Oz in Spain

He went close to a first world championship title in 2010 (On the Grid) and Mark Webber is once again well-placed to become only the third Australian to lift Formula 1’s ultimate trophy.

After finishing third in the driver’s championship in 2010 and 2011, Webber moved up to second behind 2012 pacesetter Fernando Alonso with his victory in the British Grand Prix. It was his second win of the season, after Monaco, and soon after he ended speculation about signing for Ferrari next year by renewing his contact with Red Bull for at least one more season.

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An appeal has been lodged in the Northern Territory Supreme Court against a coroner’s ruling that a dingo was responsible for Azaria Chamberlain’s death 32 years ago. […]

Splendid pageantry… or obsolete pomp? Two differing views of the celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee – and (at least in Australia’s case) the more pressing and pertinent issue of republicanism.

Michael McGuire: No crowning glory in right royal farce (The Punch)

Jeremy Paxman: We’re all monarchists now – even me (The Telegraph)

Mark Webber back-flipped into his team’s harbour-side pool after holding off a high-powered tail of five top rivals over the final laps of the Monaco Grand Prix. The 35-year-old Red Bull driver started from pole and controlled the race brilliantly to become the first Australian to win twice in Monte Carlo, following his 2010 victory.

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Seve Ballesteros champion in 1991 (Photo by Stephen Munday Getty Images)

One year after his death, the memory of Seve Ballesteros is being kept alive at an event he won five times. For many of the players competing in the Volvo World Golf Championship at Finca Cortesín – especially the three Spaniards, Sergio García, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello – Seve’s record when the tournament was held at Wentworth remains an inspiration. […]

…in Fuengirola

Mine host BigM and the cheerleaders

Australia makes a long-awaited return to the Fuengirola fairground as the popular Feria Internacional de los Pueblos opens on Saturday 28 April (continuing until Tuesday 1 May). […]

The humble and dignified Australia way…

After making derogatory remarks about Canberra on a US talk show, actor Guy Pearce responded to the outrage (at least by Canberrans) by penning a letter to the Canberra Times: “I stupidly ran with a joke which I took too far for no other reason than to get laughs and I know I’ve offended many Canberrans and Australians in general. I feel horrible about myself for doing this and I’m truly very sorry. In the few times I’ve been I’ve really enjoyed it and found it to be extremely beautiful, so I’m so sorry for being such a dickhead.” Imploring Canberrans to accept his apology, he added, “I give you permission to abuse me in the street and tell me my films are crap.” […]

One of Australia’s most iconic landmarks has turned 80. Sydney Harbour Bridge – aka “The Coathanger” – was opened on 19 March 1932. An internationally recognised symbol of Sydney’s dynamism and dramatic setting, the 1,149-metre long bridge took 14,000 workers six years to build. The world’s largest steel arch bridge, it has an arch span of 503 metres and under-deck clearance for shipping of 49 metres. More than 160,000 vehicles cross it every weekday.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber test their cricket skills on St Kilda Beach in Melbourne.

An unprecedented six world champions will be on the grid when the new Formula 1 season begins in Australia on 18 March. Red Bull’s reigning champion Sebastian Vettel is pre-season favourite to win a third consecutive world title, with his main rivals Australian team-mate Mark Webber (career-best third in the 2010 and 2011 world championships), McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button (world champions in 2008 and 2009, respectively), and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso (2005 and 2006). […]

It all essentially began for Victoria Azarenka in Spain last April. The then 21-year-old Belarusian confirmed her top seeding by winning the third edition of the Andalucía Tennis Experience to rise to a career best fifth in the WTA world ranking. She had dropped only 14 games on her way to the final at Marbella’s Puente Romano Tennis Club, eventually beating Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-2.

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