Dramatic video footage has emerged of an undercover police car ramming a fleeing vehicle in West Auckland on Wednesday.A police spokesperson said a stolen vehicle was sighted in Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, before fleeing from…

"My name is Cleo."

It was those simple words, uttered by a four-year-old in the arms of a police officer, which brought a mammoth two-and-half week search to an end this morning.

Detectives burst into a home in the west coast town of Carnarvon at 1am, rescuing Cleo Smith who was alone in the house. A man is in custody.

It was wonderful news, thrust upon a nation which had been largely expecting the worst ever since little Cleo vanished from a tent on her family's campsite at the remote Carnarvon Blowholes on October 13.

READ MORE: Man in custody after Cleo found alive

Cleo was "safe and well", Western Australia Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch said in a statement.

Less than an hour later, in equally simple words, mum Ellie Smith expressed her joy in an Instagram post which read: "Our family is whole again".

Stunned and emotional, breakfast TV news anchors and radio presenters broke the news as their audiences woke up.

LIVE UPDATES: Cleo Smith found – latest developments

On Radio 2GB, presenter Ben Fordham's voice was wobbly, breaking in parts as he told of how Cleo had been saved by police.

"As the father of little girls, I am just so happy for their family," Fordham said.

"I don't know why it's hit me so hard but it just does I suppose when it's a little person. The good news is she is alive and she is well."

IN PICTURES: The search for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller later told Fordham how WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson had broken down in tears at the news.

"When he got the call this morning he broke down and cried. That speaks volumes," Mr Fuller said.

"I thought the chances of finding her alive were so slim."

Deputy Commissioner Blanche told Gareth Parker on 6PR senior detectives involved with the case had been "openly crying with relief" after Cleo was found.

"When she said, 'my name is Cleo', I don't think there was a dry eye in the house," he said.

"We were literally looking for a needle in a haystack and we found it."

On Today, presenters Allison Langdon and Karl Stefanovic were similarly shocked.

"This is extraordinary news," Langdon said. "We can't even believe we are hearing it this morning."

READ MORE: Finding of Cleo Smith 'a miracle', leading criminologist says

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1455635192517849088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

When it was revealed Cleo had been reunited with her parents, Langdon also became emotional.

"Oh my goodness, for her mother Ellie, who has been at that search site every single day, hoping for the best but probably reaching a point where she was thinking it wasn't going to end like this," Langdon said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to Twitter to share his joy at hearing of Cleo's safe return.

"What wonderful, relieving news," Mr Morrison said, thanking the huge number of police officers involved in the intense search.

His political counterparts were also quick to express their delight at the outcome.

https://twitter.com/tanya_plibersek/status/1455641831803273217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley was also moved.

https://twitter.com/kurtfearnley/status/1455636316150910977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

West Australia Police threw all their resources into finding Cleo, including putting up a $1 million reward.

Officers and volunteers were in the air and on horseback all day, every day.

Thousands of calls were analysed with data from phone towers and CCTV combed through.

https://twitter.com/KerriSackville/status/1455635604222275585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

They were most recently trying to access satellite imagery to help with the investigation.

Commissioner Dawson told his NSW counterpart, Mr Fuller, "West Australian Police never gave up on Cleo".

"He said to me … it was good old fashion police work that resulted in her being found alive," Mr Fuller said.

CLEO SMITH FOUND: WHAT WE KNOW

• At 12.46am (AWST) overnight, police broke into a locked home in Carnarvon, Western Australia, where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found alive and well. 
• A 36-year-old man was found not far from the home, and has been taken into custody. He is assisting police with inquiries. 
• Police have said the man has no connection with Cleo Smith's family. 
• Investigators were acting on information received that night, but it has not been disclosed yet what led them to that address. 
• Cleo has been reunited with her family.

Tonight on Channel 9 at 8.40pm Finding Cleo: A Nine News Special will have all the latest updates from a remarkable day. Watch live on Channel Nine or 9Now here

A Sydney man has expressed relief that doctors successfully rebuilt his chest after removing a large melon-sized tumour.

