Worst over in Vic baby illness mystery

More than a dozen babies in Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital have fallen ill to a mystery bug. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN Health Minister David Davis says the worst is over after more than a dozen babies in a hospital nursery came down with a mysterious infection.

Fifteen newborns being cared for in The Royal Women's Hospital's intensive and special care nursery were quarantined when the illness emerged nine days ago.

Two babies had to have surgery for an inflammatory bowel condition.

Mr Davis said the outbreak was a challenge that had been well-managed.

"An infection in neonatal has been worked through and followed up with the support of the chief health officer of Victoria," he said.

"We are now eight days since any further infection. This can happen from time-to-time but has been handled appropriately and carefully."

Mr Davis said state opposition allegations that funding cuts were to blame for stress in neonatal units were false and bed numbers were at record numbers.

He said adequate bed numbers in neonatal units was a long-term challenge for government that was separate to the infection.

"From time-to-time there are peaks in demand (of beds) and there is pressure. However the state government is working to ensure their sufficient capacity," he said.

A hospital spokeswoman said there was no danger to new arrivals and that the babies are getting better.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said she was concerned about the stress on neonatal care units across the state.

"There is continuing pressure put on those units and we know that there has been an issue this week with 20 babies still being barrier nursed," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

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London mayor Johnson backs UK fracking

London Mayor Boris Johnson says wind farms are a "disease" and the UK should embrace nuclear power. Source: AAP

WIND farms are a "disease" which have blighted Britain's countryside and the country should embrace nuclear power and fracking to meet its energy needs, London Mayor Boris Johnson says.

Johnson accused the energy companies of "ruthlessly exploiting" a shortage of supply as he insisted the UK must stop "pussy-footing around" and start exploiting shale gas reserves.

The senior Tory said turning to a new generation of nuclear plants and fracking would cut energy bills and boost the economy.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday he said he was shocked by the number of wind turbines he saw on a recent drive to Scotland.

"It is a good 20 years since I last drove all the way to Scotland, and in the interim something unbelievable has been done - in our name - to our green, pleasant and precious countryside," he said.

"I mean the windmills, the turbines - whatever they are called. I mean the things that look like some hideous Venusian invasion, marching over the moors and destroying the dales; the colossal seaside toys plonked erratically across our ancient landscape; the endless parade of waving white-armed old lunatics, gesticulating feebly at each other across the fields and the glens.

"They seemed to be everywhere, and I asked myself, when were we consulted? Was there a referendum? Did someone ever warn the British people that these moaning seagull slicers were going to be erected on some of the most sensational scenery that God ever called into being?

"The answer is that no one warned us, because no one really took the decision to do it. It just sort of happened. We have contracted these mills like a disease, because of our pathetic apology for an energy policy."

Claiming that the turbines would not meet the UK's needs he blamed the last Labour administration for failing to get to grips with the issue, leaving the UK facing an energy crisis.

"It is time to take the fight to the energy companies, who have been ruthlessly exploiting their position - and the best answer is an enormous increase in supply. We can do it, and we can do it in a way that is as clean and green as any technology on earth," he said.

"First we need to grow some collective cojones and launch the nuclear energy programme that this country has too long delayed. Do you know how much of their juice the French get from their nuclear programme? Almost 80%. They are laughing at us - us, the nation that split the atom!"

He added: "Next, we must stop pussy-footing around, and get fracking. Even if we have 100s of fracking pads, they are nothing like as ugly as windmills, and they can be dismantled as soon as the gas is extracted."

Mr Johnson said shale was "clean and green" and would help the UK secure its own energy supply without relying on gas from countries such as Russia.

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Trekkers' attackers captured in PNG

FOUR men suspected in the ambush and murder of two guides leading a group of Australian trekkers in Papua New Guinea have been captured by villagers, police say.

