Melbourne, February 20: British author Jeffrey Archer claims that Oscar-winning Australian film actor Peter Finch's father could have been the first man to conquer Mount Everest in 1924, had the UK's Royal Geographical Society not intervened.

Archer, whose claims are part of his research for a new novel titled `Paths Of Glory', says that Aussie mountaineer George Finch was set to accompany his regular climbing partner George Mallory, a Briton, on a bid to conquer Everest before the society intervened.

Melbourne, Feb 20 : A document purportedly listing the `winners' of this weekend's Academy Awards has been published on the Internet.

The authentic-looking document, which seems to have been scanned in, has an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences letterhead and what looks like the signature of the Academy''s president, Sid Ganis.

"This is the final list of winners of the 81st Annual Academy Awards. As always, please treat this information with extreme care," News. com. au quoted the document, as stating.

According to the list, Kate Winslet has won best actress gong for `The Reader' and Mickey Rourke has bagged best actor award for `The Wrestler'.

Sydney  - Shark attacks on consecutive days in Sydney in February have not stopped James McIntosh from catching waves at his favourite break at Bondi Beach.

"I'm certainly not going to stop myself surfing," he said. "It's just one of those very rare things that happens."

Those are brave words indeed. McIntosh, first to the aid of a fellow Bondi surfer, fashioned a tourniquet from a leg rope to staunch bleeding from a shredded arm.

Canberra, Feb 19 : In a new research, an international team of astronomers has explained that a small galaxy colliding with our own almost two billion years ago has caused the Milky Way to vibrate, or `ring', that is still being felt.

"Astronomers have known for almost a decade that the Milky Way is ringing," researcher Professor Ken Freeman of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University, told ABC News.

Melbourne, Feb 19 : Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke's wedding with fiance Lara Bingle might be delayed because of heavy cricket schedule this year.

The couple decided to marry on October 3 after a 10-month engagement.

Their agent denied the couple set a day to tie the knot but admitted that because of Clarke's cricket commitments, it is not going to happen this year.

"The couple have set no date. And the reason is, quite simply, Clarkie has no time. Not this year," the Daily Telegraph quoted their agent Chris White, as saying.

Melbourne, Feb 19 : Olympic golden girl Stephanie Rice is fed up of the party girl tag, and the agony is giving her an extra motivation for the upcoming championships.

The 20-year-old triple Olympic gold medallist now aims to put to rest the criticism she attracted with her performance at the world titles in Rome to be held in July.

"I haven''t been out basically since Christmas and New Year, but I continue to be called a party girl and it''s just gone too far now,'''' the Daily Telegraph quoted Rice as saying.