After escaping horror family violence at the hands of a partner who had raped her, Samantha Fraser was excited to begin a wonderful new stage of her life.

Her birthday on July 22, 2018 was the starting point. And then she was murdered.

She pulled into her garage at Cowes, on Phillip Island, after driving her three children to school on July 23.

READ MORE: Woman found dead in Melbourne's south-east

Her estranged husband Adrian James Basham was lying in wait.

He savagely beat her, leaving 41 separate blunt force injuries, tied a noose around her neck and hanged her from the garage door, staging her killing as a suicide.

"By any measure, your offending was extremely grave. You invaded the legal and physical sanctity of Fraser's home and subjected her to a savage beating before hanging her," Justice Lesley Taylor said.

"Her last conscious moments would have passed in terror."

Basham, now 46, was jailed for life on Monday and ordered to serve at least 30 years.

Fraser's family and friends clapped as Basham was led out after his sentencing in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Taylor found it was most likely Basham surprised Fraser as she sat in the driver's seat of her car, having waited more than two hours in the garage for her to return home.

They met in 2005 and married in 2007, and after years of domineering and controlling behaviour, Fraser left the relationship in 2017.

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Basham was charged in August that year with raping her during their marriage and she was due to give evidence against him a week later.

His premeditated murder of Fraser, motivated by his desire to avoid standing trial for rape, was selfish in the extreme and displayed an extraordinary degree of entitlement, Taylor said.

"Your decision to execute Samantha Fraser, a woman who found the courage to defy you, keep your children safe from you and live a life free from you, was cold.

"You determined that her life was expendable … and you had the arrogance to think you would not be caught."

She found Basham was "unmoved" in the face of numerous statements detailing the pain he had caused his own children by killing their mother.

Fraser, 38, had told a friend she was feeling strong and determined to have her voice heard in court.

But despite that she was terrified of him.

An intervention order was in place, Fraser's parents had moved in with her to help protect her and less than 48 hours before her death Fraser said she was being more vigilant about her safety after Basham was spotted on the island.

The day before she died she celebrated her birthday.

Her previous birthday was horrible, she told her partner, but in a text to him on the day she died, she revealed this birthday would mark the beginning of a wonderful new stage of life.

Fraser's parents described her as a mother who loved her children fiercely, a mother who was the very centre of her children's universe.

They were five, seven and nine when she died.

Now a teen, her eldest daughter said nothing would compare to the damage Basham had done to her and her family's lives.

"He murdered my mum. He took Sammy's life and in doing so destroyed so many others."

National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

The world's biggest celebrities have graced the red carpet at the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

A boy left waiting for a crucial bone marrow transplant that was left on a US airport tarmac will go into hospital on Thursday for his "biggest fight yet".

Six-year-old Queensland boy Mateoh Eggleton was left in dire straits after his transplant was left behind in the US, but the transplant material finally made its way to Australia and has been deemed viable.

"It is awesome news that the cells have arrived, but now the big step is the transplant and conditioning," Mateoh's mum Shalyn Eggleton said.

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"This will be Mateoh's biggest fight yet, as this is our last option for treatment."

She said Mateoh was feeling "a bit nervous" ahead of what was likely to be a hundred-plus day stay in hospital.

"This transplant, being our last option to trial, we don't know if it is going to take or not," she said.

Eggleton said she was waiting for the results of an investigation into how the transplant was initially left behind.

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"Why it was left unattended, we do not have answers for," she said.

"But now the main focus is getting through the transplant, but still having them answer, because it is unacceptable, what happened."

She said it had been extremely difficult to find a donor, and urged eligible Australians to register to share their bone marrow with people in need.

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Want to send your faraway lover a kiss? A Chinese contraption with warm, moving silicon "lips" appears to have just the answer.

The device, advertised as a way to let long-distance couples share "real" physical intimacy, is causing a buzz among Chinese social media users, who have reacted with both intrigue and shock.

