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Sally Faulkner flies home to Qld: report

Sally Faulkner has reportedly been reunited with her partner and young child in Brisbane after returning from Lebanon.

Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner
Sally Faulkner is expected to arrive back in Brisbane soon after farewelling her kids in Lebanon. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Sally Faulkner has reportedly been reunited with her loved ones at home in Australia following an emotional goodbye to her two children in Lebanon.

The mother at the centre of the 60 Minutes child-snatch drama arrived in Sydney on Friday evening, according to Fairfax Media citing a Nine Network spokeswoman.

Ms Faulkner has a partner, Brendan Pierce, and a young child and is understood to have flown on to Brisbane to be with them on Saturday morning.

She bade farewell to her two other children - Lahela, 5 and Noah, 3 - on Friday - after agreeing to give custody to her estranged husband Ali Elamine.

She was in tears after leaving the children she kissed and hugged at a play centre in Beirut, far from the cramped prison cell she had been in for the past fortnight.

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Speaking to Nine shortly after her release, Ms Faulkner said: "I love them and Mummy's sorry that it all worked out this way. I tried.

"I hope I can see them one day again in Australia, I really do."

The Australian Family Court granted Ms Faulkner full custody of Lahela and Noah but she gave up that right in exchange for Mr Elamine dropping his abduction charges.

That led to Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes crew's release from prison, although they still face possible criminal charges.

Mr Elamine will not let the children return to Australia anytime soon but Ms Faulkner can visit them in Lebanon or a third country such as the UAE or Cyprus.

The 60 Minutes crew arrived back in Sydney on Thursday night, after a lawyer handed an investigating judge in Beirut a document purporting to show Nine paid $A69,000 to CARI.

The current affairs program is expected to feature Ms Faulkner and reporter Tara Brown reuniting with their families in Australia on Sunday night.


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