Inside an abandoned ‘ghost tube’

Lodnon's former mail service now lays dormant. Source: Flickr

EVERY day, 6.5 million passengers take a ride on the London Tube. Few of these riders know that among the crisscrossing lines of the Underground lurks a ghost Tube: the Mail Rail.

Officially known as the London Post Office Railway, the 6.5-mile-long system opened in 1927. Its purpose was to transport letters and parcels to sorting and delivery stations across the city, from Whitechapel in the east to Paddington in the west.

Operating between 19 and 22 hours a day, the Mail Rail chugged back and forth using driverless trains, never having to worry about getting stuck in the traffic that clogged the roads above.

Driverless trains once used to transport mail have been collecting dust for a while now. Photographer: Matt Brown Source: Flickr

The abandoned tunnels will soon be transformed. Photographer: Matt Brown Source: Flickr

Over the decades, the cost of operating the trains became higher than transporting mail by truck. After many of the sorting stations were relocated, and their associated stations closed, the Mail Rail finally ceased operations in 2003. It has sat idle since, but plans are afoot to convert the system into a museum equipped with mail trains modified to seat passengers. According to the BBC, the project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Perfect setting for a horror film. Photographer: Matt Brown Source: Flickr

One york at a time. Photographer: Matt Brown Source: Flickr

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Labor on brink of unthinkable win

Annastacia Palaszczuk says the people of Queensland sent a very clear message, which was they do not want their assets sold. Courtesy: Sky news

LABOR is on the cusp of an unthinkable victory in the Queensland election, having turfed Campbell Newman from his own seat and reduced the incumbent LNP government to a minority in the state's 89-member Legislative Assembly.

With several races still hanging in the balance, Labor is believed to have won at least 43 seats, two short of the 45 it would require to form government in its own right. The LNP is currently projected to hold 40 seats.

Counting will resume today. In the meantime, you can see how the stunning election unfolded below.

Campbell Newman lost the seat of Ashgrove to Kate Jones. Source: Supplied

A rather cheerful Labor leader, Annastacia Palaszczuk, last night. Source: Supplied

11.50pm

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has arrived at the ALP function to address her party faithful and declare victory in her seat of Inala.

To joyful screams of "Labor, Labor" she relayed her positive thoughts about the state of the election.

"Well I said it was going to be a 'David and Goliath' battle and it certainly was.

"Who would have thought three years ago we would be making history tonight?

"It's still too close to call at present but I am very hopeful that we will be able to form government in this election," she said.

"Can I congratulate our new Labor members of parliament? There's a lot more than nine!

"Can I also thank all our Labor candidates that stood for us in this election?

"Can I thank the great Australian Labor Party?"

"Can I also thank the union movement?"

While Campbell Newman announces that his political career is over, he says he leaves Queensland in a far better place. Courtesy: Nine News

"We do it tough, we stand up and we get things done," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she also wished Campbell Newman, his wife and family all the best with the future.

"Today the people of Queensland sent a very clear message. And that message was: They do not want their assets sold."

"We will keep our assets in public hands for the future – and future generations," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted to unite Queensland.

"I want to bring Queensland back together.

"Let's put the past three years behind us, let's have a consensus government where we listen and where we unite.

"Tomorrow we being a brand new chapter in Queensland's history," she said.

Annastacia with her grandmother who said: "I'm very proud" Source: NewsComAu

11.43pm

Looks like Daddy's also feeling happy. Former member of Inala and father of Annastacia Palaszczuk, Henry, is obviously watching the vote count and twitter feeds.

Queenslanders Raylene Smith and Taylah Blandford prepare to cast their vote.

11.30pm

This.

At this point it may be fair to say Queenslanders might not all agree with this tweet.

11.10pm

MEMBERS of the LNP are preparing themselves for the worst. Labor need 45 seats to win, the tally currently has them estimated to win 44.

When asked on radio who was likely to lead the LNP now Newman was out, Member for Mermaid Beach Ray Stevens said he didn't know.

"I don't even know who's still standing after this."

10.40pm

CAMPBELL Newman has given his concession speech.

"My political career is over," he said to screams of "no" from the crowds.

"Tough, you're going to have to wear that one," he said.

Mr Newman said he had spoken to Kate Jones and congratulated her on her win.

"I can't leave here without saying a few words to Queensland.

"I respect the verdict of the people of Ashgrove.

"I thank the people of Queensland who in the 2012 election got behind the LNP team.

"I thank every single man and woman, every voter," he said.

He also thanked his wife for supporting him for 13 years, while she shed tears and gave him a hug.

10.25pm

QUEENSLANDER!!!

Kate Jones has just done her best ALP Bob Hawke impression. In a true blue Aussie celebration she said: "I'll have a beer, thanks."

She downed that XXXX like a pro.

That's how you drink a beer in Queensland. Pic: Liz Burke. Source: NewsComAu

While cries of "we hate Campbell", "this is vindication" and "revenge" came from the supportive crowd, Ms Jones took a more gracious tone.

A humble returning member for Ashgrove told news.com.au that Mr Newman had wished her all the best when he called her to concede defeat and that she wished him the same.

"I lost fair and square in 2012," she said.

"I don't believe in that (revenge).

"I went into politics when I was quite young and I didn't go into politics for those reasons."

10.05pm

KATE Jones is feeling the love in Ashgrove.

In her victory speech she has thanked her supporters for helping her save Ashgrove from being a place she "didn't want to be".

The returning member told the crowd at Northern Suburbs Hockey Club that after her 2012 defeat the community became a place "I didn't want to live, a place I didn't want to raise my children".

Kate Jones delivered an emotional victory speech where she thanked her loyal supporters in Ashgrove. Courtesy: Nine News Brisbane

But Jones was thrilled with her victory over a now debunked Campbell Newman.

"The vote here in Ashgrove sends a very clear message that we want a better way going forward.

"I've learned trust is something that cannot be bought. It is something that is earned."

Jones Promise to uphold values shown at the ballot box by the people who elected her.

"I will try my utmost hardest."

The crowd responded with "we love you" and "we hate him".

9.55pm.

KATE Jones was given the rock-star treatment as she arrived at her team's official afterparty.

The new — and returning — Member for Ashgrove arrived to cheers of "team Kate, team Kate" when she arrived with her entrance timed with nearby seat of my Coottha being called for ALP.

Rock star arrival. Kate Jones. Source: Supplied

Rock star arrival. Kate Jones. Source: Supplied

9.50pm

AT the Northern Suburbs Hockey Club where Kate Jones loyalists are celebrating news.com.au reporter Liz Burke reports she heard "I hate Campbell Newman" called out almost as often as "what an awesome night".

Former government communications officer Debbie Tucker lost her job under Newman's ruthless cuts when the LNP gained government in 2012 and said that's why she "joined Team Kate".

"She was robbed of her seat and this is just the best thing that could happen," Debbie said.

"I hate Campbell Newman."

Debbie Tucker, left, said she joined 'Team Kate' after she lost her job in Newman's job cuts. Source: Supplied

9.30pm

KATE Jones looks set for one heck of an afterparty tonight with celebrations already underway in Ashgrove.

Crowds of supporters are celebrating the returning MP's victory over Premier Campbell Newman.

Campbell Newman has phoned his opponent in the seat of Ashgrove to concede according to Sky News.

Celebrations in Ashgrove. Pic: Liz Burke. Source: Supplied

Celebrations in Ashgrove. Pic: Liz Burke. Source: Supplied

Supporter Andy, who did not wish to give his full name who has been working on Kate's campaign said: "something extraordinary has happened".

"I've been knocking on doors, hundreds of doors shaken thousands of hands and this is just awesome. I'm ready to burst into tears," he said.

And he did.

Another staffer said the extraordinary result just showed what a "nasty, nasty" leader Campbell Newman had been and people had realised

that.

"It's an awesome night, it's incredible."

9.15pm

The Queensland election has become a national sport as #qldvotes trends on twitter.

But it's a tough call as to what to follow. Sport or the election?

9pm

Sky News has called 36 seats to the ALP and 25 seats to the LNP with 45 the target for either party to win with around 27 per cent of the vote counted.

The tally points toward the likelihood of the ALP forming government. But it could still be a hung parliament.

8.50pm

TIM Nichols is back in front in the seat of Clayfield, which is just as well, since the LNP is now likely to look to him to lead the party as Ashgrove ballots get counted in Labor's favour.

8.25pm

LABOR could exact the ultimate revenge on the LNP, even if it loses the election. The battleground of Ashgrove is looking increasingly in the ALP's favour with Kate Jones looking set to take back the seat.

First counts coming in for Ashgrove show Labor candidate Kate Jones ahead on 48 per cent of the vote with two booths counted.

And overall, early counts are indicating a 9 per cent swing to Labor in an extraordinary comeback from 2012's bloodbath election.

Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk is reportedly awaiting results before making an appearance at her function in Richlands.

8pm

IN some tragic election news, the father of a family struck by lightning near a polling booth on the Gold Coast Hinterland has died.

The family-of-four was playing in the playground at Lawrence Hinde Park, Worongary, when severe thunderstorms rolled in about 3.30pm, theGold Coast Bulletin reported.

The man, his wife, and two young children, aged 18-months and 12-weeks-old, were also injured.

7.30pm

THE man touted as a potential replacement if Queensland Premier Campbell Newman fails to win the seat of Ashgrove could also have a fight on his hands.

Very early counting has ALP candidate John Martin in front with just under 200 votes counted.

7pm

POLLS in Queensland are now closed. The booths shut at 6pm Queensland time.

Let the counting begin.

6.45pm

A FATHER is fighting for his life after he, his wife and two young children were struck by lightning as a massive storm lashed the Gold Coast this afternoon the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Paramedics were desperately trying to revive the children at the scene at Lawrence Hinde Park in Worongary in the Gold Coast hinterland.

A poll booth worker who witnessed the incident said the lightning strike was "beyond a bang".

"There was a massive blast of light and it was beyond a bang … it just shattered the air," the worker said.

"I did not think anything of it initially but then emergency services showed up."

The scene of a lightning strike at Worongary. oic: Gold Coast Bulletin. Source: Supplied

6.30pm

Confidence in Campbell Newman's ability to hold his seat is flatlining. Former premier Rob Borbidge says it's looking increasingly unlikely Campbell Newman will win his seat of Ashgrove according to The Courier-Mail

And Channel 9's Galaxy exit poll is predicting victory to the ALP.

The poll predicts that after preferences Labor would secure 54 per cent of the vote while 46 per cent would go to the LNP.

Meanwhile, the Electrical Trades Union wants to sue the LNP for defamation.

The union says the advertisement falsely accused its state secretary, Peter Simpson, of taking money from alleged bikie criminals.

5.50pm

LOOKS like Queensland is in for some major storms all over the state. Not only is the Premier in for a heck of a fight in Ashgrove the weather has turned as well.

Severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for Logan, Redland and parts of the Ipswich, Scenic Rim, Gold Coast and Brisbane Council Areas.

There's also storm warnings for Southeast Coast and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt.

Queenslanders will need to be quick to get their votes in before they get pummelled in the rain. The question is, who will be pummelled in the election?

Wendy Edwards sent in this picture of a storm brewing off Coomera Waters on the Gold Coast. Pic: Supplied. Source: Supplied

5pm

CAMPBELL Newman could really go down swinging, according to Sky News Australia, which reports sources saying the swing in Ashgrove is currently higher than the state average.

4.17pm

IT looks like the election is starting to make some voters googly-eyed.

Where is Inala?

It's the little Aussie town everyone is talking about. While some locals say it's a 's***hole', It could well become the centre of power in Queensland.

Liz Bourke takes a look around Inala.

3.50pm

THE voting continues, with plenty of contenders for the day's "most Queensland" moment. Is it the surfers rolling off the beach and into the polling stations, the obsessive interest in where the barbecue's at, the bikies standoff or perhaps the dirty sloganning? Tell us your thoughts at stories@news.com.au.

3.30pm

A THIEF has struck at an Ashgrove polling booth, causing a distraction with a baby to rob a coffee cart of $1200, The Courier Mail reports.

Brew Booth's Liz Hope had been making coffees since 6am at St Finbarr's Parish School, when a woman plonked an 18-month-old baby on the counter and asked to borrow some sunscreen. The woman then knocked the sunscreen on the ground and hurried off while the barista was picking it up.

Ms Hope said she believes the woman was acting with a partner, who stole her float and the entire day's earnings.

3pm

UH-OH. Ashgrove's Labor candidate Kate Jones and her rival Premier Newman's wife Lisa are wearing the same dress for election day.

Both plumped for the sleeveless blue Cue frock accessorised with a black patent belt and black heels. Is someone playing a cruel joke, or does this simply show the two leading parties are just the same after all?

2.40pm

THE big story in week one of the campaign was the arrest of Twitter parody account holder Iain Fogerty, @Can_Do_Campbell. Nearly a dozen police officers took him into custody after he wore an "I'm with Stupid" T-shirt and stood beside LNP campaigners in the Valley.

But the T-shirts are back in Brisbane today. We wonder if these lovely ladies will be arrested?

2.00pm

THERE'S been even more wrangling over tactics, with a court injunction to remove Labor signs at polling booths overruled, the Courier Mail reports. The LNP had claimed Labor's "Remember to number every square" posters were too similar to ECQ signs and "misleading electors".

1.20pm

THE race is most certainly on, and things are heating up in sunny Queenland.

Voters have been taking to social media to share their political views with less than six hours until the polls close. Some were concerned with saving reef, others accused the LNP of wanting to privatise public schools while many expressed their displeasure at new rules insisting Queenslanders have ID to vote.

Community action group GetUp has claimed that the LNP has applied for a Supreme Court injunction against its how-to-vote cards.

12.50pm

WHILE there haven't been any more fights, there have been a few bizarre moments at the polls. First, there was this awkward pat/handshake from potential premier Ms Palaszczuk:

Then, there was the voter who didn't exactly choose the classiest outfit:

And then there's those who really only care about their breakfast:

12.00pm

MS Palaszczuk has been out and about at voting stations, looking confident as she handed out flyers about "keeping our assets" and joined voters for sausage sizzles and Lamingtons.

Labor's Ashgrove candidate Kate Jones has also cast her vote, at Payne Road State School. She thanked the 500 local volunteers and said she expected Ashgrove to go down to the wire, handing out how-to-vote cards to help things along.

With the Greens aiming for about 12 per cent of the vote — and their preferences flowing to Labor — experts reckon Ms Jones will once again be the member for Ashgrove.

11.40am

TEMPERS flared at the polling booth at Nambour High School at about 8am this morning after a row erupted between two men. The pair were engaged in a screaming match, but according to Nicklin LNP candidate Matt Trace, who witnessed the incident, it wasn't about politics.

A Peter Wellington campaign worker, who is an ex-police officer, stepped in to separate the two men, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

"They were just a pair of idiots," Mr Trace confirmed.

11.30am

HE'S been the hardest candidate to find in peanut country. It's polling day and PUP candidate John Bjelke-Petersen is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it's his wife who's out on the campaign trail.

Has anyone seen John Bjelke-Petersen? Source: News Corp Australia

11.10am

The ECQ website is still down, but you can find the location of polling booths around the state on this map. Disabled voters may have a harder time of it, however, with Queenslanders complaining of a lack of mobility access at some stations, according to the Courier Mail.

Depending on your priorities, track down your nearest sausage sizzle or cake stall using this interactive guide..

10.50am

MR Newman has cast his vote for himself, speaking briefly to the media before chatting with voters. He looked pretty relaxed for a man in danger of becoming Queensland's first premier to lose their seat.

Earlier, he told Nine News: "If I've lost in Ashgrove, essentially the government has been kicked out tonight. The Labor government will be beholden to the Greens and the chaos of Canberra will come to Queensland." He refused to speculate on who could take the leadership if the government is elected without him, saying with "difficult decisions, you lose a bit of bark along the way".

Meanwhile, even Wayne Swan is not immune to the appeal of the cakes.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and wife Lisa vote at Newmarket State School. Source: News Corp Australia

10.30am

VOTERS are hitting the polling booths in their droves, with huge queues forming at some stations even before they opened.

Queenslanders are using Twitter to share advice on quiet places to vote, as well as tips on the really important stuff — where is offering the best food. It's going to be an exciting day.

10.20am

AN oversight in Queensland's constitution might allow Campbell Newman to remain Premier even if he loses his seat of Ashgrove today as many expect he will, according to The Australian.

Anne Two­mey, professor of constitutional law at University of Sydney, said the state's constitution — drafted in 2001 — was silent on whether the premier needed to be a member of parliament.

That means Queensland could take the lead from other Australian constitutions, such as that of the commonwealth, Victoria or South Australia, and Mr Newman could stay as Premier even if he loses Ashgrove, until he found a colleague to vacate their seat and prompt a by-election.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman could keep the job even if he loses his seat. Source: News Corp Australia

The indigenous community of Yarrabah vote in the seat of Mulgrave. Source: Supplied

10am

THE party people of Brisbane have spoken, and they won't be told how to vote.

Queensland's nightclub faithful have responded with fierce opposition to anti-Labor text messages sent from some of the capital's biggest clubs on the eve of the state election.

Texts apparently sent by the owner of Katrzyna Group — which owns popular nightspots Family, Press Club and Cloudland — were sent to the club's database encouraging them think about their vote. "Be careful with your vote on Saturday," the text read. "Labor wants to shut pubs and clubs early."

