil. The third was Miss Philippines and the fourth Miss China.
Contestants from 89 nations on six continents spent the past three weeks in Sao Paulo, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting impoverished children and kicking a football around for cameras as the globe's biggest beauty contest is held in Brazil for the first time.
"It was well deserved, we were cheering for her all along," said 36-year-old Sao Paulo resident Carolina Rocha, a fan who attended the event. "Her smile and her friendliness was what set her apart from the others. She also answered her question very well, that likely helped her a lot."
Before the contest began, judges offered little insight into who they thought might win.
"I know my job and I'll be tough, but fair," said pageant judge and journalist Connie Chung. "You have to keep in mind that these women are not objects just to be looked at. They're to be taken seriously. I want to choose somebody I take seriously and the world takes seriously, too."
Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe organization, was hyped for the night.
"It's our 60th anniversary, it's a very big show," she said. "We're anticipating close to a billion viewers from around the world."
Shugart said it was fitting the globe's biggest beauty pageant be held in Brazil at this time, as the nation prepares to host some major events in the coming years.
"I don't think there is any doubt in the rest of the world's mind that Brazil is the place, between hosting the Olympics and hosting the World Cup," she said. "I love the fact we're going to kick it off. I always say we're the 'World Cup' of beauty."
The contestants, who must never have been married or had children and who must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by Feb. 1 of the competition year.
The pageant, hosted by NBC "Today" anchor Natalie Morales and the Bravo network's Andy Cohen, will air live on NBC and be distributed to about 170 countries. The contest is co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, and will be judged by celebrities including Connie Chung, supermodel Isabeli Fontana and Indy race car driver Helio Castroneves.
Morales, who is half Brazilian, said that "what's most important is for the women to be beautiful inside and out."
For Cohen, the task of hosting is an easy one.
"It's a fun job. All I have to do is stand there, smile and scream the names of countries," he said.
Sharply dressed women and men were jostling for chances to have their photos taken with stars on the red carpet. Some traveled from across the globe to support contestants.
Jehona Dreshaj, 17, arrived from Kosovo to cheer on her sister, Aferdita Dreshaj, who is representing the European country.
"It doesn't really matter the outcome, she is already a winner in our eye and we are so proud of her," she said. "This has been an incredible experience for her and for all of us. It's great for her to be representing our country in an event like this"
There have been no headline-grabbing gaffes going into this year's competition, as opposed to past years that have seen controversies of various stripes. The show itself went off without a hitch.
Some of the contestants have complained to the local news media about the size of bikinis used in some photo shoots, with Miss Mexico Karin Ontiveros saying they were "very small."
That was enough to draw chuckles in Brazil, where women from all walks of life, not just beauty queens, sport barely there swimwear on beaches throughout the country.
Miss USA Alyssa Campanella, from California, will be trying to end a long losing spell for the U.S. in the competition. An American has not been named Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997.
The pageant started as a local bathing suit revue in Long Beach, California, organized by a swimwear company.

