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By Michael Lopez

Could Angelina Jolie have a secret Spanish twin sister? Judging by the pictures that The Daily Mail recently posted, we wouldn't doubt it. Latina actress Lina Sands has proven herself to be a dead ringer for the A-list actress.

Posing in front of a webcam, Lina pouted her lips and tussled her hair in a very similar style to Angie. She also confessed that she's eager to move to Hollywood and pursue Jolie-esque roles.

"Hi, my name is Lina Sands and I look like Angelina Jolie,' she bluntly said. "I would like to work as an Angelina Jolie lookalike."

So far, Sands has scored some major attention for her viral video. Millions have viewed her image online and a British talent agency just signed her for some gigs alongside a Kate Middleton impersonator.

Do you think Lina is a dead ringer for Angelina? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Angelina Jolie, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Lina Sands, Lookalikes, Spain

By Astrid Rivera

The beautiful and talented actress Paz Vega has men all over the world yelling out Hallelujah after some very steamy photos surfaced the web. The actress posed kneeling in prayer to La Virgen de la Encarnación de Gerena in her native Sevilla, Spain, wearing nothing but a see-through veil.

The "holy" pictures were taken for the 2012 calendar of Lambertz, a German-based chocolate company and were debuted at the beginning of December in Berlin. Yet not everyone is praising the actress: many citizens in Sevilla are outraged over the less than saintly images taken in front of La Virgen.

The small town of Gerena is especially livid at the actress, calling the photos blasphemous and in bad taste. The Brotherhood of Gerena has yet to make a comment and many are wondering why they even let these pictures be taken in the first place. Vega has defended herself by explaining that these are supposed to be artistic images but people are just not buying it.

Manuel Riena, a manufacturer of Gerena has said,

"If they were looking for attention, they certainly have it, and they have made sure people are talking about it."

Another local Gerena student, Dolores Zamora stated,

"It looks like this woman doesn't know what to do to make headlines, and its sad that there are certain Spanish actresses that only know how to show their breasts."

Whether people hate it or love it, they are definitely talking about it and it doesn't seem like the discussion will end anytime soon.

Do you think Paz Vegas' pictures are blasphemous?

Tags Astrid Rivera, Chisme, Lambertz, nude photos, Paz Vega, Spain

By Michael Lopez

Sure he's won Grammys and sold millions of albums, but Alejandro Sanz' latest honor may be his most prestigious yet. This week, the legendary Latin pop star received a gold medal in Fine Arts from Spain’s King Juan Carlos.

The honor was for Alejandro's musical contributions throughout the past three decades. A proud Spanish citizen himself, Sanz seemed touched by the honor, happily shaking the hands of Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia.

Alejandro took a break from filming La Voz Mexico to attend the event and brought his good buddy David Bisbal along with him. The timing of the honor actually seems quite fitting too. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sanz' smash debut album, Viviendo Deprisa.

The awards ceremony took place at El Pardo Palace in Madrid and, as expected, there were tons of photographers on hand to capture the moment. We, for one, are glad the royals recognized Sanz' music. Hopefully they'll extend the Fine Arts medal to a few more hometown heroes in the years to come.

Who's your favorite Spanish musician? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alejandro Sanz, Blogger: Michael Lopez, David Bisbal, King Juan Carlos, La Voz Mexico, Música, Royals, Spain, Viviendo Deprisa

By Michael Lopez

Could Prince Felipe's royal wife be taking a cue from the gaunt and boney Demi Moore? That's what the European media is speculating, particularly after seeing Princess Letizia's frail appearance during her visit to Chile.

A true fairy tale Princess, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was initially born into a middle-class Spanish family. By 2003, she was a popular journalist and secretly dating Spain's #1 royal son, Prince Felipe. They married a year later, making her a bona fide aristocrat.

But with royal fame comes royal problems, particularly tons of paparazzi cameras hounding your every move. And the pap's latest Letizia shots are not too flattering. Her skeletal arms are clearly disturbing and her face seems much more withdrawn than normal.

Truth be told, Letizia has been battling eating disorder rumors for some time now. The royal family even had to issue a statement declaring that she has a "healthy and balanced diet." But photos don't lie and the latest Princess pictures tell a very different story.