The message is in response to Labor's plans for late-night venues. Patrons responded to the text messages on Facebook threatening to boycott the club and demanding an apology.

It looks like text messages don't win votes. Source: News Corp Australia

9.30am

CAMPBELL Newman can't spell it, and most people outside of Queensland would struggle even to pronounce it. If you want to sound like a politics pro, find out how to pronounce the state's Labor leader and hopeful premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's name here.

Annastacia Palaszczuk in Townsville. Source: News Corp Australia

9.20am

POLLING booths have opened, but just minutes after voting started, the Electoral Commission Queensland has already been struck by disaster — its website has gone down.

An ECQ spokespersons said their IT department is currently working to fix the issue. Find out more on the Courier Mail's live blog.

Early voters line up at the pre-polling booth at the Cairns Showgrounds. Source: News Corp Australia

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Perry roars at Swift as claws come out

Biggest event of her career ... Katy Perry is pumped is pumped before her Super Bowl half-time show. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP

AHEAD of her Super Bowl half time debut, Katy Perry has addressed those Taylor Swift feud rumours.

She has described the performance as the "biggest event" of her career, and yet it seems many are more fixated on her fallout with fellow pop star Taylor Swift than what sequin mini skirt Perry will be wearing.

Lady in charge ... Katy Perry is ready to Roar, at both the Super Bowl half-time show and any one trying to bring her down. Picture: Billboard. Source: Supplied

Talking to Billboard, she is fully aware of the ongoing taunts between the two singers suggesting she won't be taking anything lying down, saying "if somebody is trying to defame my character, you're going to hear about it."

Perry, 30, and Swift, 25, were said to have fallen out after Perry 'stole' some of Swift's back-up dancers.

Back in the day ... Does anyone really remember what happened? Oh yeh Katy stole Taylors back up dancers. Totes AWKS! Picture: Getty Source: Supplied

Their latest beef has been fought through magazine and insinuating tweets without either explicitly naming the other.

In 2014, Swift described a fellow female musician as her "straight-up enemy" who tried to "sabotage [Swift's] entire arena tour."

Taking it in her stride ... Katy won't be "taking anything lying down". Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

The next day Perry tweeted, "Watch out for the Regina George in sheep's clothing," a reference to Mean Girls that everyone took to be about Swift.

Perry has more pressing issues at hand though because come February 1, she will take the stage at Super Bowl half-time show, singing and dancing through a 12-and-a-half minutes routine for over 100 million people

Gridiron girl ... We think you look super cute with the ball Katy but we like you better singing and dancing. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

On top of that, she told Billboard she has been involved in all aspects of the show from shoes options to zippers vs. velcro and of course sequins.

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‘Aussies can take on the world’

Watch the match highlights of Australia's Asian Cup Final against the Korea Republic.

James Troisi has put the Socceroos back into the lead after some fantastic lead up work from Tomi Juric.

Socceroos midfielder Massimo Luongo has opened the scoring for Australia in the Asian Cup Final against the run of play.

Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak. Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA has been crowned the champion of Asia after a thrilling 2-1 win against South Korea in tonight's Asian Cup final.

James Troisi's extra time strike proved the difference as the home side delivered a performance a whole nation can be proud of.

"It has to be our biggest achievement, we won a trophy," former Socceroo John Aloisi said.

Massimo Luongo — who was named player of the tournament — further enhanced his reputation as a man to carry the national team into the post-Tim Cahill era by scoring the opening goal.

South Korea spoiled the party by equalising in second half injury time, but Australia bounced back in extra time.

"I'm no good for words right now, I'm just super proud of everyone ... I couldn't be happier," Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou said.

"The courage the players showed tonight was enormous.

"I knew we'd finish stronger. We pride ourselves on being fit ... it was just a matter of taking our chances and we did it."

Postecoglou was thrilled with what the victory could do for the game in Australia.

"I know the whole country will be off their couches and won't be able to sleep tonight," he said.

"Hopefully from now on our Aussies can take on the world."

The only negative on a banner night for the world game Down Under was what appeared to be another serious injury to Robbie Kruse.

Continue reading for all the highlights of the game.

Troisi celebrates his goal. Source: Getty Images

Matthew Spiranovic celebrates the win. Source: Getty Images

Tomi Juric made a difference after coming off the bench. Source: Getty Images

10.10pm — TROISI GIVES AUSTRALIA THE ADVANTAGE

James Troisi, you beauty. Source: News Corp Australia

AUSTRALIA is back in front in tonight's Asian Cup final after a James Troisi goal late in the first period of extra time.

Tomi Juric was critical in the lead-up, wriggling his way past a South Korean defender on the touchline and crossing the ball into a dangerous area.

Troisi did the rest and now the Socceroos are 15 minutes away from the Asian crown.

9.50pm — SOUTH KOREA FORCE EXTRA TIME

Korea Republic's Heung-Min Son hits the equaliser in injury time. The Asian Cup final is heading for extra time.

SOUTH Korea has forced the Asian Cup final into extra time with a late equaliser.

Heung-Min Son slotted a goal past Mat Ryan in the first minute of injury time to stun the home crowd.

Australia has 30 minutes to try to win the game. If neither side scores, we'll head to penalties.

9.25pm — KRUSE SIDELINED WITH INJURY

Robbie Kruse's night is over. Source: Getty Images

ROBBIE Kruse has been forced off the ground with what appears to be another serious lower leg injury.

The unlucky forward, who missed last year's World Cup after tearing his ACL, collapsed in the 68th minute and despite a valiant attempt was unable to continue.

James Troisi has been subbed in as his replacement.

9.20pm — SOCCEROOS HOLDING FIRM

Tim Cahill was unable to find a way past the South Korean defence tonight. Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA is less than 30 minutes away from being crowned champion of Asia.

The Socceroos defence continues to deny South Korea and create the odd chance at the other end.

Ange Postecoglou has just made his first substitution, replacing Tim Cahill with Tomi Juric.

Cahill took his only opportunity of the game well but was unable to impact the scoreboard like he has so many times before.

8.50pm — LUONGO'S STAR RISES FURTHER

Massimo Luongo is pushing for player of the tournament honours. Source: AP

YOU can argue they don't deserve it but the reality is Australia leads 1-0 at half-time of tonight's Asian Cup final.

South Korea certainly had the better of the first half and came close several times just before the break.

But Trent Sainsbury found Massimo Luongo with a neat through ball in the 45th minute — and the rising star from Swindon Town did the rest.

Luongo took the ball and turned before firing home into the South Korean net to send the Stadium Australia crowd crazy.

Good luck keeping a lid on 'Mass Hysteria' now!

8.10pm — JEDINAK ALMOST BENDS IT HOME

Mile Jedinak is leading from the front early. Source: Getty Images

SOCCEROOS skipper Mile Jedinak showed his ability at set pieces by almost bending home a free kick in the ninth minute of tonight's Asian Cup final.

Nice lead-up work by Massimo Luongo and Mathew Leckie resulted in a free kick to Mark Milligan just outside the 18-yard box.

Jedinak curled his shot over the wall but saw it sail just high of the goal.

Australia has started well, all though Ivan Franjic has already picked up a yellow card for pulling the shirt of an opponent.

7.40pm — SOCCEROOS HAVE NO FEAR

Ange Postecoglou has full confidence in his team. Source: FoxSports

ANGE Postecoglou stressed his players won't be overcome by the pressure of tonight's Asian Cup final in his pre-game interview.

"This team's shown no fear all tournament. They haven't taken a backward step and they won't tonight," Postecoglou said.

The Socceroos coach insisted Ivan Franjic had overcome a hip issue.

"Ivan's fine. From our perspective everyone has a clean bill of health and we'll have a strong 11 out there," he said.

The final pits Australia's free-wheeling attack against the defensive solidarity of the South Koreans.

The Socceroos have scored 12 goals in five games while South Korea is yet to concede one.

PATH TO THE FINAL

Australia

Group stage: 4-1 win against Kuwait, 4-0 win against Oman, 1-0 defeat against South Korea

Quarter-final: 2-0 win against China, Semi-final: 2-0 win against UAE

South Korea

Group stage: 1-0 win against Oman, 1-0 win against Kuwait, 1-0 win against Australia

Quarter-final: 2-0 win against Uzbekistan, Semi-final 2-0 win against Iraq

7pm — NO SURPRISES FOR SOCCEROOS

Tim Cahill will lead from the front tonight. Source: Getty Images

IVAN Franjic has proven his fitness and will start in an unchanged Socceroos line-up for tonight's Asian Cup final against South Korea.

Ange Postecoglou has kept the faith with the 11 which did the job against UAE in the semi-final.

It's the first time the team has remained unchanged in the tournament.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Socceroos great John Kosmina said.

There are two changes from the Australian team which started against South Korea in the group stage.

Mile Jedinak was unavailable for that game because of injury, while Jason Davidson has replaced Aziz Behich at left full back.

