Southern police officers obtained and used MDMA while at a concert, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found.But the officers involved will not be charged.In a summary released on the IPCA’s website, it outlined how…
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Queensland COVID-19 update hijacked by anti-vax protester
A Queensland COVID-19 update given by Health Minister Yvette D'Ath had to be cut short after she was interrupted by a woman protesting against the vaccine.
Ms D'Ath was discussing vaccinations rates in Cairns when a woman appeared beside her and starting yelling.
She claimed her friends had suffered adverse reactions to the vaccine and that one had died.
READ MORE: Next steps in Cleo Smith investigation after miracle rescue
Ms D'Ath said she was happy to talk to the woman after the presser conference but she continued speaking over the politician.
"Excuse me, could you just let me speak," Ms D'Ath said.
"I have a voice … you've said enough," the woman said.
The woman was holding up her phone and appeared to be filming.
The press conference ended shortly after.
The woman continued to abuse Ms D'Ath.
Drought reveals ancient boomerangs hidden in Cooper Creek
Four ancient wood boomerangs, hundreds of years old, have been found in a dried-up arm of Coopers Creek in remote South Australia.
The discovery was "significant", a professor involved in the carbon dating of the objects told 9News.com.au, with the four boomerangs – including one with a wing span of one-metre – busting the misplaced belief of a "stereotypical returning boomerang".
Instead, the four boomerangs showed the "diverse" range of activities they were probably used for, including fighting, hunting, digging, fire management and possibly in ceremonies, Flinders University Professor Amy Roberts said.
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Radiocarbon dating revealed the boomerangs ranged in age from 1650 – 1830, a time spanning the two centuries leading up to European incursions into the region by explorers Charles Sturt, Robert Burke and William Wills.
Had it not been for severe drought exposing parts of Cooper Creek under permanent or near permanent water, the boomerangs may never have discovered near Innamincka, in SA's far north east.
Katheryn Litherland, a traditional owner, and Jason Litherland, from National Parks and Wildlife South Australia, found the boomerangs while clearing rubbish left by visitors in a dried up creek bed in December 2017 and January 2018.
Following the discovery, keen to determine their age and document the artefacts, the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka community contacted Flinders University to help analyse the boomerangs.
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Under close examination, even before they had been radiocarbon dated, Professor Roberts could tell the boomerangs likely came before European colonisation.
"When we looked at them under the microscope you can see some of the manufacture traces on them, which we know have been made using stone tools or implements.
"Often after European invasion communities might have used metal implements … so we knew they were from a period where stone implements were being used."
There are a lot of boomerangs from Aboriginal communities which have been collected all over Australia now exhibited in museums across the country, Professor Roberts said, "but they're collected during the early period after European invasion."
The Cooper Creek discovery was doubly rare, she said, "because there's so few that are found like this, in-situ, like possibly where they were left".
Ms Litherland, a Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka traditional owner who found the boomerangs in the creek bed, said it was important to "protect and preserve" her people's artefacts.
"That's what our ancestors would want us to do," she said.
"When you see them old people in whirly winds you know they are here watching and protecting our Country."
'You see this in the movies': How town reacted to Cleo Smith rescue
A pink bouquet and balloons sit in the heart of a small coastal Western Australia town, where locals are still reeling from the "amazing" rescue of Cleo Smith.
The four-year-old's home town of Carnarvon, 900km north of Perth, is celebrating after she was found early Wednesday morning following a frantic 18-day search.
Leticia Andreoli said her son, who is a schoolmate of Cleo, didn't understand at first that his little friend had been found.
READ MORE: Items seized as Cleo spends first night at home with family
"It took him a while to get it," she said.
"He said 'no Cleo is lost.' I said 'no bub, she's been found, so you can give her a big hug when you see her.'"
Another local, Naomi Knoll, said "everyone in town is so happy".
"It's a happy day. It's a good day for Carnarvon," she said.
READ MORE: Remarkable video shows moment Cleo was rescued
Some businesses were giving out free coffee and cakes to help spread the joy.
Shire President Eddie Smith said the events felt like a film.
"You see this in the movies, you don't see this in Carnarvon," he said.
"But the way the community has come together and conducted themselves has been wonderful."
READ MORE: Police detail how Cleo Smith was rescued.
Little signs of the relief people are feeling over Cleo's safe return to her family are everywhere.
Facebook group "Bring Cleo Home", started by 10 mums, has grown to more than 65 thousand members worldwide.
Today it was flooded with messages such as "The country cried with you this morning Ellie and Jake", "Safe in your Mummy's arms, I bet she won't ever let go of you", and "Welcome home princess".
Signwriter Jace Kempton was able to make a new sign today, welcoming Cleo home.
He printed more than 15,000 "Find Cleo" bumper stickers and signs at his factory as the 18-day search continued.
"The word got around quick and I hope that was part of the outcome," a "very relieved" Mr Kempton said.
Church of Christ Carnarvon pastor Brendon Law-Davis said it was "a great day to celebrate."
Up the road from Carnarvon at the Wooramel Roadhouse, a previously sad poster now has a poignant message.
It reads "missing child — found".
READ MORE: Missing Cleo Smith smiles and waves in first photos
READ MORE: Nation weeps and celebrates as little Cleo found 'alive and well'
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.
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Time slots possible for Aucklanders crossing border in holidays – Hipkins
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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…
Nation weeps and celebrates as little Cleo is found 'alive and well'
"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
Sydney doctors perform lifesaving procedure to rebuild man's chest
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.
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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.
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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.
Covid-19 Delta Outbreak: One person dies while isolating with Covid at South Auckland address
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…
WA landmarks turned blue to honour police
Council House, Optus Stadium and the Bell Tower will be illuminated with blue light to honour police in WA.