David Rashleigh, 55, discovered he had a cancerous tumour which lit up on a scan after he initially complained to his GP about indigestion.

"It lit up on the PET scan like a big old Easter egg, that's when I knew it was serious," Mr Rashleigh said.

READ MORE: Four-year-old Cleo Smith found alive after vanishing three weeks ago

Mr Rashleigh was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a type of cancer which usually affects younger people.

The tumour was wedged between his ribs and spine so removing it and rebuilding his chest required military-like planning.

"It was in his back, nestled between three ribs and sitting very close to his aorta," Dr Michael Harden, the cardiothoracic surgeon who led the surgery at North Shore Private Hospital in Sydney said.

Several ribs and a part of Mr Rashleigh's spine needed to be removed but his chest would cave in if the subsequent defect wasn't properly fixed.

"We can't just leave a cavity the size of a rockmelon," Mr Harden said.

READ MORE: Eleven winners of Oz Lotto's $50 million jackpot

They said a customised chest implant would maintain his quality of life.

"Allow him to do things we take for granted whether it's driving a car, bending over to pick something up, just taking a deep breath," Mr Harden said.

The 3D-printed chest implant, made of strong plastic, was designed and engineered in Melbourne and Perth before it was used in the reconstruction.

"I think it's amazing we can do it here in Australia, using Australian technology. This was very personalised surgery, nothing off the shelf," Mr Harden said.

The surgery was so complex it needed to be done in four stages and took 23 hours.

"David's situation required multiple teams from cardiothoracic surgeons, orthopaedic spinal surgeons, plastic surgeons to reconstruct his chest wall," Richard Ryan, North Shore Private Hospital CEO said.

READ MORE: 'Rare and magical': Waterfalls stream down Uluru

Mr Rashleigh has fully recovered from his surgery and is now halfway through chemotherapy.

He's still getting used to his new chest which was stabilised using a metal rod and many screws.

"It feels like it's there I'm not going to deny it," Mr Rashleigh said.

"The amount of hardware in there would threaten a Bunnings supply store," he joked.

Mr Rashleigh said he's grateful to the hospital team and Mr Harden who led the marathon operation.

"If I hadn't him and put under his care, I don't know what would've happened," Mr Rashleigh said.

A person has been found dead today while isolating at an Auckland address with Covid-19.The Ministry of Health (MoH) made the announcement at 8pm tonight.The person was found deceased by a family member visiting them at a Manukau…

Council House, Optus Stadium and the Bell Tower will be illuminated with blue light to honour police in WA.

A nurses union organiser says DHBs are “scrambling” to ensure staff do not need to be stood down when they come in contact with a Covid-19 case – after three Auckland nurses tested positive this week.Sarah Barker, New Zealand Nurses…

Video of the moment missing girl Cleo Smith was rescued after a frantic 18-day search has been released by Western Australia Police.

Footage from an officer's body camera shows the four-year-old being carried out of a house in the town of Carnarvon, where she was found.

The 12-second clip shows Cleo being carried by an officer in a hat and a hoodie, being greeted by a detective in a dark garden after the night-time rescue.

LIVE UPDATES: Police details Cleo Smith rescue in WA

"Cleo, my name's Cameron, how are you?" Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine said to her.

"Are you okay?

"We're going to take you to see your mummy and daddy, okay?

"Is that good?"

The little girl nods, but does not appear to say anything.

READ MORE: Missing WA girl Cleo Smith smiles and waves in first photo since her rescue

She's clinging onto the shoulders of the officer who is carrying her.

Police this afternoon revealed more details of how they found Cleo, after she disappeared from a remote WA campsite.

READ MORE: Four-year-old Cleo Smith found alive after vanishing three weeks ago

CLEO SMITH FOUND: WHAT WE KNOW

• At 12.46am (AWST) overnight, police broke into a locked home in Carnarvon, Western Australia, where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found alive and well.
• A 36-year-old man was found not far from the home, and has been taken into custody. He is assisting police with inquiries.
• Police have said the man has no connection with Cleo Smith's family.
• Investigators were acting on information received that night, but it has not been disclosed yet what led them to that address.
• Cleo has been reunited with her family.

Tonight on Channel 9 at 8.40pm Finding Cleo: A Nine News Special will have all the latest updates from a remarkable day. Watch live on Channel Nine or 9Now here

It's not an uncommon sight in the United States – hundreds of supporters turning out to see their preferred candidate announcing a politician run.

But a massive crowd in Dallas, Texas, were left disappointed when their candidate didn't show up at all.

But there's a very good reason for his absence – John F Kennedy Jr has been dead for 21 years.

LIVE UPDATES: Cleo Smith found – latest developments

Nevertheless, hundreds QAnon conspiracy theorists showed up at Dealey Plaza in the expectation that Mr Kennedy would emerge.

He would then be named as vice president to a re-appointed Donald Trump.

According to a social media post by an influential QAnon conspirator, Mr Trump would then resign, Mr Kennedy would take the presidency, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn would be named as Vice President.

And while such a move would defy both the laws of nature of the constitution of the United States, a large crowd clearly believed it to be possible.

READ MORE: QAnon conspiracy theorists may become more violent: FBI

https://twitter.com/michaeldamianw/status/1455611366560178181

"I believe at 11.55, JFK Jr will be our next vice president," one woman told the Dallas Morning News.

"And President Trump will be our president."

She added that she believed President John F Kennedy was not killed in 1963, and that he is also still alive.

President Kennedy would be 104-years-old if still alive.

Dealey Plaza would be a macabre choice for the late Mr Kennedy to appear. The park in downtown Dallas was the location his father, President John F Kennedy was shot.

The hundreds gathered specifically around the spot the elder Mr Kennedy was shot, near the Texas Book Depository building and the notorious "grassy knoll".

The crowd was seen waving banners and wearing T-shirts saying "Trump Kennedy" in the style of a presidential election logo.

An evolving theory among QAnon conspiracists is that Mr Kennedy is the mysterious Q himself.

This in spite of the fact that Mr Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999 at the age of 38.

In spite of his pedigree, Mr Kennedy was far less political than his family at large.

The magazine journalist was far better known as a New York socialite and casanova, having dated Cindy Crawford, Sarah Jessica Parker and Daryl Hannah.

READ MORE: How believers helped a mother kidnap her own daughter

His brief forays into politics involved campaigning with his uncle Teddy Kennedy, and his cousin Patrick Kennedy, both Democrats.

QAnon is a far-right wing conspiracy theory that believes a group of Satanic, cannibalistic paedophile celebrities are operating a global sex trafficking ring.

The gathering in Dallas is the latest of failed QAnon predictions. Many of the recent predictions are centred around Mr Trump being reinaugurated as president.

EXPLAINER: What is QAnon? How a conspiracy theory led to storming of US Capitol

A man arrested by police after four-year-old Cleo Smith was found "alive and well" inside a Carnarvon home in the early hours of this morning, was "known to police", Homicide Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde has revealed.

"He is known but I have to be very careful around that," Det. Supt Wilde said when questioned by reporters this afternoon.

The missing four-year-old, who disappeared from her family campsite on October 16, was found inside a locked home at Carnarvon just before 1am, ending an intensive two-and-a-half week police search.

LIVE UPDATES: Cleo Smith found – latest developments

Cleo was inside the home alone and a 36-year-old man was arrested nearby. Police have said he has no connections to Cleo's family.

Police said he had only become a suspect in the case yesterday.

The man in custody sustained head injuries while in his holding cell and has been taken to hospital by police.

Bodycam footage of Cleo's rescue 'just amazing'

Det. Supt Wilde said seeing the bodycam footage of Cleo being found was "just amazing".

"We obviously had real concerns for Cleo's welfare. And as time passed by, they grew worse. So to see that, it was just amazing," he said.