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China’s Bridget Jones bachelors

Chinese men with a drag queen at the Chunai 98 club in Nanning, Guangxi Province. Source: Getty Images

CHINA's bachelors are in crisis. There just aren't enough women to go around.

Figures released this month show that at the end of 2014, China had 701 million men and 667 million women — a shortfall of nearly 34 million.

With 120 men for every 100 women, China's Bridget Joneses are now male, and increasingly desperate for a date.

The country's media has begun advertising options for foreign wives, recommending women from Japan, South Korea and even Ukraine. Men are turning to online dating, advertising themselves on billboards and even hiring professional matchmakers, psychologists and stylists to make themselves more appealing.

The race is on for boys to find their future wives. Source: News Corp Australia

Beijing News provided a helpful chart showing top destinations around the globe for China's male singletons to find a partner. The newspaper also blamed the "export" of women overseas for the shortage of single women.

In truth, the biggest problem has been the country's one-child policy, which led parents to abandon girls or use sex-selective abortion to guarantee a male child. Chinese hospitals have been banned from revealing a baby's sex to the parents since 1995, but families can secretly obtain black-market sonogram tests, where blood samples are carried over the border for testing.

The government is now pushing for all couples to have a second child, but the cultural shift has not yet happened. Chinese couples tend to marry fairly young and are focused on their careers by their thirties.

Single women over 30 don't have it much easier than the men. Despite their shrinking number, they are commonly considered washed-up, and referred to as "bare branches" or "leftover ladies". Wu Di, a Cosmopolitan contributor and author of I Know Why You're Left, now offers these "sheng nu" women $200-per-hour romance counselling, Foreign Policy reports.

Bachelors in poor rural areas are being hit the hardest. Source: AFP

But this may have to change, as the effects of 1978's one-child policy becomes increasingly apparent. An estimated 12 to 15 per cent of Chinese men will be unable to find a mate within the next seven years, according to The Atlantic. With an ageing population, more and more of the elderly have no children to care for them in their old age.

And the problem is already hitting hardest in poor, rural areas. Young women from these neighbourhoods are increasingly likely to head to urban centres, in China or overseas, to find a better life. China's tradition of "hypergamy" means women are expected to "marry up" in terms of class, wealth and age — and are allowed to marry at 20, while men have to wait until 22.

Low-status "diaosi" men are forced to compete against a materialistic backdrop, with a Thoughtful China panel discussion observing that status and salary were now more important than love.

Marriage is increasingly commodified in China. Source: AP

Fortune recently found that the gender imbalance had caused a two per cent rise in GDP, as China's bachelors drive the economy upwards in their effort to snag a spouse.

Owning a house has become vital, with reports of rural families buying their sons two-storey homes to impress potential mates, and leaving the second floor empty. Some men were even said to have resorted to selling blood to cement their image as a successful breadwinner.

The lack of eligible women has also led to more disturbing trends, including prostitution, trafficking and "kidnap marriage".

Some academics have linked China's gender imbalance with a rising incidence of rape and sexual harassment. PRB demographer Dudley Poston says countries with an excess of men are historically more violent, since the testosterone that helps them compete tends to drop when they take on nurturing roles as husbands and fathers.

Chinese men are being urged to look overseas for a wife. Source: News Limited

"These extra men will be the bottom of the barrel, the rural boys that nobody wants, and they won't have any money," he says, predicting an unprecedented spread of HIV and the spread of bachelor ghettos.

Academic Ravinder Kaur, who has written about the "marriage squeeze" points to research showing evidence that poor, unmarried men are not more likely to be violent, but certainly tend to have lower self-esteem and depression.

There are reports of "marriage fraud" from countries such as Vietnam, where women advertise themselves as potential wives, persuade Chinese men into lavishing them with money and gifts and then vanish just months into marriage.

South Korea has been credited with eliminating its gender imbalance in the 1990s, but it is actually a case of the rich choosing sons and the poor choosing daughters, according to Good magazine.

The future hangs in the balance for China's young, single men.

The next generation shows off its boyish enthusiasm. Source: AFP

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Inside Australia’s $20b sub war

Australia has reportedly welcomed an offer from Japan to jointly build a fleet of new submarines.

Needing improvement ... Australian navy ships need to be more sophisticated. Here, HMAS Waller returns to Fleet Base West at Garden Island. Waller (SSG 75) is the third of six Collins class submarines operated by the Royal Australian Navy. Source: Supplied

THREE of the world's biggest defence companies are gearing up for a competition to supply Australia with a new fleet of submarines for between $20 billion and $30 billion.

With the current Collins Class boats due to retire from 2026 time is running out for a government that is said to favour a sole source buy from Japan, but is being urged by experts to run an open competition for the most important defence contract in the nation's history.

It was no accident that new Defence Minister Kevin Andrews made his first official stop as minister at the ASC shipyard at Osborne in South Australia. The yard will be integral in any submarine plan and is likely to be purchased by a successful bidder (provided it is not Japan) to be used for both construction and maintenance of the new boats.

GERMANY: Puts in its bid for Aussie subs

FOREIGN SUBS: Why they'd cost us close to $30 billion

Tough call ... Defence Minister Kevin Andrews will decide the fate of our navy shipbuilding future. Picture: Supplied. Source: News Corp Australia

The future submarine project will dwarf every other national endeavour including the Snowy Mountains Scheme (about $10 billion in today's money) and the RAAF's new Joint Strike Fighter (up to $16 billion).

It will be the most expensive and complex defence project ever undertaken and it will provide the nation with a vital deterrent and force multiplier for the next 50 years.

By all accounts Mr Andrews is a cautious man who is unlikely to make the errors of his predecessor Senator David Johnston.

Johnston strongly favoured the Japanese Soryu Class boat to replace the ageing but still highly capable Collins Class fleet. The problem is that few people in Defence, and that includes those intimately associated with the project, knew much at all about the Soryu because the Japanese Navy has (understandably) been reluctant to share its deepest military secrets.

One offer ... Japan's Soryu class submarines docked in a Japanese port. Picture: Kikuchi Masayuki Source: Supplied

Given this reluctance and the unstable nature of Japan's democracy and its unwillingness to compete there appears to be considerable sovereign risk in committing so much treasure to the Japanese basket.

As author and academic Derek Woolner wrote recently on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) blog, "The degree of complexity in defence projects tended to increase with acquisition from foreign countries with which Australia had little ongoing interaction."

The Japan option — known as Option 'J' — is fraught with technical and political challenges that many believe outweigh the fact that it is the only option actually at sea and available for the reasonable price of between $600 million and $800 million per boat.

All other possible options from Germany (TKMS), France (DCNS) and Sweden (Saab Kockums) are paper vessels only. TKMS favours a larger version of an existing vessel, Saab is bidding a new type and DCNS an evolved nuclear boat that is already in service.

French nuclear submarine ... The Terrible at the DCNS yard at Cherbourg, France. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

President of the Submarine Institute of Australia, former Collins Class Submarine captain and current ASC executive Andy Keough said the biggest drawback with Option 'J' was that the Japanese had never exported any military technology let alone a submarine. He said a modified Australian version of the Soryu Class was effectively also a 'paper' boat.

"There are also disadvantages with the European options because the Americans [who will supply the combat system] would have problems with both the French and the Germans and their technology," Mr Keough said.

"The Swedes can put anything together and they are closer to the US and have integrated sensitive US technology before such as the air turbine and combat system in Collins, but they haven't built a submarine for a number of years."

A new generation submarine ... the Swedish Kockums A26 in an artist impression. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Mr Keough said the SIA was strongly of the view that there should be an open competition to draw out the best two options for a final showdown.

He said another crucial issue was the knowledge base built up during the build phase that would be vital for through-life support.

"Japanese designers know what the Japanese navy needs, but they have never worked with anyone else. The Germans offer a certain type of submarine and will modify it to the requirements of the customer."

Submarine expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Andrew Davies said the big problem with a competition is that Japan does not see itself as a commercial player like the Europeans.

Weighing in ... Andrew Davies, Senior Analyst and Director of Reaearch at ASPI shares his view. Picture: ASPI, YouTube Source: Supplied

He said if the two governments (Australia and Japan) could make the Soryu Class option work then there possibly wouldn't even be a competition. The Howard Government ignored all options when it decided to buy the US-built Joint Strike Fighter.

"This is government-to-government and the Japanese are not interested in a commercial competition. This would be their first submarine collaboration and they don't see themselves as a commercial bidder."

Dr Davies said three alternatives were being considered under Option 'J'.

The first, and in his view the most likely, was a three way collaboration with the United States that would see the boats built and fitted out in Japan. The second option was building them in Japan and fitting them out in Adelaide and finally, and in his view least likely, was construction under licence in Adelaide.

Australian navy vessels ... HMAS Dechaineux and HMAS Waller conduct manouevres in Cockburn Sound near Rockingham, Western Australia. Source: Supplied

"There are two key reasons why Option 'J' is attractive. Firstly the Japanese submarine is built and is operating and secondly it would deepen defence and security arrangements with Japan."

The possibility of a single source Japanese buy has encouraged the Germans and Swedes to produce aggressive bids for the work. TKMS and Saab Kockums have submitted unsolicited bids that are very attractive on price as well as technology and workforce transfer. Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems, that builds submarines for several navies, got the ball rolling with a public $20 billion bid for 12 boats that could be built in either Kiel, Germany or at ASC or both.

European competition ... the German built HDW Class 214 submarine from TKMS. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Saab followed suit with a "very competitive" bid that would probably include ownership of ASC and guarantee long-term jobs and skills transfers. The company is playing catch-up but has hired some of the best submarines brains around as it sprints towards a new Swedish submarine industry.

DCNS is waiting quietly in the wings until it can examine detailed requirements for the new boats.

Collins Class builder ASC also went public with an estimate of $21.4 billion for up to 12 submarines. That put to rest government spin (after it broke an election pledge to build them in Adelaide no matter what) that the cost of a local build would be more than $40 billion.

The SA Labor Government has produced independent economic modelling that shows a local build would deliver the nation $20 billion bonus to net GDP and 120,000 man years of work during the life of the project. It also estimated at least $5.5 billion of tax revenue from the project.

These are compelling numbers and they will weigh heavily on the minds of the bean counters in cabinet as they decide during the next few weeks whether or not to go to the market.

THE PLAYERS AND THEIR MARKETS

*DCNS-France, Brazil, Pakistan, India, Chile and Malaysia

*Saab Kockums — Sweden, Australia

*TKMS — Germany, Brazil, Greece, South Korea, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Singapore and South Africa.

*Kawasaki/Mitsubishi Japan — Soryu Class Japan only

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Abbott gaffe sparks republic talk

The PM has taken a hit in the latest polls over the decision to grant a knighthood to Prince Philip.

Apologetic ... Tony Abbott attending the Australia Day citizenship ceremony in Canberra. Picture: News Corp Australia Source: News Corp Australia

THERE'S been a flurry of movement this week inside the suburban brown brick office of the Australian Republican Movement.

Phones are ringing hot, emails are flooding in, and staff are busy trying to respond to a sizeable upswing in membership queries coming in through social media.

The irony of it isn't lost on the small group of committed republicans – that Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the most resolute monarchist since Robert Menzies at least, has inadvertently breathed new life into the debate over who should be Australia's head of state.

UK REACTION: Abbott's 'knightmare' continues

UPSET AUSSIES: Abbott pushed his luck with this one

ANDREW BOLT: Knighthood could cost Abbott the leadership

Do you support the idea of Australia becoming a republic? Tell us below.

A totaly knightmare ... Prime Minister Tony Abbott gave Prince Philip a knighthood. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

"Tony Abbott has clearly created interest in the republic again," says Geoff Gallop chair of the Australian Republican Movement.

"He's put the focus on this whole issue of the aristocracy and the monarchy, and he is putting it in the face of people who are egalitarians, who are not into this."

"By putting it up there in lights people start thinking, is this important?" Gallop says.

Even its most committed supporters will concede the republican cause in Australia has been limping along for the last 15 years.

Public support for removing the monarchy is well below what it was at the time of the 1999 Referendum.

A Fairfax-Neilson poll last year suggested support for a republic had collapsed to just 39.4 per cent, and was lowest among young gen Y's as well as older Australians.

A ballot paper in the republic referendum of 1999. Source: News Limited

A more favourable Essential poll, commissioned by the Australian Republican Movement, puts support for an Australian republic at 47 per cent, but the organisation admits it has only been picking up about one new member a day, while many other memberships lapse.

So the bizarre and unpopular decision of Abbott to bestow a knighthood on the Queen's husband, has not only unleashed a chorus of whispers about the precarious state of his leadership, it has also become a catalyst to revive what had largely become a dormant debate.

Or as one new card-carrying republican put it on social media: "The republic debate had almost disappeared from my mindset … But after Tony Abbott's latest ludicrous decision to bring back knights and dames and then adding insult to injury by appointing Prince Phillip I immediately decided I've enough of this royalist nonsense from this PM."

But the monarchist camp is so far showing no signs of fear that the end could be neigh for the British Royal Family and their constitutional reign over Australia.

"It is a storm in a tea cup, I don't think it will last more than two days," Australians for Constitutional Monarchy national convener David Flint says about the sir Phillip controversy.

"Australians are not passionate about a change to a republic. Constitutional monarchists are strong in their beliefs, there is this core group of strong monarchists and when they see that things are in trouble, they will come out," he says.

Historic push ... "Honk for the Republic" campaigners walk the streets of Adelaide in 1999. Picture: News Corp Australia Source: News Limited

Professor Flint is adamant that public support for a referendum has already reached its zenith.

He says the combination of the approaching anniversary of federation, the turn of the millennium, the death of Princess Diana, the excitement about the Sydney Olympics, and the broad support the 'Yes' camp received from the mainstream media, meant republicans had the best run they could ever hope for in 1999.

Professor Flint also points out that the baby boomers remain the generation most committed to abandoning the monarchy and the republicans have largely failed to galvanise younger Australians, particularly those who have come of voting age since 1999.

Had its time ... Professor David Flint believes the 'Yes' camp has had its day. Source: News Limited

He says monarchists on the other hand have successfully capitalised on the celebrity cult of Kate, Wills baby George to recruit the under 30s.

Twenty-year-old Gabrielle Hendry is a spokeswoman for the Australian Monarchists League, a staunch supporter of maintaining our current constitutional arrangements, and a fan of the young royals.

"I think there is a huge surge of support among young people for the monarchy," Hendry says.

"There is the constitutional element to it – just having a stable Westminster system that provides checks and balances – and the revitalisation of the monarchy itself."

But Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten disagrees. He told News Corp Australia this week he believed Australians were "hungry for a debate about our future".

Information pamphlet ... the AEC referendum that took place in 1999. Source: News Limited

"I firmly believe it's time to breathe new life into the idea of an Australian Republic," Shorten says.

"The simple fact is that our nation and our place in the world has changed – and I believe now is the time for a renewed discussion about an Australian head of state."

And while the polls indicate there is a great deal of apathy among gen Ys when it comes to our head of state, 30-year-old Adam Collins from the Australian Republican Movement agrees 2015 is a good time to start talking about the issue again.

"The republic isn't about the celebrity of royalty, it's about being sophisticated and mature enough to produce a head of state that is one of our own, it's unfinished business for our country."

Pro or anti monarchy? ... a portrait of Queen Elizabeth in the NSW State Parliament. Source: News Limited

"By contrast it's illogical and irrational to keep a system that puts, at the top of our tree, a royal family, living in a castle, several thousand kilometres away, in the year 2015," he says.

Collins says the 3.5 million Australians who have come on the voting roll since 1999 will be key in determining whether Australia becomes a republic in the near future, and these younger Australians needed to be engaged in a mature discussion.

But if there is one real and legitimate stopper to the republic debate building up a head of steam in the next year or two, it is the general consensus that nothing can be done until a referendum is held on constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians.

There is widespread consensus that recognition for Australia's first people is the top constitutional priority, and nothing should detract from its chances of successful in the interim.

But constitutional expert George Williams thinks the result of that referendum could be a good indication of the prospects of the next referendum for a republic.

"The defining moment for this will likely hinge on the success of the indigenous recognition referendum. If that fails it will be difficult to generate momentum for the republic in the near term, but if it succeeds the republicans could capitalise on that," Professor Williams says.

Originally published as Abbott gaffe sparks republic talk

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Howzat! Ball girl takes classic catch

I got it ... The Australian Open ball girl didn't miss a beat as she caught a wayward ball. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Supplied

AN Australian Open ball girl was cheered at Rod Laver Arena after taking a great catch during last night's men's semi-final.

The highlight came during the second set in the match between Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic.

At 4-2 up in the second set, Wawrinka served a fault which Djokovic returned before Wawrinka hit it away.

The girl, on her knees at the net, didn't miss a beat, sticking her hand out to make the one-handed catch.

The crowd went wild cheering her on with the ball girl smirking after realising her efforts did not go unnoticed.

Back to it ... The ball girl went straight back to monitoring the players after taking the catch. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Supplied

Originally published as Howzat! Ball girl takes classic catch

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The world’s most luxurious airport lounge

First class: and the winner of the best lounge in the world goes to Qantas in Sydney, designed by Marc Newson. Source: Supplied

Qantas has just been announced as the winner of an award for the best first class lounge in the world by design industry leader TheDesignAir.

The Marc Newson designed lounge made it into the Top 10 Airport Lounges of 2015, as voted for by an independent judging panel of ten design and aviation names.

