Critical Beauty

Raquel Pelissier , 25, was crowned Miss Universe Haiti 2016 on August 28th  at the Royal Oasis by Occidental Hotels Grand Ballroom in Delmas, Haiti.  She will represent Haiti in 2016 Miss Universe pageant to be held tentatively in the Philippines on January 30, 2017. Meanwhile,  Cassandre Joseph was crowned  Miss International Haiti 2016 and she  will travel to Japan to compete in Miss International 2016 on October 27.

Tatiana Kumar , 18,  from Kuala Lumpur was crowned  Miss Malaysia World 2016  on August 27th. She will represent Malaysia in the 2016 Miss World pageant to be held in Washington, DC on December 20th. Her court includes (left to right): 4th runner-up Francisca Luhong James, 2nd runner-up Shweta Sekhon , 1st runner-up Ranmeet Jassal and 3rd runner-up Jessica Lim. Photo credit: Miss Malaysia World Organization

      Three lucky women were crowned as Canada's new queens this past Sunday night, August 21st, at the ballroom of the Holiday Inn Airport Toronto in Toronto. Thirty-seven young women from the ages of 17-24 came from all over Canada to compete for three titles. They were judged in three categories: interviews (which took place the day before), swimsuit and evening gown. From thirty-seven, the list was trimmed down to fifteen semifinalists       And the lucky winners are:       Hanna Begovic , 18, is Miss Supranational Canada 2016 and will compete at Miss Supranational 2016 pageant to be held in Poland on December 3rd. Hanna is also the current Miss Teenage Ontario and placed in the top 5 at nationals. Madison Kvaltin , 18, is Miss Intercontinental Canada 2016 and will compete in Miss Intercontinental 2016 pageant to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 15th. Cricket Guest , 18, is the new Top Model Of The World Canada 2016 and will compet

Three new Aruban queens were crowned at the Grand Ballroom at the Aruba Hilton Resort and Casino on August 20th. From left to right: Miss Aruba Grand International 2016 Chimay Ramos who will compete in Miss Grand International 2016 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada in October,  Miss Aruba Universe 2016 Charlene Leslie who will compete in Miss Universe 2016 to be held in the Philippines tentatively on January 30, 2017, and  Miss Aruba World 2016 Lynette Do Nascimento who will compete in Miss World 2016 in Washington, DC on December 20th. There were only three contestants in this year's edition of Miss Aruba, and luckily all three women came out as winners.  The judges for the finals were:  Fransisco Andara - from Venezuela he is a photographer and social communicator and is the editor in chief of Selecta a magazine about fashion and entertainment Leanne Marshall - Winner of Project Runway 5 Sandro Guzman - President of Ossygeno Models which is one of th

Karan Singhdole , 23, representing the Philippines, won the first edition of Man Of The Year contest  on August 20th  Grand Central Hotel Pekanbaru, Indonesia . Singhdole, a full-blooded Indian who was born and raised in the Philippines, beat over a dozen other young men for the title.   His court includes 1st runner-up Tarek Moaykel of Lebanon, 2nd runner-up Tim Bertrams of the Netherlands, 3rd runner-up Trịnh Xuân Nhản of Vietnam and 4th runner-up  Meirizal Rifa’i of Indonesia.

  Chalet Namtan Suansane was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2016 in Bangkok on August 14, 2016. She will represent Thailand in the next edition of Miss Universe which is expected to take place in Manila, Philippines on January 30, 2017. PHOTO CREDIT: MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

Sharelene Radlein , the winner of the Miss Universe Jamaica 2015 pageant is no longer the holder of that title. On Monday, principals of the Miss Universe Jamaica pageant disclosed that the beauty queen has been stripped of her title stating that her actions have been “inconsistent with the culture of pageant”. According to  Loop Jamaica , the decision to strip the 2015 beauty was made Friday, days prior to the announcement at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. The principals said they have “painstakingly sought to guide Ms Radlein in a manner which reflects the vision and ideals of the organization”. “However, her actions have been wholly inconsistent with the culture of the pageant, both locally and internationally,” the principals said,” they also stated. Last month Radlein filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Jamaica in an effort to secure the prizes she said is due to her for topping the competition. In the suit, she accused the