He confirmed Cleo was taken from the campsite and that police didn't believe anyone else had been involved except the man.

"It appears to be opportunistic."

READ MORE: Remarkable police video shows the moment Cleo Smith was rescued

Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blayne of the Homicide Squad was one of the four officers who rescued Cleo, describing his discovery of her as "complete shock".

"Quickly followed by elation," he said.

"To see her sitting there in the way that she was, it was incredible."

The Senior Sergeant said "it was an honour" to be able to witness the reunion of Cleo and her family at the hospital shortly after Cleo was found.

After seeing Cleo hours after her rescue, he described her as "a little energiser bunny".

"How she has that much energy, I wish I did, I am about ready to go to sleep. Very sweet, energetic girl."

He said Cleo was "very trusting and very open" will all the police.

"We all wanted to take turns holding her. It was a really good experience."

'Our family is whole again': Cleo's family rejoice

Today Cleo's biological father, Daniel Staines, released a statement on the incredible news of her rescue.

Cleo's parents are separated and she lives with her mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon.

"We are all absolutely overjoyed at the good news this morning and so happy that Cleo has been reunited with her mum and dad," Mr Staines said in a statement provided to the West Australian newspaper.

"Thank you to everyone who helped look for her and bring her home, particularly the WA Police, SES and the Carnarvon community."

Cleo's mum Ellie Smith posted about the family's reunion with the little girl on Instagram this morning.

"Our family is whole again," she wrote.

In a statement, Cleo's school St Mary star of the Sea Catholic School said they were extremely grateful for the efforts of police.

"We are beyond relieved to hear this news – every member of our school community shares my feelings of gratitude for this outcome," said school principal, Steve O'Halloran.

"We will continue to pray for Cleo and her family, with respect for their dignity and privacy as they process this event and as the investigation continues."

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said a crucial lead about a car had led to police to the house where Cleo was found.

"We followed every lead we could. We had some important information, I can say that the information about a car was really important," he told 6PR.

Cleo was alone in the locked home when she was found and told one of the officers who picked her up: 'My name is Cleo'.

Western Australia Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch has said the bodycam footage of Cleo Smith's overnight rescue will be "burned into his memory for life".

"I saw detectives see Cleo in a room, and the look on their faces, and the care that was expressed immediately, and the cuddling, and her looking almost directly at the camera saying, 'My name is Cleo'," Deputy Commissioner Blanch told Gareth Parker on 6PR.

Cleo was "alive, well and smiling" in footage he had seen of her after her rescue, Mr Blanch said.

LIVE UPDATES: Cleo Smith found – latest developments

https://omny.fm/shows/the-9news-lunch-podcast/nov-3-special-edition-tears-of-joy-as-missing-cleo/embed?style=cover

Police officers in tears

Mr Blanch said senior detectives involved with the case were "breaking down and crying" after Cleo was found.

"I know when the officers picked up Cleo and asked 'What's your name?' And a little voice said 'My name is Cleo', I think there was no-one that I know in this state that wasn't crying at that point in WA police force," he said.

Mr Blanch said police had acted straight away last night after finding a "needle in a haystack".

READ MORE: Cleo Smith rescue makes front pages all over the world

READ MORE: Police searching for Cleo Smith worked 'hierarchy of suspicion'

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said Police Commissioner Chris Dawson notified him overnight about the successful rescue.

"He sent me a photo of little Cleo in a hospital bed sitting there smiling, it was a wonderful piece of news," Mr McGowan said.

He joined the nation in expressing his relief that Cleo had been found.

"It is a very exciting day," Mr McGowan said.

"We are all so pleased and so happy with the great news that little Cleo Smith has been found alive and well. It's a remarkable, exciting, uplifting news."

Mr McGowan said the investigation would provide a leading example to law enforcement agencies around the country and the world.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Cleo's rescue was a moment of great joy.

"The fact that that nightmare has come to an end and our worst fears were not realised, is just a huge relief," Mr Morrison said in Dubai this afternoon.

