Melbourne, February 1 : Women in Australia have left men behind in gaining university education, with more females than males holding bachelor degrees.

Figures obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that 28 per cent of women aged between 20 and 29 held a bachelor degree or higher in 2006, compared with
21 per cent of men in the same age bracket.

The latest census also revealed that women were more involved in the workforce than ever before.

Another finding of the census was that youngsters were less likely to believe in religion, according to the Courier Mail.

Melbourne, Feb 01: Nicole Kidman has been caught smoking once again - this time while shooting for her new film `Nine' on location in Rome.

Kidman has been criticised for choosing to light up in the past by anti-smoking lobby groups.

In between filming scenes for `Nine', Kidman and co-star Daniel Day-Lewis shared a cigarette, and played up to the cameras once she realised she''d been spotted, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

The Aussie actress initially denied being a smoker, before admitting that she was an occasional smoker, reports News. com. au.

Melbourne  - The Australian Open won't be going anywhere, with it's traditional January date set in stone by tournament boss Craig Tiley.

"It works best for us, for Australia in January. It's over school holidays, kids and families can come. It's the only time where there's no major global event that's being broadcast," he told local media on the eve of the classic final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Melbourne  - Roger Federer certainly revels in the spotlight. But the world number two would like to see women start shouldering more of the late-night scheduling load at the Australian Open.

The Swiss played his fair allotment of night-time thrillers at this edition. But after following a long woman's match, a men's contest can end at 2 am in a worst case scenario - well past a civilised hour.

The president of the ATP Player Council believed equal prize money (1.3 million dollars for each champion) should mean equal responsibility.

Melbourne, Jan. 31 : Australian tennis coach Tony Roche is of the view that Swiss great Roger Federer is on a mission to reclaim the prized No. 1 ranking, as well as his 14th Grand Slam title.

Roche, who steered a chastened Ivan Lendl back to the top when the Czech-born American won his first Australian Open in 1989, has also coached Federer for three years, and is looking forward to Sunday to see whether history can be repeated 20 years later at the same venue.

Melbourne  - With Andy Murray long gone from the Australian Open, ever-present British interest has turned to 15-year-old starlet Laura Robson, Aussie-born but a UK passport holder.

The promising teenager, who caused a storm at home as she won the Wimbledon junior crown, stands 3/1 to win a Grand Slam event before her 30th birthday.

She has a chance to repeat in the Melbourne junior final against Russian Ksenia Pervak.