The Qantas, Marc Newson designed First Class lounge Pic: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia

The other lounges in the top 10 included the Qantas Lounge in Hong Kong the Finnair Premium Lounge in Helsinki, the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Hong Kong, the China Airlines Lounge in Taipei, the JAL First Class Lounge in Haneda, the GVK Lounge in Mumbai, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow, the Qatar Airways Lounge in Doha, and the British Airways Concorde Lounge at Heathrow.

TheDesignAir was created by founder Jonny Clark in 2012, who originally trained as a commercial pilot and went on to create a news and product review site that showcases the recent influx of design influences shaping the aviation industry.

"Our awards have been running for three years, and every year, we evaluate the very best the airline industry can offer. Our esteemed judging panel continually delve into the products on offer and evaluate on a series of criteria, from service and offering, through to most importantly, design aesthetic," said Jonny Clark, founder and lead judge of TheDesignAir.

"Lounges around the world have become more than just a place to relax or work before a flight. The last couple of years have seen these previously uninspiring vacuous spaces become areas of luxury and comfort, with a large emphasis on branding spaces.

"There are some industry leaders that really stick out, and Qantas of all the carriers is standing out as an airline who has invested in creating a very beautiful on-the-ground product that punches far above their weight"

The relaxed zone of the Qantas first class lounge in Sydney Pic: Supplied Source: Supplied

TheDesignAir Top 10 lists have been running since late 2012, covering a range of aviation categories and celebrating the way in which design is growing as a factor in the aviation experience.

"Awarding the efforts of those carriers who strive in making the travel experience much more convenient, comfortable and luxurious is something we take pride on," says Enrique Perrella, Publisher and Editor in Chief of Airways Magazine and fellow TheDesignAir judge.

"By teaming up with TheDesignAir, we're certain that our monthly choices will become an industry standard. Travelling is a marvellous thing, it's up to the airlines to improve the passengers' experience."

Qantas Group Executive of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth said Qantas is delighted to take out not one, but two of the top ten lounge awards, as it highlights the airline's commitment to having the best product both on the ground and in the air.

"Our flagship Sydney First Lounge has set the bar to the highest standard globally and we are excited that our remodelled Hong Kong Lounge has also been included in the top two,'' says Ms Wirth.

"Our frequent flyers tell us having a relaxing and enjoyable pre-flight experience is important because it sets the tone for their overall journey. Qantas will keep investing in these areas to ensure our lounges and our entire in-flight offering continues to set a high benchmark."

So what makes the Qantas lounge stand out from the crowd?

Swish before you swoosh: the interior of the Qantas first-class lounge at Sydney Airport. Pic: supplied Source: Supplied

Well, try this wrap sheet from TheDesignAir.

Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney

"Qantas is on a roll: having opened a handful of lounges in 2014 alone, the airline seems to have managed to successfully develop a winning formula. Although the lounges have been created by a collection of different designers, the original flagship lounge, designed by its Creative Director Marc Newson, has really shown itself to be the ultimate template to follow. Although it is a few years old now, the lounge has refused to age, and still offers a contemporary haven in Sydney Airport.

Looks like a giant crumpet! No, it's the roof of the Qantas first-class lounge in Sydney. Source: Supplied

While it features an impressive square footage, offering swathes of personal space, the area is compartmentalised to provide more intimate areas.

For those seeking the ultimate hedonistic experience; if you have the time, there is a spa that can offer a 50 minute long full body massage surrounded by a living wall of lush green foliage. After the massage, why not visit the restaurant, with a menu created by Neil Perry (of Rockpool restaurant fame), serving fine Australian cuisine on tables designed to look like helipads and a wine list that any Michelin-starred restaurant would be proud of.

There are also a library, a business centre (naturally), and a sweeping panorama of the airport. What really contributes to set this lounge apart is the feeling that it was designed from the ground up, a space that wasn't ever meant to be anything even resembling what it now is. The wooden veneers, clean white seating, splashes of red and living walls offer a calming, contemporary environment that doesn't challenge the eye, but naturally provides a sense of relaxation and luxury. That is a difficult blend to master, but this lounge just seems to do so effortlessly."

Continue the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @melissahoyer

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MH370 declared ‘an accident’

The Search for MH370 video aims to explain the activities and complexity of the search effort to date, for families affected by the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, and the general public.

Sad news ... a briefing aboard the survey ship Go Phoenix searching for MH370. Source: Twitter

THE mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 has officially been declared an accident by Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation.

In an announcement that was itself shrouded in controversy when it was initially cancelled due to the presence of next of kin, Director-General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman told a press conference all 239 passengers and crew were "presumed to have lost their lives".

He said Malaysia Airlines was immediately ready to proceed with compensation payments for families of the victims.

"This declaration is by no means the end," said Mr Rahman.

"We will forge ahead with the assistance of the Governments of China and Australia.

"MH370, its passengers and its crews will always be remembered and honoured."

The investigation was now in the "search and recovery stage" but no hope was held of finding survivors.

REVEALED: What keeps MH370 searchers motivated

MORE: The first year report on the MH370 mystery

"Malaysia continues to cooperate with China and Australia for MH370's search to bring closure to the tragedy," said the Director-General.

"The search and recovery in the Indian Ocean remains a priority."

Investigations by international aviation authorities and the Malaysian Police were continuing but both were "limited by the lack of physical evidence, particularly the flight recorders".

The MH370 search area ... released by Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Source: Supplied

"Therefore at this juncture, there is no evidence to substantiate any speculations as to the cause of the accident," he said.

"An interim statement detailing the progress of the safety investigation is expected to be released on or around the one year anniversary of the accident."

MH370 search vessel ... Go Phoenix being resupplied in Fremantle to continue the search for missing Malaysian Airline plane. Source: Supplied

The statement is likely to be cold comfort to the families of passengers and crew, wondering if they will ever know the fate of their loved ones.

A search of the southern Indian Ocean which is believed to be the final resting place of the Boeing 777 has covered 30 per cent of the "priority" area without any trace of the aircraft.

The news comes as relatives of those missing on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 protested in Beijing, demanding that the search for their loved ones not be called off.

A relative of a passenger of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 holds a picture of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak with the writing "Please bring back my husband". Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Around two dozen Chinese relatives of the missing protested at the Malaysian embassy early today.

Police officers cordoned off the area in Beijing's Chaoyang district, and more than 50 police cars, buses and five firetrucks were deployed to the area.

Families in Malaysia were also unhappy after they appeared at a press conference earlier which had been suddenly cancelled before Mr Rahman's pre-recorded announcement was aired.

A relative of a passenger who was on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 talks to journalists in Putrajaya. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

For families of those on board, it will mean Malaysia Airlines can now pay compensation of $180,000 per victim, as required by international conventions.

For the Australian-led search effort, it is a reminder of the importance of the mission underway in the southern Indian Ocean.

Now into its fourth month, the underwater search has been a gruelling task for the crews of the vessels involved.

Working around the clock, the four vessels have been using sonar equipment attached to lengthy cables to scour the ocean floor, hoping to find some evidence of the Boeing 777.

To date not a trace has been found, but experts say that is no indication they are looking in the wrong place.

Search continues ... a Fugro autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) launched from the Australian-contracted survey ship M/V Fugro Discovery as part of a new high-resolution search for MH370. Source: Supplied

The southern Indian Ocean is vast and a similar incident - the crash of Air France flight 447 in 2009 - took two years before the wreckage was found, when investigators had a good idea of where the A330 came down.

In the case of MH370, all investigators have to go on is a series of "pings" or handshakes recorded between the mute aircraft and satellites after all other ground communication was lost.

The pings have provided an "approximate" location for the aircraft's whereabouts during its doomed flight.

But even the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has conceded on several occasions they are working with probabilities, not certainties.

The current underwater search is expected to be completed in May.

Australian and Malaysian authorities have committed to continuing the search until the aircraft is found.

Hi-tech ... equipment used to search the seabed for any sign of the aircraft. Source: Supplied

Six Australians and two New Zealanders were among the 239 passengers and crew.

There has been official reason given for the aircraft's disappearance but theories have ranged from pilot sabotage and alien abduction.

There has even been speculation the aircraft was shot down by the US military because it was believed to have been hijacked by terrorists.

The International Air Transport Association is working with airlines to develop better technology to track aircraft to ensure there is never a repeat of MH370.

The Malaysia Airlines' flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished from radar screens on March 8, 2014 less than an hour into its journey.

All communications were lost and its last known position was between Malaysia and Vietnam.

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‘He didn’t tell me he was doing that’

Emma Freedman is making the move from television to radio. Source: News Corp Australia

WHEN Emma Freedman was unceremoniously let go from Nine last year, her fans knew it wouldn't be long until she was snapped up again.

And in an ironic twist, the pocket rocket presenter has gone straight from television's Today to radio's Today network.

