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WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains images of a person who is deceased.

The first of many vigils and rallies being held across the country today in honour of the life of Cassius Turvey is underway in Perth.

The 15-year-old boy was walking home from school in Perth when he was allegedly beaten with a metal pole.

He was initially discharged from hospital but returned after suffering seizures. He was placed into an induced coma but later died.

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Cassius' mother Mechelle Turvey has written and released a "heartfelt statement" to be read at the dozens of gatherings, calling for "calm and peace".

"I don't want any more violence, I am the only person who can get justice for my son; stand alongside me, and I appreciate everyone, but I need to call out for calm, I am angry, Cassius' friends and family are angry, I don't want any form of violence at any of these rallies in the name of my child," she wrote.

"Violence breeds violence, I want calm and peace."

https://twitter.com/GenoveseMichael/status/1587668429657767938

She described her son as a "shining star" and a "people lover" who was "the heart and soul of our community".

Turvey criticised the police response after Cassius was allegedly attacked and called on the government to "invest in eliminating youth violence".

Speaking to Today this morning, the grieving mother said the generosity of the public in paying their respects has meant a lot.

"It's actually helping us all with our healing day-by-day," Turvey said.

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Jack Brearley, 21, has been charged with murder, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and stealing.

At a vigil at Midlands Oval in Perth yesterday, Turvey said there would be rallies across Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

"We know racism exists, but do not use my son's tragedy as a platform to blow your trumpets," she said.

More than 40 rallies are expected to take place overall.

Western Australia's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti echoed Turvey's call.

"We should be championing his life … and not use his situation for anyone's own personal campaign," he said.

Where the major rallies are happening today

NSW

Sydney – 6pm, Town Hall

Mount Druitt – 6.30pm, Corner of Carlisle Avenue and Luxford Road

Newcastle – 6pm, Civic Park

Wollongong – 5.30pm, McCabe Park

Wagga Wagga – 5.30pm, Ngurra Hub

Victoria

Melbourne – 6pm, Aboriginal Advancement League

Geelong – 6pm, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative

Ballarat – 6pm, Alfred Deakin Place

Western Australia

Perth – 12.30pm, Forrest Place

Albany – 6.30pm, Town Hall

Geraldton – 2.10pm, Edith Cowan Square

Broome – 3.30pm, Broome courthouse

Queensland

Brisbane – 6pm, King George Square

Cairns – 7pm, Cairns City Library

Townsville – 10am, Strand Rockpool

South Australia

Adelaide – 3.30pm, Victoria Square

Northern Territory

Darwin – 5.30pm, Rapid Creek Bridge

Alice Springs – 6pm, Alice Springs courthouse

ACT

Canberra – 6pm, Aboriginal Tent Embassy

Find the full list online here.

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South Korea says it has conducted air-to-surface missile tests in response to North Korean missile launches.

South Korea's military says its fighter jets fired three precision-guided missiles on Wednesday near the rivals' eastern border.

It says the launches were in reaction to a barrage of North Korean missile tests earlier on Wednesday. South Korea says one of the North Korean missiles landed near the sea border.

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Earlier, air raid sirens sounded in the South after the North fired about a dozen missiles in its direction Wednesday.

The launches came hours after North Korea threatened to use nuclear weapons to get the US and South Korea to "pay the most horrible price in history" as it has intensified its fiery rhetoric targeting the ongoing large-scale military drills between its rivals.

South Korea's military said North Korea launched more than 10 missiles of various kinds off its eastern and western coasts.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement earlier Wednesday that it detected three short-range ballistic missiles fired from the North's eastern coastal town of Wonsan.

It said one of the missiles landed 26 kilometres away from the rivals' sea border.

The landing site is in international waters, but still far south of the extension of the nations' border.

South Korea's military said it was the first time a North Korean missile had landed so close to the sea border since the countries' division in 1948.

In 2010, North Korea launched artillery shells on a frontline South Korean island and allegedly torpedoed a South Korean navy ship, both off the peninsula's western coast, killing a total of 50 people.

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"This is very unprecedented and we will never tolerate it," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a separate statement.

The North Korean missile's landing site is also 167 kilometres north-west of South Korea's Ulleung island, where an air raid alert was then issued.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korea won't tolerate North Korean provocations and will sternly deal with them in close coordination with the United States.

It said South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture on North Korea.

Animosities on the Korean Peninsula have been running high in recent months, with North Korea testing a string of nuclear-capable missiles and adopting a law authorising the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations.

Some experts still doubt North Korea could use nuclear weapons first in the face of US and South Korean forces.

North Korea has argued its recent weapons tests were meant to issue a warning to Washington and Seoul over their series of joint military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, including this week's exercises involving about 240 warplanes.

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In a statement released early on Wednesday, Pak Jong Chon, a secretary of the ruling Workers' Party who is considered a close confidant of leader Kim Jong-un, called the so-called Vigilant Storm air force drills "aggressive and provocative".

Pak also accused the Pentagon of formulating a North Korean regime collapse as a major policy objective in an apparent reference to the Pentagon's recently released National Defence Strategy report.

The report stated any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners "will result in the end of that regime".

He slammed South Korean military leaders over what he called "rubbish" comments that threatened to destroy North Korea if it uses nuclear weapons.

South Korea's military has warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a "path of self-destruction".

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"If the US and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against (North Korea) without any fear, the special means of the (North's) armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay," Pak said, in an apparent reference to his country's nuclear weapons.

"The US and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history," he said.

US and South Korean officials have steadfastly said their drills are defensive in nature and that they have no intentions of attacking North Korea.

The White House on Tuesday pushed back against North Korea's sabre rattling, reiterating that drills are part of a routine training schedule with South Korea.

"We reject the notion that they serve as any sort of provocation. We have made clear that we have no hostile intent towards (North Korea) and call on them to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

North Korea "continues to not respond. At the same time, we will continue to work closely with our allies and partners to limit the North's ability to advance its unlawful weapons programs and threaten regional stability," Watson said.

The TikTok comedian who rose to fame "predicting" NSW's daily COVID-19 case totals has been spared conviction for encouraging people to breach pandemic restrictions.

Jon-Bernard Kairouz, 25, dubbed himself the "people's premier" and said "all we want is freedom" using a megaphone at an anti-lockdown protest on the steps of Sydney's Town Hall in July 2021

While his lawyer had cast the 45-second speech as the mere acts of a comedian "saying comedic things" to promote themselves, magistrate Emma Manea didn't see the funny side.

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"It does not – from his conduct and the words he says – come across as a joke," she said on Tuesday.

His demeanour and use of the word "we" to the estimated 3500-strong crowd people fit the definition of encouraging, Manea found.

"If he's not encouraging the crowd, then what is his purpose?"

She found the Belmore man guilty of encouraging people to breach the pandemic restriction on people gathering outdoors.

Taking in two guilty pleas for lesser COVID-19 charges, Manea sentenced him to a two-year good behaviour bond without recording a conviction.

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In 2021, Kairouz scored a jump in followers on TikTok after correctly reporting NSW's daily COVID-19 count, hours before they were officially reported.

Kairouz at the time said he had no inside government source but was predicting the figures mathematically.

The court on Wednesday found the online entertainer was genuinely sorry, had very good prospects of rehabilitation and was a person of good character with no prior criminal history.

Extra curial punishment through "vicious racist comments" that were an "extremely sad testament" to society had also been dealt upon Kairouz, the magistrate said.

One person wished Kairouz catch COVID-19 and die while another called him a "dirty f—ing Arab" and told him to "f— off back to your s—ty country or kill yourself, we don't want you here".

Imposing a conviction would be a further punishment that would go above and beyond what he'd already suffered, she said, warning Kairouz not to make another mistake.

"The double-edged sword of fame is (a) very inappropriate, unacceptable and appalling social media response to him," Manea said.

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His barrister had earlier told the court the business and accounting graduate who works as a creative producer for a betting agency had been swept up in fame when speaking at the protest.

After he was charged, the 25-year-old spoke publicly against breaching lockdown restrictions, Daniel Grippi said.

"Mr Kairouz has done everything he can to demonstrate he understands the gravity of what he did," Grippi said.

The bond, known as a conditional release order, will expire in November 2024.

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Analysis: Australian governments need to urgently call a national energy summit of all key decision makers after the federal budget predicted 56 per cent of energy price rises over two years.

Here are ten ideas that could be on the table in a no-holds-barred attempt to solve the current power price crisis as war rages in Ukraine and Australia transitions to renewables.

• Cap household bills: Half a dozen European nations have already put a temporary hard cap in place to protect consumers from the worst of the wholesale price spikes.

• Cap wholesale gas prices: Former ACCC boss Rod Sims and others have proposed a price cap on domestic gas of $10 per gigajoule to take the heat out of the local market.

• Gas reservation: Western Australia has seen lower price hikes this year, partly thanks to a reservation policy that ensures the domestic market gets 15 per cent of supply before international sales.

• Windfall profits tax: With gas exporters making extra profits of $40 billion this year (Australia Institute), a windfall tax could help to fund other forms of household relief.

• Increase household rebates: The federal government fears this could fuel inflation, but the impact of giving low-income households extra to pay essential expenses would be minimal.

• Increase rebates for solar and/or ditching gas: The Greens and others have called for this and helping households to be less dependent on gas will help them save over time.

• Fund free energy audits: Many households could save hundreds of dollars just by getting some crucial energy efficiency advice, which would not add to inflation.

• Accelerate the Better Bills guideline: Deadline due in March 2023 but possibly delayed, this would tell customers on their bills whether their retailer has a cheaper plan for them.

• Tap more gas: The coalition and the gas industry have called for new gasfields to be tapped, which would increase supply although it may not automatically reduce prices.

• The nuclear option: The Coalition has also proposed a conversation about nuclear power. Although not a short-term solution, it too should be on the table.

The budget forecasts come in the wake of recent reports showing this year's price hikes added to as much as $520 for a typical dual-fuel household in parts of Victoria.

This must now be governments' top priority if we're to avoid the scenes in the UK, where 40 retailers have gone bust and price caps have doubled.

There is no perfect solution to this problem: every option has winners and losers and the best answer may be a mixture of several options.

But the time for handwringing is over.

We're facing a full-blown cost-of-living crisis and households need to see our governments working together constructively and urgently to consider all the options available to them.

Joel Gibson is the campaign director at cost of living movement OneBigSwitch.com.au

A Sydney nurse has urged parents to be aware of the signs of meningitis after the virus killed her "cheeky" baby boy.

Blake had been sick with colds and other bugs on and off since starting daycare in January and his mother Michelle Murrell thought it was the same story when the 13-month-old became unwell again in August this year.

"He'd just got over one thing and he started vomiting so I assumed it was another daycare thing," Murrell told 9news.com.au.

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"We didn't really think it was much more than a normal little bug."

Murrell, from Harrington Park, had been doing COVID-19 tests on Blake and gave him Panadol until she spotted a key sign of meningitis, a rare but serious infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

"I noticed him holding his head funny and neck stiffness is one of the things you think of with meningitis."

The 40-year-old rushed Blake to the hospital and he was confirmed to have bacterial meningitis, which is more severe than a viral bout and can kill in hours.

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Doctors had already started him on antibiotics before the test results came back, hoping to get on to the infection before it was too late.

But a short time later, Murrell and Blake's father John-Paul were told he could not be saved.

"There was a bit of hope at first … then they said, 'There's been too much damage, there's nothing else we can do'," she said.

Blake died just over a week after going into hospital.

"I was in shock for the most part. I kept thinking, 'Things like this don't happen to people you know'," Murrell said.

"He was a cheeky little thing, a happy little boy, always giggling."

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Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain: ss****@******om.au

Blake was farewelled at a funeral in Leppington.

"It was quite simple, then we released bright colour balloons," she said.

The family opted to donate Blake's organs and are fundraising for Sydney Children's Hospital

Blake's brother, seven-year-old Lachlan, has struggled with losing his sibling and misses him greatly.

Murrell has urged other parents to learn the symptoms of meningitis and to take their children to the GP or hospital as soon as they think it could be a possibility.

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What is meningitis? 

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membrane lining the brain and spinal cord, according to Health Direct.

It can be caused by a virus or, in Blake's case, bacteria.

He'd contracted meningococcal disease, which can cause bacterial meningitis.

There have been 86 meningococcal cases so far this year in Australia, according to the Department of Health.

The running tally is more than last year's total of 74 cases. 

Meningococcal disease can be spread by coughing, sneezing and kissing, but it's not as contagious as an illness like the flu.

Infants and teens are most at risk, but it can affect anyone.

Some vaccinations cover common strains, but don't always stop the disease.

Bacterial meningitis develops quickly and can kill, or lead to disability.

If caught in time it can be treated with antibiotics.

What are the symptoms of meningitis? 

Symptoms are usually flu-like with a runny nose, irritability, sensitivity to light, fever and possible seizures or a stiff neck.

Vomiting, staring or a blank expression, and muscle or joint pain are also signs, along with blotchy skin or a rash – which is usually the last symptom to appear.

Infant-specific symptoms include a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot on a baby's head), arching of the back, dislike of being handled, unusual high-pitched cry, loss of appetite, and neck retraction with arching of the back.

This is not an exhaustive list and further information can be found here. 

Karen Quick, CEO of Meningitis Centre Australia said it's vital parents know the signs and get urgent help if their child has them.

"Knowing the signs and symptoms is absolutely vital so that as a parent you can act immediately and seek urgent medical advice," Quick told 9news.com.au.

"When speaking to your doctor ask the question, 'Could it be meningococcal?'

"If you are sent home with a 'virus' and your child continues to deteriorate rapidly, go straight back to your GP or emergency, do not wait for the rash to appear as it is often the last sign."

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