Do you think Princess Letizia is too skinny? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Eating Disorders, popnews, Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia, Royals, Spain

By Michael Lopez

Here's a bit of trivia. Did you know that Thor's Chris Hemsworth is married to Fast Five beauty Elsa Pataky? Yup, and the Spanish starlet recently brought him back to her home turf for a week of shopping and cuddling in the streets.

Paparazzi photographers couldn't get enough of Elsa and Chris' public displays of affection. And Hemsworth even flashed his shirtless physique for the cameras while sunbathing at their private villa.

The couple tied the knot back in December and seem to still be relishing their newlywed status. And with Chris' busy schedule (he's currently filming The Avengers and a new Snow White movie), we're sure romantic getaways are few and far between.

Perhaps they can solve that problem by teaming up for some upcoming movie projects. Anyone up for watching Thor get behind the wheel in Elsa's upcoming sequel, Fast Six? We know we are!

Do you think Elsa and Chris make a cute couple? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrity Couples, Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky, Fast Five, Spain, thor

By Michael Lopez

Move over Fergie, there's another over-the-top Duchess in town. Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva or the Duchess de Alba, as she's more commonly called, made huge headlines this week by marrying a man 24 years her junior.

Known for her colorful clothes, carefree attitude, and nipped/tucked appearance, the 85-year-old Spanish Duchess has been a tabloid staple for years. And this latest story has given the newspapers (and her family members) quite a lot to talk about.

It appears as though the Spanish royal (she's classified as a "distant" relative of Queen Elizabeth) has married an ordinary commoner. Yup, 61-year-old Alfonso Diez is just a regular employee at the Spain's social security office who happened to have met his new bride at a local movie theater.

Her total worth is reported to be somewhere near $4.7 billion, while his is about $2,000 a month. But she insists that this is a relationship built out of love and not money.

The Duchess, who is twice widowed, has six grown children, all of whom are reportedly quite upset about the wedding. Speaking about the family turmoil, she said,

"I have a young personality and I don't pay attention. Alfonso has known me for 30 years, and he fell in love with me at first sight...But my children are making it hard on me. They don't want me to marry, but they change partners more often than I do."

Four of her six kids attended the ceremony, which included 40 guests, fancy lobster dinners, and a dance floor that the Duchess busted some serious moves on. We're hopeful that the newlyweds have many long and happy years together. Though it will be very interesting to see if Alfonso reports in to his blue collar job come Monday.

Do you think the Duchess's new husband is only after her money? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alfonso Diez, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Duchess de Alba, popnews, Spain, Weddings

By Michael Lopez

Forget triathlons, if you really want to get your heart racing you should head to Pamplona, Spain. Yesterday, hundreds of locals and tourists partook in the annual "running of the bulls," which thankfully led to only a few bumps and bruises. Pamplona hosts bull runs for eight days every July.

Thrill-seekers from all over the world threw on their white outfits and sprinting shoes for the adrenaline-pumping ritual. When interviewing participants, Fox News Latino even wrangled up some Californians who flew out for the festivities.

"Anything we heard before doesn't even compare to what really happened," said West Coast local Allison Byrne. "It was hard to watch that knowing that our husbands are down there. It was exciting and exhilarating, but I'll never do [this] again. I'm still shaking."

Alison actually had a good reason to be nervous. Four people had to be rushed to the hospital after being poked by speeding steer horns. But that pales in comparison to the damage that has happened in previous years. Back in 2009, a Spanish local was killed after being gored in the streets.

Believe it or not, the running of the bulls has been an ongoing tradition for nearly 400 years. The concept is simple; outrun a stampede of toros across a 928-yard stretch. Certain brave participants even integrate the color red into their wardrobe to make the chase that much more dangerous.

Not surprisingly, some groups are not huge fans of the bull runs. Though the pastime isn't considered as inhumane as bullfighting, there are questions about how the animals are treated before they're released from their pens.

One of the steers from yesterday's run seemed to suffer a serious injury, leading it to collapse in the middle of the street. But you'll have a hard time convincing the city of Pamplona to stop its lucrative pastime. It is reported that nearly one million tourists descend on the city for the event. Let’s just hope they all get to leave in one piece!

Would you ever want to try running with the bulls? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Peta, Running Of The Bulls, Spain

By Michael Lopez

As we all know, summer is a great time of year to travel Europe. It doesn't matter if you're a freewheeling college student or an NBA superstar, there is always a ton of cultural activities to immerse yourself in. And in Dwight Howard's case, that includes Spanish flamenco dancing and spirited fun with the locals.