Six weeks after her shock axeing from the weekend breakfast program, the 26-year-old has landed a new gig on air, as co-host of the new national nightly program The Scoopla Show with Jules Lund and Emma Freedman on Southern Cross Austereo's Today network, weeknights at 6pm.

"I'm really excited and really happy", Freedman told news.com.au of her new gig. "I feel like I've found a spot within the SCA family and now have a job that's mine, that belongs to me, that I can stick my teeth into and take ownership of and a job where I'm not filling in for anyone.

Emma Freedman and Jules Lund will host Scoopla, taking a fun look at the day's top stories in showbiz for an hour each night. Source: Supplied

"I feel like the universe is giving back a little."

On December 15 last year, news broke that Freedman's contract would not be renewed by Channel 9 as part of cost-cutting measures.

Shocked fans of the weather presenter quickly rallied. Chief among them was her horse trainer father Lee Freedman, who tweeted his disapproval at the ruthless decision.

Support for the bubbly blonde surged and within hours, fans were calling for her reinstatement.

While Freedman says she was overwhelmed and surprised by the support, she wasn't happy with her father when she found out what he'd posted on the social media platform.

"I was initially really angry", she said. "He is a bit useless with tech, but he didn't tell me he was doing that. I kept getting calls about my Dad's tweet and I was like 'what is going on?' and when I saw what he'd said I was like 'oh Dad, I don't know if that's the best way to handle it' but I guess he's just a very proud dad."

Emma Freedman is ready to tackle the world of radio. Source: News Corp Australia

The David Jones ambassador says after having her first Christmas and New Year off in five years, she gained some perspective and figured out that "everything happens for a reason".

"You have to go with that mindset because constantly feeling hard done by or disappointed is not the way to think or carry on.

"You have to be positive and strong and aim to be happy. I think my perspective has matured, it was difficult to process at the time, but I'm 26, not 60.

"What happened to me has happened to a thousand other people, you have to go into this industry with thick skin and you would be deluded if you thought it couldn't happen to you too."

The reaction to her shock dumping made headlines the same morning as the Sydney siege began, which Freedman says also put everything in perspective.

"As emotional as I was, when I saw the siege happening I was like 'woah, your problems are nothing', it was horrific to watch all that unfold."

The former Weekend Today presenter was with Nine for five years. Source: Channel 9

While her Nine counterparts Lisa Wilkinson, Richard Wilkins, Karl Stefanovic and Ken Sutcliffe were some of the people who's advice helped at the time, she says her new co-host was coincidentally one of the first people to offer support.

"Jules was one of the first people to call me after it happened and this show hadn't even been thought of yet, honest to God. He gave me some amazing advice and it's kind of weird to be doing this show with him now considering ... it feels a bit like fate actually, maybe I was meant to be in radio."

Of his new Scoopla co-star, Lund, who moves to the later slot after the lacklustre performance of the station's breakfast show last year, told news.com.au: "Em's one of the sharpest, most dynamic broadcasters in the country. We've been great mates for years. I couldn't be happier."

Heard across 31 stations nationally, Scoopla will see the pair take a fun look at the day's top stories in showbiz for an hour each night.

You can catch The Scoopla Show with Jules Lund and Emma Freedman on Southern Cross Austereo's Today network weeknights at 6pm from February 2.

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This is what Kobane looks like now

Strategic win ... Kobane has been destroyed after months of fighting which ultimately led to the expulsion of Islamic State militants. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Journalists took a tour through conflict-torn Kobane, Wednesday, after the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) announced the recapture of the Syrian-Turkish border town from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants on Monday 26. Large parts of Kobane lie in ruins following five months of intense fighting between Kurdish and IS forces, as well as numerous airstrikes by the US-led coalition of Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The empty streets are now patrolled by Kurdish fighters celebrating their victory amid spent shells and debris. It is believed over half the town has been destroyed in the conflict.

PULVERISED buildings, rubble-strewn streets, torched cars — these are the first images of Kobane after more than four months of intense fighting.

Kurdish flags now fly over the Syrian border town after Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) drove out Islamic State jihadists in a major strategic victory on Monday.

But the ferocious battle, including coalition shelling, has left the town on the Turkish frontier in ruins.

Kurdish fighters armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles patrol the streets, now empty after more than 200,000 residents fled across the border into Turkey.

ISIS DEFEAT: Aussie jihadis killed in Kobane battle

BATTLE: Kurds push ISIS militants out of Kobane

"Our heritage is our most valuable possession. But in the current conditions, returning home is simply impossible to imagine," said refugee Cemile Hasan, 36, through sobs.

For now it is impossible to cross back into Syria as police and soldiers have sealed the crossing near Kobane until further notice.

Although about 1200 IS fighters were killed in battle, US State Department officials warned the jihadis were "adaptive and resilient" and no-one was declaring "mission accomplished" yet.

Pulverised ... a Kurdish fighter walks through the wreckage of a building in Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on January 28. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Destroyed ... Kurdish fighters walk through Kobane which has been destroyed after months of fighting. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Demolition ... a Kurdish man stands in a destroyed building in the centre of the Syrian border town of Kobane. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Tragic ... a shell is used as a vase in the Syrian border town of Kobane after Kurdish forces recaptured the strategic town on the Turkish frontier. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Demolished ... the streets of Kobane are now patrolled by Kurdish militiamen with barely a civilian in sight. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Rubble ... Kobane has been all but destroyed in the fighting between Kurdish forces and ISIS. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Still smiling ... little Kurdish children stand outside their destroyed homes in Kobane. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Signs of life ... a cat runs through the wreckage left by fighting on a street in the centre of the Syrian town of Kobane. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Once thriving ... this picture shows what's left of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, after months of fighting. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Explosives ... an injured Kurdish fighter sits near an exploded mortar shell in Kobane. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Weapons ... Kurdish fighters work on a mounted machine gun Kobane. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Camaraderie ... a Kurdish fighter walks with his child through Kobane, a Syrian border town. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Demolished ... a Kurdish man checks the eastern part of the Syrian border town of Kobane after it was recaptured by Kurdish forces. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Destruction ... a Kurdish fighter stands near an overturned truck in Kobane on January 28. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

Home ... thousands of Syrian refugees are desperate to return home, but there is nothing to go back to. Picture: AFP/Bulent Kilic Source: AFP

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Scorchers win BBL title on final ball

The Perth Scorchers have claimed back-to-back BBL titles with a thrilling 4-wicket victory over the Sydney Sixers.

Yasir Arafat celebrates hitting a single from the final ball of the game to secure the BBL04 title for Perth. Photo by Matt King. Source: Getty Images

IT was so close to being a fairytale ending for Brett Lee, but it was the Perth Scorchers who claimed back-to-back Big Bash titles with a thrilling four-wicket win over the Sydney Sixers.

Chasing 148 for victory at Manuka Oval in Canberra, Shaun Marsh hit a memorable 73 from 59 deliveries but, as Big Bash games tend to do, this one went down to the wire.

Lee was left to bowl the final over — of the game and his career — with the Scorchers needing just eight runs to win off it.

Incredibly, the former Test quick struck to bowl Nathan Coulter-Nile with a magnificent delivery and then dismissed Sam Whiteman with the next ball.

The Perth Scorchers celebrate back-to-back titles. Photo by Matt King Source: Getty Images

The Scorchers needed one run to win and Lee was on a hat trick, but Yasir Arafat survived it and scrambled through for the single.

It was a lucky run, but an appropriately breathtaking way to end of the fourth edition of the BBL

If it was a difficult batting wicket, watching Marsh and Michael Klinger cruise to an opening wicket partnership of 70 you'd never know it.

Brett Lee has finished his cricketing career with an unbelievable final over which had a little bit of everything.

It was easy as you like, until the retiring hero Brett Lee finally made the breakthrough. Playing in his last ever match, Lee had Klinger caught by Sean Abbott for 33.

It was his 11th wicket of the season and he would go on to take two more, his highest tally of any Big Bash tournament. Not a bad way to sign off.

Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters and Brett Lee look on after the loss. Photo by Matt King. Source: Getty Images

And just in case there were any lingering thoughts of Lee making another comeback, he has already ruled out taking part in the Champions League.

Earlier, Henriques played a gutsy captain's knock to help the Sixers to a competitive total of 4-147 on what appeared to be a very difficult batting wicket.

He showed tremendous patience as he hit an unbeaten 77 from 57 balls — his highest ever Big Bash score, and what a time for it.

Not only did Henriques' fine form in the Big Bash earn him a call up to the national team — which saw him miss the thrilling Sydney derby — but he has been widely praised for his leadership throughout the season.

Shaun Marsh hit 73 from 59 balls. Photo by Matt King. Source: Getty Images

The Sixers managed just two sixes in their innings, both hit by Henriques at the very end, which was probably a fair indication of how challenging the Manuka Oval pitch was.