"Thank God that Cleo is home and that she is safe."

READ MORE: Finding of Cleo Smith 'a miracle', leading criminologist says

Mr Dawson said Cleo's family had never given up hope.

"They're strong people," he said.

"They have good support around them and we will continue to walk them through – this  is a wonderful result today, but it will still be a tough journey for them."

Police have not ruled out further arrests.

Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller revealed that Commissioner Dawson had "broke down and cried" after getting the call that told him Cleo had been found alive.

READ MORE: Community celebrate little Cleo's rescue

"That speaks volumes," Commissioner Fuller said.

"I thought the chances of finding her alive were so slim.

"(Commissioner Dawson) said to me, 'West Australian Police never gave up on Cleo'. It was good old fashion police work that resulted in her being found alive."

The home where Cleo was found, in Tonkin Crescent, is just a seven-minute drive from her home in Carnarvon.

Police have sealed off the area.

One of the neighbours spoke to Today reporter Joshua Dawe, saying she was shocked to learn Cleo had been "so close".

"I actually got a call about 4.30am from my nephew and he said, 'Aunt, I just put the news on and she's been found'," the woman said.

"I got up and then I also had a call from my son who was on his way to Perth Airport to go to work. And he said, 'Mum, the kid's been found'. I jumped out of bed and I've been awake since then."

Another man said he had seen the moment Cleo was carried out of the house.

"One (neighbour) reached out and said, 'They got a little girl. It might be Cleo'," he said.

"We came out and we saw the detective holding her in his arms and, yeah, put her in the back of the detective's car."

Another woman said the situation made her frightened for her young son.

"My mother lived in this house for 17 years and nothing like this ever happened before," she said.

"It's a quiet street, everybody knows everybody."

A Carnarvon baker who works with Cleo Smith's grandmother has said she was too overwhelmed to speak when he got in touch this morning.

"Overwhelming, I can tell you," Joseph Nguyen said.

"Even this morning, very early in the morning we called Cleo's grandma and she's just so happy. She can't say anything. She's just like 'We are so happy'."

Carnarvon Shire President Eddie Smith released a statement praising Cleo's parents and the work of the police.

"This is a joyous day," he said.

"Cleo is back home safely with her family, our hopes and prayers have been answered.

"To the Carnarvon community – you have shown what community is all about.

"You have supported Ellie and Jake, you have supported the police, you have taken every measure to help bring about this result.

"I have never been prouder to be the Shire President of Carnarvon."

Missing for weeks

Cleo disappeared from her family's campsite early in the morning of October 16 at the Carnarvon Blowholes.

She and her sleeping bag were both gone from the family's tent, prompting initial fears Cleo had wandered off and was lost.

The Blowholes campground is very isolated, situated just behind a beach and surrounded by sand dunes and a lighthouse.

But after a mass search of the area, police announced they believed Cleo may have been abducted.

Detectives door-knocked homes in the Carnarvon region this week in a search for answers.

A $1 million reward was announced during the search for any information leading to the missing girl.

Her mother, Ellie Smith, posted repeatedly on social media pleading for the return of her child.

In a public plea last week she spoke about the pain the family was going through.

Ms Smith described the situation as "heartbreaking", "heart-wrenching" and "completely scary".

"How are you meant to feel?" she said.

READ MORE: Finding of Cleo Smith 'a miracle', leading criminologist says

"The whole time, you're trying to look through tears. It's nothing that I'd ever wish upon anyone."

The family's ordeal struck a cord with the town of Carnarvon, which provided an outpouring of support.

Vigils were held, while shops and cars were plastered with posters and stickers calling for anybody with information about Cleo to report it.

READ MORE: Nation weeps and celebrates as little Cleo found 'alive and well'

A hundred police officers were involved in the investigation, with 50 in Carnarvon alone.

Just yesterday, police confirmed they were looking into using satellite vision in an attempt to establish what had happened to Cleo, due to limited CCTV in the isolated area.