The four were captured on Sunday morning near the town of Wau, a five-and-a-half-hour walk from the Black Cat Track in PNG's Morobe province, where local guides Kuia Kerry and Matthew Lasong were killed when they were attacked by six armed men.

Several Australians and six PNG men were injured in the attack.

Police said on Sunday one suspect was caught in the town of Salamaua while the other three were caught in Wau.

"I believe it is only a matter of time before the other two are captured and brought in," Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga said in a statement.

"Whilst I encourage the local community to continue to assist police capture the remaining attackers, I urge you not to take the law into your own hands.

"Let the law deal with them."

Mr Kulunga also confirmed reports a man was attacked and killed by relatives of one of the two murdered porters.

He said the relatives accused the man of harbouring the six criminals and attacked him.

Police intervened and flew him to the nearest health centre but he died from loss of blood.

"There will be an investigation and the persons responsible for this recent death will be arrested. No one has the right to take anyone's life," Mr Kulunga said.

Police have sent 30 additional personnel to the area to capture the remaining fugitives.

"The commitment of the villagers in helping police bring in the four suspects speaks volumes for our people's genuineness and hospitality as well," he said.

"The attack was an isolated and one-off incident and not a reflection of the generally friendly people of the Morobe Province."

Meanwhile the survivors of Tuesday's machete attack have set up a trust fund for the local porters who were injured in the ambush.

Mackay man Nick Bennett was injured when he was hit on the head with a gun.

On Sunday, he told ABC radio all the trekkers had returned home and were coming to terms with the horrific experience.

But he says while the trekkers are traumatised, their injuries are insignificant compared with what had happened to the porters, some of whom had limbs hacked off and would never walk again.

"We've set up a trust fund and we're asking people ... just to provide a few dollars into an account that we've got set up to help them get the services that they need," he said.

"We've made a commitment to ensuring that we support those porters and their families who've absolutely been devastated by this.

"We really need help and we're appealing to people to be generous. Anything - a peso, a dollar, a pound - would be helpful right now for these guys."

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Colorado floods leave hundreds missing

EMERGENCY workers involved in a massive effort to rescue stranded flood victims in Colorado, where more than 500 people are still unaccounted for, are bracing for a fresh pounding from storms.

Officials said efforts to locate those in need of help were hampered by flood damage to many mobile phone towers.

New flash floods were expected to inundate the area, which thousands were forced to evacuate.

Raging floodwaters in the city of Boulder, already confirmed to have killed at least four people, apparently claimed the life of a fifth on Saturday - a 60-year-old woman swept away in the torrent.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter that the woman was "missing presumed dead", after floodwaters destroyed her house, and officials warned the toll will likely climb further.

"There might be further loss of life," Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told reporters on Sunday. "It's certainly a high probability.... With an army of folks and an air show, we're hoping to reach everyone as soon as possible."

But some additional help was on the way, with President Barack Obama declaring a major disaster in Colorado and ordering federal aid to support state and local efforts.

"Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the White House said.

And the Wyoming National Guard was helping the evacuation effort after Governor Matt Mead activated five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and 20 crew members, the state's military department said.

In the disaster zone, helicopters circled above submerged houses in a search for survivors in the western US state, with hundreds still missing.

About 350 people were unaccounted for in Larimer County alone, from where about 475 people were evacuated, according to the sheriff's office.

In neighbouring Boulder County, 231 people were unaccounted for, according to CNN, though authorities cautioned that the numbers were fluctuating.

"It is no doubt an epic event," Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway told The Denver Post. "It is a once in 500 years or 1000 years situation."

Search and rescue teams are being deployed to assess the situation and contact stranded residents.

The US National Guard provided seven helicopters to help get people out of danger.

About 1200 residents were pulled out of the Pinewood Springs area by the National Guard and Fort Carson personnel, state authorities said on Twitter.

But many others are still awaiting rescue, which authorities said could take days for some.

Impassable roads forced authorities to use a helicopter to evacuate 200 residents from Jamestown, northwest of Boulder, according to news reports.