Worlds No.1 tennis Player today..Novak Djokovic wins 1st US Open Title

Novak Djokovic provided irrefutable proof that he is the world's best player right now and perhaps on his way to becoming one of the greatest ever with a 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1 victory over Rafa Nadal in the US Open final on Monday.
In claiming his third grand slam title of an amazing season, Djokovic produced an incredible display of shotmaking and courage when his body started to wilt during a classic slugfest at Flushing Meadows that lasted four hours and 10 minutes.
The Serbian's lower back and his ribs were aching and his legs were starting to cramp up, but he ignored the pain and focused all his energy on the muscular Nadal, who was threatening to mount a comeback.
The Spaniard won the third set in a tiebreaker to keep the match alive and the raucous crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium were screaming their lungs out in the hope that it might go to five sets.
Both players appeared on the brink of total exhaustion but Djokovic remained calm and composed.
"In the big events and matches, the winner is decided by small margins, a couple of points," he explained after claiming his first US Open title and fourth major overall.
"I guess the winner is the one that believes in victory more than the other."
The victories have been flowing thick and fast for Djokovic this year. He has won 10 titles this season, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and no-one seems to know how to beat him, least of all Nadal.
Twelve months ago, the Spaniard was on top of the world after defeating Djokovic in New York to complete his own collection of grand slam titles, but now he can only look on as his rival has replaced him as the top dog in men's tennis.
Djokovic has usurped Nadal as the world number one and beaten him in six finals this year, including at Wimbledon and the US Open.
"Six straight loses, for sure that's painful but I'm going to work every day until that changes," Nadal said.
"So I have a goal. It's going to be tough to change the situation, but the goal is easy to see."
The pair produced a final of the highest quality, with some incredible rallies and shotmaking that whipped the centre court crowd into a frenzy. Nadal had his chances but it was Djokovic who won the key moments.
EPIC GAME
No matter how hard he tried, Nadal could not find a way to get on top of the Serbian, who had saved two match points in his epic semi-final win over Roger Federer to show that he has all the instincts of a prize fighter to go with his sublime skill.
In the opening set, the defending champion jumped out to a 2-0 lead, only to be reined in by Djokovic, who kept the Spanish left-hander under constant pressure with some monster returns that landed right at his feet.
"It was a tough match, physically, mentally, everything," Nadal said.
"I fought until the last point. I tried my best at every moment. I am happy with a lot of things, much happier than the previous matches against him."
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Djokovic, mixing power with some delicate chip shots that often left Nadal in two minds, reeled off six straight games to take the opening set after 53 minutes but suddenly found himself down 2-0 again at the start of the second.
He broke back after a titanic third game that lasted more than 17 minutes and included eight deuces to lead 4-2. Nadal got back to 4-4 but another sloppy service game cost him the set.
The third set was the longest, lasting 84 minutes. Both players were broken three times but Djokovic led 6-5 and had the chance to serve out the match.
To his credit, Nadal fought back and forced the match into a fourth set but he was drained by the effort.
Djokovic was tired as well and called for a medical timeout at the start of the fourth set but he recovered quickly and ran away with the set to seal his first U.S. Open title and the fourth of his career.
Only the French Open remains missing from his trophy cabinet.
"I still want to win many more events, many more major events," Djokovic said.
"It would be unbelievable to be able to complete the grand slam, to win the French Open. It's something that is definitely an ambition, but it's going to take time."
Factbox on Novak Djokovic, who won the US Open for the first time, beating Spain's Rafa Nadal 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1 at Flushing Meadows.
* Born: Belgrade, Serbia, May 22, 1987
* Coached by Slovak former ATP professional Marian Vajda since 2006.
* Began playing tennis aged four.
* His father was a professional skier and wanted his son to be a skier or professional soccer player but changed his mind when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.
* First full year on tour in 2005, made grand slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Marat Safin in the first round. Finished as the youngest player (18 years, five months) inside the top 100.
* In 2006, he won his first ATP tour title at Amersfoort, followed that with second title indoors at Metz.
* In 2007, he won five titles (Adelaide, Miami, Estoril, Montreal and Vienna), made the semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon and advanced to his first grand slam final at the US Open, losing to Roger Federer 7-6 7-6 6-4.
* Broke the Federer-Nadal grand slam duopoly by beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to win his maiden major title at the 2008 Australian Open.
* Upset Federer in the semi-finals of the 2010 US Open before losing in four sets to Nadal in his second final in New York.
* Led Serbia to their first Davis Cup title with victory over France in Belgrade in December, 2010.
* Began 2011 by winning the Australian Open, beating Andy Murray in the final, to end his three-year wait for a second grand slam.
* Won his next six tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. He did not lose again until June 3 when Federer ended his 41-match winning streak in 2011 in the French Open semi-finals.
* Beat Nadal to win his first Wimbledon title and replaced the Spaniard as the new world number one.
* Won a record fifth Masters title in a season when he won in Toronto, one of the lead-up events for the US Open.
* Saved two match points to beat Federer in the semi-finals of the US Open then defeated Nadal in the final to become just the seventh man to win three grand slams in a year since tennis turned professional in 1968.

Large Crocs catch in the Phils.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.
Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.
Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.
He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province.
"We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."
After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.
About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.
The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Elorde said.
"It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an asset."
Despite the catch, villagers remain wary because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people.
They have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said.