The skipper was excellently supported by Ryan Carters (35 from 25 balls) at the other end and the two formed a crucial, unbeaten 98-run partnership, 94 of which we scored in the last 10 overs.

It was an excellent recovery given the strife the Sixers found themselves in early on.

Both openers, Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels, were bowled cheaply following a blistering start from the Scorchers bowlers.

Moises Henriques scored 77 from 57 balls. Photo by Matt King Source: Getty Images

Jason Behrendorff, the domestic player of the year, and Nathan Coulter-Nile caused carnage upfront, Behrendorff bowling Wessels to claim his 15th wicket of the tournament.

Nic Maddinson (19 from 22 balls) was undone by a Yasir Arafat yorker and when Jordan Silk was clean-bowled by the veteran Brad Hogg a short while later the Sixers were wilting on 4/53 after 10 overs.

But no more wickets fell after that as Henriques and Carters staged an impressive comeback.

It's just a shame more fans didn't get to see the Big Bash finale live.

Because the World Cup is just around the corner, the ICC require a lockout period and Cricket Australia couldn't guarantee each team would have the use of their stadium.

That's why a neutral venue was picked to host the final and to be fair it was packed to capacity.

Originally published as Scorchers win BBL title on final ball

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Family horror: Three ‘hacked to death’

Pictured on a family holiday are parents Martin and Teresa van Breda with their daughter Marli, 16, and sons Henri, 20, and Rudi, 22. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

THREE members of a former Perth family have been found "hacked to death" in their ​South African home.

A fourth family member has been critically injured and a fifth has reportedly been taken away by the police.

Businessman Martin van Breda, 54, his wife Teresa, 55, and their son Rudi, 22, were found dead in their home in an exclusive golf-course estate home ​at Stellenbosch, near​ ​Cape Town, ​yesterday morning, local time.

The couple's daughter Marli, 16, is in a critical but stable condition with serious head injuries and their 20-year-old son Henri is assisting police and being questioned, South African media are reporting.

Police spokesman Andre Traut said no arrests have been made at this stage.

Emergency medical services spokesman Robert Daniels said it appeared the victims had been killed with an axe.

"What I can say is they were not shot, the patients were axed. The daughter was rushed to hospital with severe head trauma and a severed jugular," Mr Daniels told Cape Times. "The other son had minor bruises on his arms. He was treated at the scene."

Victims ... Martin and Teresa van Breda. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

News24 reported Marli is a year 11 student at Somerset College. The school's headmistress, Meg Fargher, said Marli started at the school last year and her parents were very involved in college activities.

"She's a lovely, popular, clever girl," Ms Fargher said.

Marli's boyfriend is also a student at the school.

The family were originally from South Africa but had lived in Claremont for about six years. They returned to South Africa in June last year. ​

Their son Rudi ​reportedly ​attended Scotch College in Victoria

In hospital ... Marli van Breda is in a critical but stable condition. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied

Family friend Alexander Boshoff, 19, said the community was shaken by the news.

"Our families often spent holidays together. We have known each other for years. Martin was one of my dad's business partners at Curro Holdings," he told Cape Times. "They moved around a lot because of Martin's business, but Henri and Rudi never really complained. They were like a perfect family."

Curro Holdings owns a number of private schools in South Africa.

A close friend, who didn't want to be named, told News 24 the van Bredas were a "stunning family".

"I'm just shocked, I can't believe it," she said, adding that she had spent time with the family a few days ago.

She said Mr van Breda was calm and quiet, while his wife was excited about doing a cooking course in Italy.

The estate's homeowners association said there had been no breach of security at the estate.

"We wish to report that there was no breach of our security and we believe it was an isolated incident, confined to the scene of the crime," De Zalze homeowners' association chairman Eben Potgieter said.

Killed ... Martin and Teresa van Breda. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

Originally published as Family horror: Three 'hacked to death'

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Zombie cat ‘rises from the dead’

Zombie cat ... Bart's owners say he clawed his way out of a grave. Picture: Humane Society Source: Supplied

PET Sematary is real, it seems.

Bart the cat was hit by a car and buried. Five days later, he rose from the dead.

Bart's owner, Ellis Hutson, said he found the cat two weeks ago in the middle of a Florida road, lifeless in a pool of blood.

The 52-year-old asked his friend to help bury Bart because he was so distraught.

"We were so close, I couldn't stand to bury him," Mr Hutson told ABC News in the US. "I put him on the shoulder of the road and went and got David. He dug a hole and covered up the cat with dirt. I witnessed him bury the cat."

But five days later, Bart turned up in a neighbour's yard with a broken jaw and ruptured eye.

"I open the door and my neighbour's standing there with the cat in her hand," Mr Hutson said. "She said, 'Bart is not dead.' I said, 'That's impossible. We buried Bart.'"

Neighbour Dusty Albritton said she was shocked to see Bart in her yard, looking for food.

"At first it blew me away", Ms Albritton said. "All I knew was this cat was dead and 'Pet Sematary' is real," she continued, referring to Stephen King's famous horror novel.

It is not clear how the "zombie cat" escaped his muddy grave, but some reports claim he clawed his way out.

Mr Huston said his nearly two-year-old feline suffered head trauma, a broken jaw and a damaged eye which will never work again.

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which is caring for "Bart the Miracle Cat", say they have never seen anything like it.

Bart had surgery on Tuesday night to remove his ruined eye and treat his jaw, and is now "resting comfortably" according to the society's Facebook page.

Ms Albritton has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money to cover Bart's medical expenses. More than $US3600 has been donated.

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Aussie jihadists slain as Kobane falls

Kurdish militia have driven the Islamic State group from the Syrian town of Kobane and raised their flags.

Success ... Members of People's Democratic Party (HDP) pose for a group picture at a roundabout inside Kobane after Kurdish fighters drove the Islamic State group from the Syrian border town. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

KURDISH flags are now flying over Kobane after Kurdish fighters finally drove out ISIS jihadists from the Syrian border town in a major strategic victory.

Observers say ISIS lost nearly 1,200 fighters in the battle, of a total of 1,800 killed, despite outgunning the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) with sophisticated weaponry captured from Iraqi and Syrian military bases.

The combat also sparked a mass exodus of local residents, with some 200,000 fleeing across the border into Turkey.

The US official said that many foreign fighters — including Australians, Belgians, Canadians and Chechens — were among the dead jihadists, but declined to give exact figures other than to say "it was hugely, hugely significant."

TERROR WIN: ISIS militants have been pushed out of Kobane

DEAL WITH DEVIL: ISIS terror swap

Hoisting the flag ... Kurdish fighters in Kobane are seen raising the Kurdish flag. Picture: Russia Today Source: Supplied

Despite the apparent victory, smoke filled the air above Kobane and Turkish security forces continued to block the Syrian-Turkish border.

Clashes broke out when a number of people attempted to enter the city following news of the victory. The Turkish border forces fired tear gas and used water cannons to dispel the crowd. The tension reportedly decreased following a call from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) for the crowd to retreat from the border.

Kurdish forces recaptured the town on the Turkish frontier from the Islamic State group on Monday in a symbolic blow for the jihadists who have seized swathes of territory in their brutal onslaught across Syria and Iraq.

Fight goes on ... Despite the apparent victory, smoke filled the air above Kobane and Turkish security forces continued to block the Syrian-Turkish border. Picture: Russia Today Source: Supplied

After more than four months of fighting, the streets — now patrolled by Kurdish militiamen with barely a civilian in sight — were a mass of rubble and gutted buildings, the journalists said.

Kurdish fighters armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles greeted the journalists with a hail of celebratory gunshots into the air and made the "V" for victory sign.

In one street, a mortar shell lay on the pockmarked tarmac. In another, a bright yellow car was left abandoned in the rubble, riddled with bullet holes, as a couple of men walked by to inspect the damage.

On Tuesday, Kurdish forces battled IS militants in villages around Kobane, warning that the fight against the jihadists was far from over.

Wrecked ... A Kurdish fighter stands amid rubble in Kobane. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The recapture of Kobane appeared however to be a major step in the campaign against the IS militants who had seemed poised to seize the town after they began their advance in September.

But analysts said air strikes by the US-led coalition had been key to the YPG's success, taking out some of the jihadists' heavier weaponry and hitting their supply routes.

A minister in the regional Kobane government said Tuesday that at least half of the town had been destroyed.

The YPG had announced the "liberation" of Kobane on Monday, depriving the IS group of a prize to add to its territory in Syria and Iraq.

"Our forces fulfilled the promise of victory," the militia said, but cautioned that fighting was not over yet.

The United States had said on Tuesday that Kurdish fighters were in control of about 90 per cent of the town.

"ISIL is now, whether on order or whether they are breaking ranks, beginning to withdraw from the town," a senior State Department official told reporters.

But he warned that the militants, also known as ISIL, were "adaptive and resilient" and no-one was declaring "mission accomplished" yet.

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