Residents' furry friends were also stranded by the torrential rains.

"Our victims' advocates told me tonight there were almost as many pets as people getting off the evacuation helicopters today," the Larimer County Sheriff's Office tweeted.

Officials said there were widespread power outages as streets became raging rivers after the state received months' worth of rain in just a few days.

Rain began pelting the state earlier this week, in Boulder, which saw 18.3 centimetres of precipitation in about 15 hours beginning from Wednesday night, with more downpours likely over the weekend.

Pictures from helicopter cameras showed heavy rain had reduced the towns of Jamestown, Lyons and Longmont to little more than islands, with ready-to-eat meals being dropped to stranded, anxious residents below.

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NSW premier boosts gun search powers

NSW police will be able to stop and search people, cars, bikie clubhouses and "criminal dens" for guns, without a warrant, under legislation to be introduced into parliament this week.

Under the changes, police will be able to stop and search anyone who has been banned from owning guns without a warrant - even if there's no cause for suspicion, Premier Barry O'Farrell says.

"The changes mean officers can also search their cars and their premises for firearms," he told reporters in Sydney.

Fewer than 70 people in NSW are currently subject to a firearm ban, but the new laws would also make it easier to increase the number, Mr O'Farrell said.

Penalties will be increased from 10 to 14 years for possession or supply of illegal weapons.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher says the laws will enable police to target known people.

"It will give police the ability to target people they know are involved.

"Currently police need reasonable cause to suspect," he said.

"The existence of the banning order will be in itself the ability that police will need to pull them over, search their cars ... simply walk in the door."

It comes after the government last week shot down an uncannily similar proposal by Labor.

But Mr O'Farrell said Labor's bill wouldn't work because it concentrated power in the hands of the Police Commissioner.

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Body found in WA bushland a 'homicide'

THE death of a 31-year-old man found in bushland in Western Australia's Great Southern region, is being treated as a homicide.

Bushwalkers found the body at about 8am (WST) on Saturday when they were walking through scrub at the end of Barnesby Drive in Yakamia.

Local police consider the death suspicious and Major Crime police are now officially treating it as a suspected homicide.

The man's next of kin have been notified, police say.

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Car rego stickers to be phased out in Qld

TRYING to smooth out air bubbles while applying your car rego sticker to the windscreen will soon be a thing of the past in Queensland.

The state government says it will phase out registration stickers for light vehicles by October 2014.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson says the move will save up to $3.5 million a year in printing and postage costs.

"Using a kitchen knife to pry off an old label and trying to stick on the new label without bubbles will be a thing of the past," he said in statement.

"Abolishing labels will also benefit delivery companies and car rental companies with large vehicle fleets."

The minister says authorities will still be able to check if a car is registered by using number plate recognition technology.

Vehicles weighing more than 4.5 tonnes are overseen by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator so they are still be required to have rego stickers.

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Qld fisherman drowns after helping mate

AN elderly fisherman has been found dead in a central Queensland creek after falling from a boat when he was trying to help a mate.

Police say the 74-year-old man's body was found near Koumala, south of Mackay, about 11am (AEST) on Sunday.

The man had been fishing with three friends, aged 86, 71 and 51, on Saturday afternoon.

The 86-year-old man had gone into the water to untangle a motor, but became stuck in mud.

The 74-year-old tried to throw an anchor to his mate to grab onto, but slipped and fell backwards off the boat as he threw it.

The older man was eventually hauled back on board but the friends couldn't find the 74-year-old man.

To add to their trauma, when the men went back to their camp to alert authorities they found that a bushfire had swept through and destroyed their car, tents and belongings.

Emergency services then searched for the missing man until late at night and resumed the search on Sunday morning.

His body was found about 20 hours after he went missing.

Firefighters and local property owners were battling to put out spot fires in the area on Sunday.