Suzana Sampeur    was crowned Miss World Haiti 2016 on August 13 at the Royal Decameron in  Côte des Arcadins . She will now represent Haiti in Miss World 2016 to be held in Washington D.C. on December 20.   Her court includes 1st runner-up Armelle Rose Williams, 2nd runner-up Raquel Pélissier , 3rd runner-up Cassandre Joseph and 4th runner-up Danourah Beloved .   The first time that Haiti competed in Miss World was in 1975 when its representative Joelle Apollon placed sixth. It would take another 38 years for the country to compete again in 2013. Since then, Haiti has sent a representative every year.

ALTHOUGH a deeply divisive figure, Donald Trump is one of Jennifer Hawkins’s sources of inspiration. She met him as the winner of his Miss Universe pageant in 2004, back when The Apprentice was on air, the Iraq war was underway, and the billionaire appeared on the cover of Esquire with the prophetic cover line, “How I’d Run The Country (Better)”. “He inspired me to keep going and follow my heart,” she says. “He’s really passionate and really driven. He’s like, ‘What’s next?’ He prompts you to think, ‘All right, what is next?’” What’s next for Trump is a presidential election campaign. What’s next for Hawkins, Australia’s ultimate girl-next-door, is less clear. She has the face of an angel, but the mind of an entrepreneur. She no longer sees herself as a model, but rather as an ambassador, a businesswoman and a television host. At 32 years old, Hawkins has several thriving businesses and an expansive property and share portfolio, and is building a future that doesn

A Philippine Islamic State affiliate has posted a video calling for the 2017 Miss Universe pageant set to take place in the Philippines to be targeted, while suggesting that an explosive belt or bomb be made especially for the beauty contest, SITE reports. “Philippines jihadi Telegram channel posted a video for making an explosive belt and suggested ‘Create bomb for miss universe,’”  the group wrote on a Telegram Messenger group called “IS Philippines supporters,” according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the online activity of jihadist organizations.  Follow SITE Intel Group   @siteintelgroup A  # Filipino  jihadi Telegram channel posted a video for making an explosive belt and suggested "Create bomb for miss universe" # MissUniverse 7:19 AM - 8 Aug 2016     42 42 Retweets     14 14 likes The post reportedly contained a video on how to assemble a suicide belt and a DIY on explosives in English. The Miss Un

     International pageantry is shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Hugo Castellanos , who had acquired the Mexican franchise for Miss World just last May. Early online reports suggest that Castellanos was gunned down in his car early Sunday morning  (August 7, 2016) in  Culiacán, Sinaloa , hours after he crowned  Melissa Lizárraga as the new Miss Sinaloa. His death was announced on the Facebook page of Miss Mexico. The motive behind the killing is unknown pending investigation by the Mexican police.   Hugo Castellanos assists in the coronation of Melissa Lizárraga,  Miss Sinaloa 2016 / Photo: El Debate Castellanos's body was found face down in the back seat of his Grand Cherokee car.  The rear doors were riddled with bullets. /  Photo: El Debate Castellanos prepared many young women for Nuestra Belleza México including Ximena Navarette (left) who would later be crowned Miss Universe 2010.  Photo: El Debate    

Sh akira Martin used her beauty queen crown as a platform to spread her personal gospel: love life. The former Miss Jamaica Universe used her platform and notoriety to encourage others with sickle cell anemia to get out of their homes and into the sunshine, her mother Andrea Hall said. "If you live a dead life, what was the purpose of being alive?" were words Ms. Martin lived by, according to her mother. Ms. Martin, of Plantation, died Wednesday at Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines from blood clots on both lungs, complications of the sickle cell anemia she had since birth. She was 30. "She was never a slave to the disease, she was very proud, very resilient, she lived her life to the fullest," said Hall, of Plantation. "Nothing was impossible for her, she never allowed anything to stop her from trying. She was very funny, friendly, loved music, loved Beyonce." Hall learned she and her husband were both carriers of sickle anemia w