A girl, 4, has been rescued “alive and well” on Wednesday two and a half weeks after she was suspected to have been snatched from a tent during a family camping trip on Australia’s remote west coast, police said.
Police found Cleo Smith in a house in the coastal town of Carnarvon and a man was taken into custody in an early morning raid, Western Australia Police deputy commissioner Col Blanch said.
She disappeared with her sleeping bag from her family’s tent at the Blowholes Campground, 75 kilometres north of the family home in Carnarvon, a town of 5,000 people, on October 16.
“Cleo is alive and well,” Mr Blanch said.
“One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her: ‘What’s your name?’ She said: ‘My name is Cleo'."
She was reunited with her mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gibbon soon after.
It is unclear whether a A$1 million (US$744,235) reward offered five days after her disappearance brought a tip-off that led police to her.
She disappeared between 1.30am and 6am on the second day of a camping trip with her parents and younger sister, Isla.
The children had been in a separate compartment of the tent from the parents.
Police suspected she had been abducted because a zipper on a tent flap had been raised to a height that she could not have reached.
Forensic scientists had examined the exterior of the family home for evidence that a predator had stalked Cleo and tried to break in.
The disappearance had captivated the nation.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison thanked police for finding Cleo and supporting her family.
“What wonderful, relieving news. Cleo Smith has been found and is home safe and sound,” Mr Morrison wrote on Twitter, thanking the police officers involved in finding Cleo and supporting her family.
“Our prayers answered."
A team of 140 people had been working on the case with police fielding more than 1,000 tips from the public.
Police said the abduction appeared to have been opportunistic and they expected to file charges later in the day.
"She is physically OK. That was evident from the start," said state police homicide squad Senior Sgt Cameron Blaine, who was one of four people to rescue the child.
"Taking her to the hospital we got assurance of that from people that know what they are doing."
He said finding her was "without a doubt" the best moment of his career.
"She is a very sweet, energetic girl, very trusting and very open with us," he said.
Footage released by police showed the moment the girl was carried out of the house, her arms around a police officer.
After introducing himself, Sgt Blaine asked her: "Are you OK? We are going to take you to see your mummy and daddy, OK? Is that good?" to which she smiled and nodded.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