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Carmakers bet on alternative-fuel future

JUDGING by the slew of electric and hybrid vehicles being rolled out at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it might seem carmakers are tapping a large and eager market.

But in fact almost no one buys such cars - yet.

Every major carmaker is coming out with electric versions of existing vehicles - such as Volkswagen's all-electric versions of its up! city car and Golf compact.

And they are also showcasing models they have designed as electrics from the ground up, like small BMW's electric i3 city car.

Analyst Christoph Stuermer at IHS automotive called Frankfurt "the first full-throttle electric propulsion show" that's about "getting electric drive cars out of the eco-nerd, tree-hugger segment and into the cool group".

To whet appetites, carmakers are making high-performance, luxury versions that give up little or nothing in performance to conventional models. BMW's i8 goes 0-100 kph in a speedy 4.5 seconds.

Audi's Quattro sport concept - meaning it's for demonstration, not for sale - is an aggressive looking sports car with large air intakes flanking the grille and a whopping 700 horsepower from its hybrid drive. The company says it can reach 305 kph.

The Mercedes S-Class plug-in hybrid version, meanwhile, has a powerful six-cylinder internal combustion engine plus an all-electric range of about 30 kilometres.

This way, owners could commute all-electric during the week, recharging overnight but use the petrol engine on a family vacation.

The company says mileage is 3.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

All this, to cater to a market that doesn't really exist in mass terms. Only 0.2 per cent of all cars registered in Europe are hybrids, which combine batteries with internal combustion engines, or electrics, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

In the United States, the Toyota Prius hybrid has broken into the top 10 selling passenger cars. However, electric vehicles have struggled to increase sales numbers because of high prices and so-called range anxiety: buyers' fear of running out of power.

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Labor's friendly leadership battle begins

LEADERSHIP hopefuls Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese insist there is no 'I' in Labor and their civil showdown for the ALP's top job is headed for a contest of personal experience and popularity.

Both candidates say the 30-day leadership campaign - which will see them jetting around the nation - will be a gentlemanly joust, putting the party first and moving away from Labor's past division.

"Labor is drawing a line underneath the rancour of previous years," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

"We will not seek to publicly disparage each other in our efforts."

Separating them on policy will not be simple though.

Mr Albanese said both he and Mr Shorten support a price on carbon and would oppose the coalition government's plans to scrap the carbon tax.

Victorian Labor right powerbroker Mr Shorten agreed they had a lot of values in common.

But Mr Albanese, from the party's left, believes his parliamentary longevity gives him an edge.

"I come here as someone (with) 17 years in public office," he said.

"I think one of the things I would bring to the leadership is that I have had time in opposition, I know what it's like, I know what has to be done ... that experience I think does count."

Mr Shorten, a former Australian Workers Union national secretary, has just won his third parliamentary term and hopes his history as a "builder and a campaigner" combined with his energy and enthusiasm makes him leadership material.

But he added: "This ballot in the Labor party will not be the contest of personalities, it will be the contest of ideas".

Both men indicated they would happily work with the other should their leadership aspirations fail.

They both gave their sales pitches to a caucus meeting on Friday where outgoing leader Kevin Rudd accepted responsibility for Labor's election loss and said the party was well placed to win the next election no matter who led the party.

The party room was told Labor had to become more unified to move forward.

"Whoever it was who was tweeting out of the caucus today, it's got to stop," Mr Albanese said later.

"It's not helpful for people to be sitting in a caucus room to be tweeting out to members of the press gallery."

Outgoing Treasurer Chris Bowen has been given the interim party reins while the leader is chosen, in what he called the nation's most democratic election process.

"They will have been elected by the whole Labor party, by every eligible rank and file member, as well as by the parliamentary caucus," Mr Bowen said.

While now it's only a two-horse race, there could be another candidate. Nominations for leadership remain open for seven days, before ballot papers are sent to Labor members.

Caucus will cast their votes last but will not know the grass-roots ballot result when they do.

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