There were thousands calls to Crime Stoppers during the investigation as well – but it's not yet known what led police to the house where Cleo was found.

Expert insight into police hunt

Criminologist Xanthe Mallett told Today police deserved to be applauded over the successful end to a very complex investigation.

"There was lack of technological help. There weren't any CCTV cameras, there were no dash-cam footage on people's cars, it wasn't in suburbia for example," Associate Professor Mallett said.

"The police have a lot of persons of interest look at. Anyone in the campsite anyone with family travelling there. Anyone with relevant criminal history in the local community. There were a lot of leads to follow in the early days."

She said police had opted for the right course in bringing on a large task force early.

"They learnt some of the mistakes from other child abduction cases from here and abroad and determined not to allow that happen in Cleo's case," she said.

"The feel was that Cleo would be the next William Tyrrell and next Madeleine McCann. We would never find out what happened."

Associate Professor Mallett also slammed online trolls who had targeted Cleo's family in the wake of her disappearance, saying this kind of pressure could "break a family apart".

"It puts them under pressure day in and day out with everyone looking at them," she said.

Police said throughout the investigation that they did not suspect Cleo's family had anything to do with her disappearance.

Associate Professor Mallett said the Cleo Smith case could potentially throw a wrench into current law enforcement presumptions.

She said if it was found that Cleo had been abducted, it was "extraordinary" that she had been kept alive for so long.

"She's obviously been fed and given water and kept physically safe for the last 19 days," she told 9News.

"That is not to speak to any psychological trauma as a result of being taken away from her family."

"If a child is taken, the likelihood of them being found safe and well diminishes over time and the first few hours are key to finding them," she said.

"This is really going to test all of the behavioural knowledge we have of these type of offenders." 

Criminologist and former detective Terry Goldsworthy suggested the remote location may have actually benefited police once the investigation shifted its focus.

"So it limited, in reality, the suspect pool for them once they determined it was looking like a kidnapping or a homicide potentially," Dr Goldsworthy told Today.

He said the timing of the raid overnight could indicate that police were acting on information they had only just received.

"The circumstances of how (Cleo) got there will now be the focus of their investigation," Dr Goldsworthy said.

"So they'll be trying to work back from the locating of her this morning, back to her disappearance 19 days ago and the role that person played and I guess the role any other person may have played in the last 19 days."

Dr Goldsworthy said proactive policing had given investigators an advantage.

The early posting of a $1 million reward, normally only resorted to after traditional techniques had been exhausted, ensured incoming tips and information stayed at a high volume.

Dr Goldsworthy also praised the police's media campaign, which kept the Cleo search at the front of the national consciousness. 

Murdoch University forensic biologist Paola Magni said it would be "really important" to preserve the scene at the Carnarvon home where Cleo Smith was found.

"Because we have degradation of evidence. With evidence, they don't stay still as stone all the time," Ms Magni told 9News Perth's Tracy Vo.

"It is important that nobody goes and (modifies) whatever is there.

"Because in some cases we can find the evidence but we can not backtrack from how long the evidence is there."

Ms Magni said it is important to "understand the dynamic of what happened in all of these 18 days".

CLEO SMITH FOUND: WHAT WE KNOW

• At 12.46am (AWST) overnight, police broke into a locked home in Carnarvon, Western Australia, where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found alive and well.
• A 36-year-old man was found not far from the home, and has been taken into custody. He is assisting police with inquiries.
• Police have said the man has no connection with Cleo Smith's family.
• Investigators were acting on information received that night, but it has not been disclosed yet what led them to that address.
• Cleo has been reunited with her family.

Tonight on Channel 9 at 8.40pm Finding Cleo: A Nine News Special will have all the latest updates from a remarkable day. Watch live on Channel Nine or 9Now here.

Several people are injured after a serious crash in Hastings. Emergency services are currently attending a serious crash on York Rd in Hastings.The crash between two cars happened between the SH2 roundabout and Maraekakaho Rd…