Equipped with pressure sensors and actuators, the device is said to be able to mimic a real kiss by replicating the pressure, movement and temperature of a user's lips.

READ MORE: Chinese fighter jet confronts US Navy plane with CNN crew aboard as tensions simmer in the South China Sea

Along with the kissing motion, it can also transmit the sound the user makes.

However, while many social media users saw a funny side to the device, others criticised it as "vulgar" and "creepy".

Some voiced concerns that minors could buy and use it.

"I don't understand (the device) but I'm utterly shocked," said one top comment on Weibo.

On the Twitter-like platform, several hashtags about the device have racked up hundreds of millions of views over the past week.

To send a kiss, users need to download a mobile phone app and plug the device into their phone's charging port.

After pairing with their partners in the app, couples can start a video call and transmit replicas of their smooches to each other.

According to China's state-run Global Times, the invention has been patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology.

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"In my university, I was in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend so we only had contact with each other through the phone. That's where the inspiration of this device originated," Jiang Zhongli, the leading inventor of the design, was cited as saying by the Global Times.

It said Jiang had applied for a patent in 2019 but the patent ended in January 2023 and Jiang now hoped someone else could expand on and perfect the design.

A similar invention, the "Kissinger", was launched by the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia in 2016.

But it came in the form of a touch-sensitive silicon pad, rather than realistic-looking lips.

While advertised for long-distance relationships, the Chinese device also allows users to pair up anonymously with strangers in the "kissing square" function of the app.

If two strangers match successfully and like each other, they can ask to exchange kisses.

READ MORE: Passengers trapped on plane for 14 hours after emergency 

Users can also "upload" their smooches in the app for others to download and experience.

On China's largest online shopping site Taobao, dozens of users have shared their reviews of the device, which is priced at 288 yuan ($62).

"My partner didn't believe that (remote) kissing could be achieved at first, so her jaw dropped when she used it … This is the best surprise I have given her during our long-distance relationship," one user commented.

"Thank you technology."

Passengers are furious after more than 200 were trapped on a Jetstar aircraft for more than 14 hours.

The flight to Melbourne from Thailand struck trouble and had to divert to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory on Saturday night.

Flight JQ30 left Bangkok at 9.30pm local time and was diverted because of a medical emergency.

READ MORE: Emotional memorial held for Olivia Newton-John

Then an electrical fault was detected on the Boeing 787, meaning a second plane was needed.

Customers were initially told they couldn't leave the plane after it landed in the NT.

On top of that, the entertainment system had to be turned off to keep the plane cool.

As Alice Springs isn't an international airport, travellers were kept on their first plane for more than seven hours.

Babies and parent were among the more than passengers grounded and stuck on board.

One passenger, William Kiss, said people were "very unhappy".

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"Even if it was just a walk on the tarmac, people just want to get some fresh air," he said.

"We've been sitting on this plane with the flight time included for 14 hours."

Some passengers were escorted off by authorities as tensions boiled over.

The rest were later allowed into a room at the airport and fed.

"They provided us with water, tea, coffee, then about two hours after that they provided us with some sandwiches," William, said.

The new plane was expected to finally get them back to Melbourne on Sunday night.

Their bags will arrive on Monday as the Alice Springs airport cannot handle moving them onto the new plane.

Jetstar told 9News it will work with passengers demanding refunds on a case-by-case basis.

"We appreciate this has been a lengthy and frustrating delay and the experience has been very uncomfortable for customers," the airline said.

"We thank them for their patience and understanding."

The US Navy reconnaissance jet flies at 21,500 feet over the South China Sea, 50 kilometres from the contested Paracel Islands, a group of about 130 small atolls, the biggest of which are home to Chinese military bases.

A voice, saying it's coming from a People's Liberation Army (PLA) airport, crackles over the radio of the US Navy P-8 Poseidon as a CNN crew, given rare access aboard the US flight, listens in.

"American aircraft. Chinese airspace is 12 nautical miles. Not approaching any more or you bear all responsibility," it says.

READ MORE: 'The most extraordinary person': Family, friends and fans remember the late Olivia Newton-John

In a few minutes, a Chinese fighter jet armed with air-to-air missiles intercepts the US plane, nestling in just 150 metres off its port side.

The Chinese fighter jet was so close, the CNN crew could see the pilots turning their heads to look at them — and could make out the red star on the tail fins and the missiles it was armed with.

Lieutenant Nikki Slaughter, the pilot of the American plane, hails the twin-seat, twin-engine PLA aircraft.

"PLA fighter aircraft, this is US Navy P-8A … I have you off my left wing and I intend to proceed to the west. I request that you do the same, over."

There's no reply from the Chinese fighter jet, which escorted the US plane for 15 minutes before turning away.

To a CNN crew aboard the American jet, it's stark evidence of the tensions brewing in the South China Sea, and between the US and China.

The commander of this US Navy mission has a different take.

"I'd say its another Friday afternoon in the South China Sea," Navy Commander Marc Hines tells the CNN crew.

Potential flashpoint

Over the past several years, the South China Sea has emerged as a major potential flashpoint in the Asia Pacific. Islands in it, like the Paracels near which the US Navy plane was intercepted Friday, are the subject of overlapping territorial claims in part from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Not only does the strategic waterway hold vast resources of fish, oil and gas, but about a third of global shipping passes through it — worth about $US3.4 trillion ($5.1 trillion) in 2016, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) China Power Project.

China claims historic jurisdiction over almost the entirety of the vast sea, and since 2014 has built up tiny reefs and sandbars into artificial islands heavily fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems — sparking outcry from the other claimants.

The Paracel Islands, called the Xisha Islands by China, are in the northern part of the South China Sea, east of Da Nang, Vietnam, and south of China's Hainan Island.

Named by 16th century Portuguese mapmakers, they have no indigenous population to speak of, only Chinese military garrisons amounting to 1,400 people, according to the CIA Factbook.

Surrounding them is 12 nautical miles of airspace that China was claiming as its own Friday — a claim Washington doesn't recognise.

Far to the south-east sits the Spratly Islands chain, just 300 kilometres from the Philippine island of Palawan.

In 2016, in a case brought by the Philippines, an international tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claim to historic rights to the bulk of the sea had no legal basis.

But Beijing has rejected the tribunal's ruling and continued its military buildup, building bases in the Spratlys, which it calls the Nansha Islands.

China also conducts regular military exercises in much of the South China Sea and maintains a large presence of coast guard and fishing vessels in the disputed waters — which has frequently stoked tensions with its neighbours.

On Friday, while flying close to the Philippines, the US Navy P-8 spotted a PLA Navy guided-missile destroyer and descended to about 1000 feet (about 300 metres) to get a closer look — bringing more warnings from the PLA.

"US aircraft. US aircraft. This is Chinese naval warship 173. You are approaching to me at low altitude. State your intention over," a voice comes over the US plane's radio.

PLA warship 173 is the destroyer Changsha, likely armed with dozens of surface-to-air missiles.

The US plane will keep a safe distance, its pilot, Lieutenant Slaughter, replies.

"US aircraft. US aircraft. This is Chinese naval warship 173. You are clearly endangering my safety. You are clearly endangering my safety," the Chinese ship says.

"I am a United States military aircraft. I will maintain a safe distance from your unit," Slaughter replies, and the US mission continues.

The US Navy says these missions are routine.

US vessels and aircraft operate regularly where international law allows, the Pentagon says. But China claims the US presence in the South China Sea is what's fueling the tensions.

When a US guided-missile cruiser steamed near the Spratly Islands in November, the PLA said such action "seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and security" and is "hard proof is that the US is seeking maritime hegemony and militarising the South China Sea."

The US Navy said the US cruiser conducted the operation "in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in waters where high seas freedoms apply."

For Hines, the US commander of Friday's mission, the tensions are always less when he's talking with the Chinese side.

Silence brings uncertainty, he says.

"Whenever there's no response, it leaves questions. Do they understand what were saying? Do they understand our intentions? Do they understand we don't mean any harm?" he says.

For the most part Friday, the answers were there. And the encounters were "professional", Hines says. And he wants to keep it that way.

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There were many reasons Dame Olivia Newton-John was widely adored and admired. She was a world-renowned entertainer, cultural icon, activist, philanthropist and pillar of hope for cancer sufferers.

But her kind heart and genuineness were the foremost reasons many turned out to celebrate her at a state memorial in Melbourne on Sunday.

"She was a genuine, beautiful person. She was a perfect role model as a human – always spreading love and light," Melburnian Chloe Xuereb, 26, told 9News.com.au.

READ MORE: The most extraordinary person': Family and friends remember the late Olivia Newton-John

"She was an angel who was way ahead of her time," Mark O'Dea, a friend of Olivia's and supporter of the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre, said.

About 2500 people turned out at Arts Centre Melbourne to appreciate the star, with most donning a touch of orange – Newton-John's favourite colour – in tribute.

The bursts of orange on floral accessories, jackets, handbags, earrings, ribbons, scarves and pocket squares created a feeling of warmth throughout the theatre, in line with organisers' goal for the event to be more of a celebration than a memorial.

"Dame Olivia loved orange because it radiated optimism and energy," singer, actor and Today Extra co-host David Campbell, who hosted the event, explained.

Jokes told by Campbell and funny stories shared by Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, also created a sense of cheer amongst the mourning.

Ian Kerr, who worked with Newton-John on publicity in Melbourne for the film Xanadu, said he thought the service being held more than six months after her passing further allowed it to be a joyous celebration.

He believed the service was a "wonderful" event and couldn't have better honoured Newton-John.

Fans desperate to attend

Tickets to the service, which were free but limited in numbers, were highly sought after, with many fans and admirers missing out.

Scott Whittley, 49, and his mother Barbara Whittley, 73, had to search to find tickets, then made the trip down from Sydney to attend.

Whittley, wearing one an ONJ concert Tshirt, said he had been lucky enough to meet his idol several times during her visits to Australia.

To him, it was like the experience some had meeting the Queen.

The 49-year-old grew up in the '80s admiring Newton-John.

"Most young boys growing up wanted to marry Olivia and most young girls growing up wanted to be Olivia," he said.

Whittley said she was so lovely as a person that he had no doubt "she would be everyone's friend".

Sara Stiliano, 33, donning an orange belt and scrunchie, said she had desperately scoured social media to find someone who would give her a ticket to the memorial.

"It's an honour to be here," she said.

"I love Olivia Newton-John. I grew up watching her. Grease is my all time favourite movie."

She said that alongside Olivia and Delta Goodrem were her two idols, and she was overjoyed to be able to see Goodrem while showing her appreciation for Newton-John.

The Grease star and Delta Goodrem are two of her idols, so she was overjoyed to see the Born to Try singer belting out a medley Newton-John.

Goodrem, who was a longtime friend of Olivia's and performed with her, sung a medley of Olivia's hit songs at the memorial.

She also went a step further to delight and support grieving fans by arriving through the public entrance – on the orange carpet – taking the time to chat and take photos.

https://twitter.com/serena_seyfort/status/1629705504573526019

Goodrem, who also played Olivia in a 2018 miniseries, was tearful and clearly mourning the loss of her friend as she comforted and greeted appreciative attendees.

"I deeply loved Olivia, the woman and the icon," she just said on the orange carpet.

"We all want to have a tear together and talk about how much we love her."

'Just a Melbourne girl'

Sue Gell, who travelled from regional Victoria to attend the service, said the thing she admired about Olivia, who grew up in Melbourne after moving from the UK as as young child, was her humility.

"I've always just followed and admired her, even before she started her breast cancer fundraising," Gell said.

"She just treated people naturally and normally and she didn't treat herself as a movie star or anything special.

"She was just a Melbourne girl."

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Family, friends and celebrities have remembered Olivia Newton-John at a poignant memorial service in Melbourne.

Newton-John's husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi were among those who spoke to pay tribute to the singer and actress who died last August after battling cancer for years.

Easterling, 70, revealed in an anecdote how Newton-John actually proposed to him, at the service at Hamer Hall.

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"We ended up in Scottsdale on Valentine's Day and I started a charade at dinner and the secret phrase was, 'Will you marry me,'" Easterling said.

"And she got 'will' and she got 'you' and I said 'rhymes with hairy'.

"Then out of nowhere, she just said, 'Will you marry me?'

"And I said, 'Yes,"

"She looked stunned for a minute and then started laughing and said, 'You rat bag.'

"That is the story of how Olivia proposed to me."

Lattanzi said her heart is "broken in two" as she spoke about her mother.

"I feel like a little girl lost without her mother," she said.

"She was my safe space, my guide, my biggest fan and the earth beneath my feet.

"I know she's here standing beside me and within me.

"I can hear her voice: 'You are safe, my darling. Don't be afraid, you're so much stronger than you think. Speak from your heart, that's all you have to do'."

Lattanzi went on to share some of her favourite memories of her mother.

"We loved watching our trashy TV shows together and immediately changed the channel when John walked in the room," she said.

"We pretended we were watching educational shows about plant medicine."

Celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Pink, Mariah Carey, Tina Arena, Dolly Parton, Cliff Richard, Elton John and RuPaul sent video messages.

Singer Delta Goodrem performed a medley of Newton John's best-known songs, ending with the emotional Peter Allen song, I love you, I honestly love you.

Singer-songwriter Bumpy and pianist Jake Amy performed the singer's 2006 song Grace and Gratitude at the event, which was hosted by TV presenter and actor, David Campbell.

The national anthem was sung by students of Newton-John's former school Christchurch Grammar.

Nine's entertainment editor Richard Wilkins also spoke, saying his late friend was a rarity in the entertainment industry.

"There are not too many people who have set foot on this planet, let alone forged a career in the entertainment industry about whom no one has a bad word to say," Wilkins said.

"From those early days when she left this magnificent city to take on the world with her girl next door demeanour and that beautiful, pure, pitch-perfect voice that could thread the eye of a needle, she had us at 'g'day'.

"When many picked up a California draw the first time they touch down at LAX, Olivia's accent got a little bit stronger every day and didn't we love her for that."

Friends as diverse as a former flatmate of the star, as well as politicians including Premier Daniel Andrews were also there.

People involved with her cancer centre also spoke, praising her dedication to the cause.

Ahead of the service at Hamer Hall, Delta Goodrem paid tribute to the Grease star.

"We all love her so much so it's wonderful to see everybody out," she said.

"She was really a light for all of the industry."

Singer Dannii Minogue said Newton-John had a profound impact on the course of her life.

"To me, she is literally the reason why I started performing," Minogue said.

"I was lucky enough to tell her that the first time we met".

Attendees wore a touch of orange as it was the singer's favourite colour.

Ahead of the service, the late singer's family released a photo tribute featuring images from Newton-John's personal collection.

The Melbourne-raised performer died at her ranch in Southern California last year surrounded by family and friends, aged 73.

After surviving cancer in 1992 and again in 2013, it returned in 2017 and on August 9, 2022, the Grammy-award winner lost her battle.

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Across six decades, Newton-John released 28 studio albums, won four Grammy awards, and sold more than 100 million records.

Newton-John's family have asked for memorial tributes to be made in the form of contributions to the Wellness Programs at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.

You can make a written tribute here.

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