Oz in Spain

The design maestro responsible for putting the soul and heart into one of the Mediterranean’s most chic, and state-of-the-art, new marinas was the guest of honour at a lavish weekend of inauguration celebrations.

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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.” […]

Marbella mayoress Ángeles Muñoz was among the guests at a lavish cocktail presentation of the innovative new Ferrari 458 Spider at prestige car dealership C. De Salamanca. […]

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.

Open de Andalucía 2012

Ranked 610th in the world coming into the event, and one of eight players gaining a place off the Spanish order of merit, Eduardo de la Riva led after the second and third rounds but eventually finished third behind Julien Quesne and Matteo Manassero, matching his best European Tour result in the 2011 Madrid Masters. The Spaniard has been to the Tour Qualifying School nine times but only passed the test once, a decade ago. (Photo: M. Álvarez)

Former manager of the England national football team Fabio Capello caught the action at Aloha. (Photo: M. Álvarez)

Javier Ballesteros, oldest son of Seve, was in the gallery following the first-day trio of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Mateo Manassero and Robert Rock, accompanied by two other promising young Spanish amateurs who were also on the Costa del Sol competing in the Andalucía Cup at La Cañada. (Photo: M. Álvarez)

Tournament host Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who was seventh congratulates Eduardo de la Riva as the leading Spaniard and tournament winner Julien Quesne, who at 31 secured his first European Tour title with an outstanding closing eight-under 64 (matching the Aloha course record). (Photo: M. Álvarez)

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). […]

Miguel Ángel Jiménez is not one to give up easily. As in previous years, when he caught up with Tiger Woods during the latest World Golf Championship event in the US, the Málaga-born star invited Woods to the Open de Andalucía event his promotional company Grupo MAJ has organised – and partly funded – the past six years. […]

Poster seen in the Santa Catalina area of Palma de Mallorca, imploring people to “Please, be responsible with your dog.”

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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A friend “very high up in the media world who has been tapping the phones in Australia House for many years” gave Barry Humphries an inkling. “I can’t tell you his name; he is married to a Chinese girl. He said it was between me and Julian Assange and it turned out to be me.”

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