Mexico Apologizes for Booing Miss USA

No major damage reported

(AP) - A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck in Mexico's western Guerrero state last night, shaking buildings and causing panic in the nation's capital and the Pacific resort of Acapulco. Officials say at least three people died, but there were no reports of widespread damage. One man was killed when a house's roof collapsed in Iguala, a second died in the small town of Ixcateopan, and the driver of a cargo truck was killed by rocks that fell on the vehicle driving on the toll highway linking Acapulco with Mexico City. More»

Leila Lopes didn't deserve to win, Laury Thilleman implies

(NEWSER) - Sounds like someone's a sore loser: Miss France Laury Thilleman snarked about Miss Angola Leila Lopes after Lopes was crowned Miss Universe , complaining to a French magazine about Lopes' fashion sense, among other things. The Washington Post offers a translation: "She was the only girl I didn’t know very well. We didn’t see her much; she was very discreet. She was often in jeans and not wearing makeup." More»

Leila Lopes wins the top honor

(NEWSER) - In a competition that was, for once, scandal-free, Miss Angola Leila Lopes was crowned Miss Universe last night in Brazil. Get a taste of the evening via the best lines, as reported by the AP :

• Lopes, 25, during the pageant's Q&A portion: Asked what she would change about her physical appearance, she replied, "Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing. I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty."
• Connie Chung, celebrity judge: "You have to keep in mind that these women are not objects just to be looked at. They're to be taken seriously."

Police say Zetas responsible for three major incidents around Mexico

(NEWSER) - It's been an extra-bloody 24 hours in Mexico this weekend, with more than 40 people killed in three cities in Zeta drug-cartel-related violence on Friday night and yesterday, reports the AP . At least 20 were killed in a bar in Monterrey late Friday when at least two gunmen launched an attack with AK-47s and AR-15s. Eleven more were killed just outside of Mexico City, which has largely been spared in the bloodbath that has dominated the nation, shot with high-powered rifles then piled close to a well. Ten more bodies were discovered around the northern city of Torreon. More»

Miss California Alyssa Campanella wins the title

(NEWSER) - Miss California Alyssa Campanella, a self-described “huge history geek,” was named Miss USA at the Las Vegas pageant last night. The 21-year-old formerly represented New Jersey in the Miss Teen USA contest in 2007, but moved to Los Angeles a year and a half ago and plans to stay. She will move on to the Miss Universe pageant in Brazil on Sept. 12. More»