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Miss Universe 2006 is Miss Puerto Rico

It was a great entertainment this Sunday night when the new Miss Universe was chosen in a competition in Los Angeles. Miss Universe 2006 is an 18-year-old Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza from Puerto Rico. Last year?s winner, Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned Rivera with a diamond-and-pearl-studded headpiece valued at $250,000. Rivera was very emotional about winning the contest and said she never thought she would win, even though she always had confidence in herself.

Rivera promised to continue the mission of promoting awareness and education about AIDS and HIV around the world. ?I want to tell those people there?s always problems in life, but there?s always possibilities to improve things,? she said. The winner is supposed to travel for a year around the world on behalf of charities and pageant sponsors.

Glebova, who began her year as Miss Universe with a trip to South Africa where she publicly took an HIV test, tells: ?My year as Miss Universe has meant more to me than I can express. I walk away from this experience feeling like I truly made an impact". This is the first time the pageant is being held in the US since 1998, when the show originated from Honolulu. The US audiences are surely thankful for the entertainment.