The Orlando Magic center happens to be in Madrid right now, on a promotional tour for Adidas Basketball. And judging from the pix that were posted on Global Grind today, he seems to be having a fantastic time!

For an appearance on a Spanish talk show, Howard donned a red wig and threw out hilarious one liners en español. He also played games with the audience and shared his favorite basketball tips.

But perhaps the funniest Dwight pic to emerge from his Spain vacation has him dancing flamenco at a Madrid restaurant. Hand-in-hand with a Spanish señorita, the 6’ 11” baller towered over everyone on the dance floor.

Howard also made sure his Twitter followers were well aware of his exploits. Throughout the week, he posted.

"I don’t know Spanish!"

"u have to get everyone in Spain to follow me lol"

"man it was for fun. It's my life I can have fun with it. U only live once."

Which European country would you most like to visit this summer? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Adidas, basketball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dwight Howard, NBA, Orlando Magic, Spain, Sports

By Sharmaine Jones

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been waiting patiently for Ricky Rubio, their 2009 5th overall draft pick from Spain, and he's finally here! Rubio held his first press conference on Tuesday and if his comfort in front of the camera is any indication of how he'll handle himself in the NBA, basketball fans are in for a treat.

Rubio arrived at Minneapolis' St. Paul airport Monday to a warm welcome from fans and Timberwolves employees, and took to Twitter to show his appreciation.

"Acabo de llegar al hotel. Un viaje largo pero muy entusiasmado de estar aquí. Que recepción en el aeropuerto, increíble. Ahora a descansar!"

Next up was the press conference and the 20-year-old point guard handled the plethora of tough questions thrown at him with ease. When asked about his sub-par numbers in the Spanish league last season (6.5 points, 3.5 assists), the young man smoothly answered:

"Sometimes the stats don't say how good are you," Rubio said. "Or maybe opposite thing, if you make a lot of stats but your team is losing, that doesn't (matter). The goal of this sport is team wins. It's not an individual sport. If I wanted to play individual, I'm going to play tennis or something like that. But it's a team."

We loved is explanation of why he takes a "pass-first" approach to the game:

"One of the best sentences ever was Magic Johnson say a basket make one guy happy, an assist two guys happy."

He even introduced his father, mother, brother and 14-year-old sister and joked when asked if he planned on taking them to Minnesota's popular "Mall of America":

"That's a good question because my family want to go there, but I don't let them because they going to take all," he said with a smile. "I don't mean it like that, but I'm going to try to keep my credit card in my pocket."

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression so Rubio knocked that opportunity out of the park! He really won us over with his charm, humor and humbleness and apparently Timberwolves fans were impressed as well. According to bringmethenews.com, the team has sold more than 500 new season tickets packages since the Spaniard joined the team. The increase makes this the most sold since 2005.

A jump in sales and joining a team that has won just 17 games last season would be a significant amount of pressure for most to handle but we get the feeling that Rubio, who has been playing professionally since the age of 14, will manage just fine.

Will Rubio make an instant impact on the Timberwolves? Tell us what you think

Tags basketball, Blogger: Sharmaine Jones, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, Ricky Rubio, Spain

By Larry Yepez Jr.

America, get ready for Beatriz Luengo! On May 17, the Spanish songstress releases the first single of her fourth album, Bela y Sus Mosquitas Muertas on the radio as well as the music video for the track 'Como Tú No Hay 2.'

If this is the first time you hear this name, trust me, you will be hearing plenty more from this genuine artist. Beatriz comes to America after great success both in Spain and France with her first three musical productions. Her sounds are fresh and innovative and her personality and beauty radiate the energy of a superstar! Not only can she sing, but she's also a musician, composer and actress.

Tr3s had the pleasure of interviewing Beatriz Luengo at one of Miami's hottest hangouts, Cafeina Wynwood Lounge.  The Tr3s crew was preparing for the shoot, putting the finishing touches on the lights, when Beatriz walked in and stole the attention of everyone in the room. She greeted all with a sweet smile.

Her fourth album will be release in the US in September. Beatriz is a very complete artist with a bright future ahead of her, so keep a look out to find out more about this hot, up-and-coming artist and info on her U.S. launch!

Stay tuned for our interview with Beatriz on Blogamole.

Tags Beatriz Luengo, bela y sus mosquitas muertas, Spain