RUSH HOUR: Australian warships head north

SIX Australian warships are currently heading toward the highly-contested South China Sea in the biggest task-group deployment in 30 years.

Melbourne girl Rosie died from the flu last week. Picture: Christian Brealey Source: Supplied

• Melbourne measles warning
• Warships head for South China Sea
• Hurricane Maria strengthens
• Kayakers’ incredibly close encounter
• Fresh calls for sugar tax
• Melbourne girl dies from the flu
• Mayweather’s latest cash splash
• North Korean diplomatic efforts fail

Live: Rush Hour

Here are the headlines on news.com.au today. North Korea has warned the harsher the sanctions the US imposes, the faster it will move to complete its nuclear plans. Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather has taken to Instagram to boast about his latest cash splash, and a heartbroken family has issued a stark warning to other parents, after their eight-year-old daughter suddenly passed away.

8:30am

Melbourne measles warning

Two confirmed cases of measles have been detected in Victoria, sparking health warnings for those who may have been exposed to the highly infectious illness.

The state’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton has warned Victorians to be alert to possible signs of illness as those infected frequented various Melbourne and Ballarat locations between September 6 and September 13.

Dr Sutton said they may have exposed others on the train between Armadale and Southern Cross station or at Collins Street, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Ikea Richmond and Federation University in Ballarat.

— read more in the Herald Sun

8:10am

Warships head for South China Sea

An armada of six Australian warships is heading towards the South China Sea.

The Daily Telegraph reports the Turnbull government has forged ahead with long-held plans to send the Navy to conduct a series of military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, in the biggest task-group deployment in more than 30 years.

Canberra-class assault ship HMAS Adelaide is leading the deployment, which also includes HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Toowoomba, HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Sirius.

There are an estimated 1200 defence personnel on board.

The move has already triggered criticism from China, and comes at a time when Australia has been vocal in calling for Beijing to use its leverage to try and stop North Korea’s continuing missile tests.

— read more in the Daily Telegraph

Four of the six Australian warships currently heading north.

7:45am

Hurricane Maria strengthens

Hurricane Maria is rapidly strengthening as it barrels toward the eastern Caribbean islands, threatening the region with its second major storm this month.

The BBC reports the storm has just been upgraded to a Category 4 as officials on the US Virgin Islands warned residents to prepare for the storm.

Maria was located about 70km east of Martinique, headed west-northwest on a track that would put it over the US territory of Puerto Rico by Wednesday.

The hurricane is expected to strengthen further in the coming two days.

7:20am

Kayakers’ incredibly close encounter

Two kayakers have had an encounter with a whale and her calf off the coast of Perth on Sunday that got a bit too close for comfort.

Video shows the two people floating in the water as the enormous animals inched closer and closer, before the mother almost surfaced beneath them.

Michael McCormick, who shot the video, said whales are “normally pretty protective” of their young, and he feared something could happen.

“If it slapped its tail it would have been a pretty hard hit.”

Southern right whales have special status under Australia’s Wildlife Conservation Act, and disturbing them can trigger fines of $10,000.

6:55am

Fresh calls for sugar tax

The government is facing fresh calls to introduce a sugar tax, with health and community groups saying urgent action is needed to tackle Australia’s obesity problem.

A coalition of 34 public health, medical, academic and community groups have released an action plan they want the government to adopt to help reduce the effects of excess weight and poor diets.

The eight-point plan includes a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks, restrictions on TV junk food ads, the establishment of a national obesity taskforce and mandatory health star ratings for food packaging by mid 2019.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, almost two in three Australian adults are overweight, while 28 per cent are considered obese.

That’s a 19 per cent increase over the past 20 years.

There are fresh calls for a sugar tax to tackle Australia’s obesity problem.

6:30am

Melbourne girl dies from the flu

A Melbourne father has paid tribute to his eight-year-old “little angel” after she tragically died last week from the flu.

Rosie’s father, Christian Brealey, thanked the community for their compassion after her sudden death after she went into cardiac arrest Friday morning.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, loving little angel,” Mr Brealey said in a statement released to the Herald Sun.

“Words cannot describe the depths of our grief. We want to thank our friends and family and the broader community for all the messages of love and compassion. We are so grateful for your support.

“We urge everyone to get their kids immunised against the flu and ask only that our privacy is respected and our family given time and space to grieve.”

The vivacious little girl died at the Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully on Friday, just days after falling ill.

Health authorities have declared it one of the worst flu seasons in recent years.

— read more in the Herald Sun

Heartbreak for a Melbourne family this morning with the death of an eight-year-old girl from the flu. #9Today pic.twitter.com/Y2nFu8RXzp

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) September 18, 2017

6:05am

Mayweather’s latest cash splash

Floyd Mayweather isn’t exactly a shy man, especially when it comes to living up to his nickname “Money”.

The retired undefeated boxer showed off images of himself in his own strip club alongside a massive stack of one dollar bills.

Mayweather hung up his gloves with a perfect 50-0 record when he knocked out Conor McGregor in their huge money Las Vegas showdown.

He reportedly took home $133 million when he knocked out the Irishman in 10 rounds, and it seems a large chunk of it is going back into his new business venture — Girl Collection in Las Vegas.

The 40-year-old also used a tiny portion of his wealth to buy a new luxury Beverly Hills mansion worth a cool $32 million

5:45am

North Korean diplomatic efforts fail

The more sanctions the US and its allies impose on North Korea, the faster it will move to complete its nuclear plans, the reclusive nation’s official KCNA news agency says.

“The increased moves of the US and its vassal forces to impose sanctions and pressure on the DPRK will only increase our pace towards the ultimate completion of the state nuclear force,” a statement on North Korean state media said.

It comes as US and Chinese leaders on Monday agreed to “maximise the pressure” on Kim Jong-un’s regime, with the US flying four F-35B stealth fighter jets and two B-1B bombers over the Korean peninsula in a blunt show of force.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a US-drafted resolution a week ago mandating tougher new sanctions against the reclusive nation that included banning textile imports and capping crude and petrol supply.

The sanctions came on top of measures issued last month that were expected to cut roughly one billion dollars from the regime’s three billion dollars in export revenue.

Those restrictions represent “the most vicious, unethical and inhumane act of hostility to physically exterminate the people of the DPRK, let alone its system and government” KCNA said, citing a foreign ministry spokesman.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un celebrates what was said to be the test launch of an intermediate range Hwasong-12 missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea.