Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has announced he is stepping down as premier and member for Rockingham after six years in the state's top job, stating he is "exhausted".

McGowan announced his resignation after calling a snap press conference in Perth, and reading out a "brief statement" to reporters.

This will be his last week in office. 

"Today I am announcing that I will be stepping down as Premier and member for Rockingham," McGowan read.

"I was elected premier of Western Australia in March 2017, more than six years ago. Prior to that I served as Opposition Leader for more than six years.

"Now is the right time to step away from the job I love."

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McGowan said he is stepping down partly as he is convinced Labor will win the next state election.

"I'm tired, extremely tired. In fact, I'm exhausted," he said.

"The role of political leadership does not stop, it is relentless, with huge responsibility but it is all consuming, each and every day. And combined with the COVID-19 years, it has taken it out of me.

"I'm convinced WA Labor can win and will win the next election in 2025. But I just don't have the energy or drive that is required to continue in the role as Premier."

He revealed he has been considering stepping down for a while, and will take a break after he finishes. 

"It is not a decision I have taken lightly, I've been considering it for quite a while," he said.

"I will leave Parliament and leave the role by the end of this week. It will be up to my colleagues to select my replacement.

"I don't want to finish work completely. Once I am rested and recuperated, I will look for something else to do."

The politician thanked his wife Sarah and three children – Samuel, Alexander and Amelia – for their support over the years.

READ MORE: 'How I captured a monster's confession and turned my pain into power

"To my family can I pass on my love and thanks, being Premier takes a huge toll on family life," he said.

"Thank you for every thing over so many hard years."

McGowan added he is a "phone call away" should his successor ever need someone to ask for advice.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he spoke to McGowan earlier today to congratulate him on his retirement, commending the work he has done for his state.

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https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1663049278573649923

"Mark leaves office as he led, on his own terms and as his own man. He has been a great Premier of his proud state, an extraordinary leader for WA Labor and a trusted friend," Albanese said.

"Above all, Mark will be remembered for seeing the people of Western Australian safely through one of the most challenging crises in our nation's history. In unprecedented times, Mark always held to his convictions and always sought to do the right thing by his state.

"I wish Mark, Sarah and their family all the very best for the next chapter of their lives."

The Labor leader secured a second term after a historic state election victory in 2021, gaining 23 more seats than required to govern as a majority government.

He also was in charge during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a hardline border approach which saw the state closed down for nearly two years.

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Rise to power and bravery award

McGowan grew up in regional NSW with his younger brother and parents, who ran small businesses.

He moved to WA with the Royal Australian Navy in 1991, becoming a lieutenant and serving as an legal officer at HMAS Stirling until mid-1996.

He was awarded the Governor General's Commendation for Bravery in 1997 after he rescued an unconscious driver from a burning car two years earlier. McGowan was the deputy mayor of Rockingham before being elected to state parliament in December 1996.

He was parliamentary secretary to Premier Geoff Gallop from 2001 to 2005 and held several shadow portfolios.

In government, McGowan held portfolios including environment, education and training, racing and gaming, and tourism.

McGowan met his wife Sarah at the 1993 federal election when she was working part-time for the Electoral Commission. They married in 1996 and they have three children, Samuel, Alexander and Amelia.

Border lockdowns

During the pandemic, McGowan's hardline approach to the deadly virus saw Western Australia dubbed names like the "Fortress WA" and the "Hermit State".

McGowan locked WA's borders for 697 days, almost two years, eventually reopening in March last year when 99 per cent of the population above the age of 12 had been double-dosed.

For some, McGowan's staunch lockdown was bliss. WA suffered relatively few cases and deaths, while other states – particularly New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland – suffered heavily.

For others in WA, their businesses and the tourism sector was pushed to the brink.

As backlash mounted, McGowan said he and his family were subjected to violent threats.

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A bull has charged into crowds attending a rodeo in outback Western Australia.

The incident happened halfway through the show as spectators were line dancing at the Top End Mustering Rodeo in Kununurra in the state's north-west on Saturday night.

Paramedics were already on standby at the scene and treated a small number of spectators for minor injuries.

READ MORE: Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan steps down

A young girl was taken to hospital with suspected fractures along with a man in his 30s.

One resident told radio station 6PR he sent his two-year-old and seven-year-old into the bullpen to join the line dancing while he sat on the picnic rug.

"Next thing I heard a lot of screaming and running and saw a bull bucking around in there," he said.

"It didn't take long for the people inside the ring to see it and start screaming and trying to get away from it.

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"That's when I jumped over the fence to find my two-year-old and seven-year-old.

"It was pretty frightening for a lot of parents and a lot of children."

"It was like (something) from a movie script."

Witness are calling for an investigation into the incident.

The Kununurra Campdraft and Rodeo Association has been contacted for comment.

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A trial of convicted wife-killer, former teacher and rugby league player Chris Dawson will begin examining his alleged relationship with one of his students.

Dawson is on trial accused of one count of carnal knowledge as a teacher of a girl aged over 10 and under 17 years of age.

The 74-year-old will be given frequent breaks during the trial due to health issues in his older age.

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He was jailed in 2022 for murdering his wife Lynette in January 1982, with a judge finding he was motivated by a desire to pursue an unfettered relationship with one of his students.

Public defender Claire Wasley asked for the NSW District Court to restrict what media can report during the trial to avoid contaminating witnesses yet to give evidence.

There has been too much media attention and even witnesses seeking to avoid news on the trial would be exposed to information, she said.

"And they would turn it off," Judge Sarah Huggett responded.

"That's what they're told to do. Jurors are told that … we trust jurors to do that."

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Barrister Dauid Sibtain SC, arguing on behalf of several media organisations, said there was no evidence Ms Wasley's concerns would eventuate and there was no reason to treat the trial differently from any other.

"It is a general apprehension as opposed to evidence of a risk," he said.

The judge did not make any specific orders, noting statutory laws already protect complainants in cases of alleged sexual offending from being identified.

Dawson appeared in prison greens sitting in the dock for the first day of the judge-alone trial.

Prosecutors will open their case against him on Monday afternoon.

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Under-fire consulting firm PwC has ordered nine of its partners to take leave with immediate effect, as it deals with the cascading fallout from a tax leak scandal.

The controversy was sparked by the discovery that PwC's international tax chief Peter Collins had been leaking confidential information about changes to federal tax laws to partners, staff and clients that would be impacted by them.

PwC, which employs 10,000 Australians and around 900 partners, has been rocked by the controversy, with faith in the firm's trustworthiness and ethics seriously dented.

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The government, who are PwC's biggest and most lucrative client, are furious and have essentially shadow-banned the company from winning any new contracts.

In an open letter penned by acting chief executive Kristin Stubbins, she apologised for the "completely unacceptable" act of sharing confidential government tax policy information and "for betraying the trust placed in us".

"Although investigations are still underway, we know enough about what went wrong to acknowledge that this situation was completely unacceptable," she wrote.

"No amount of words can make it right."

For years, the leaked information from Collins allowed PwC to reverse-engineer tax advice to clients, earning them millions of dollars.

The company is refusing to name which nine partners had been put on leave.

Stubbins said the company had failed in three ways.

There was a clear lack of respect for confidentiality, the company did not have adequate processes and governance in place and, she said, the culture in its tax business at that time "allowed inappropriate behaviour" and "has not, until now, always properly held our leaders and those involved to account".

Stubbins said the company will now ring-fence its government advisory business to minimise conflicts of interest.

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She described "a culture of aggressive marketing in our tax business" at the time of the Collins leaks.

"Over a period, this aggressive behavior and drive for growth permeated certain parts of our leadership and allowed for profit to be placed over purpose," Stubbins wrote.

The company's governance process "failed to identify and keep this in check".

On top of the nine partners forced on leave, the chairs of the governance board and its designated risk committee have also stepped down.

Two independent, non-executive directors will be appointed to its governance board.

The company will also publish a report in full, including its recommendations, when an independent review concludes in September.

Earlier this month chief executive Tom Seymour stepped down after confirming he was linked to the tax leak scandal, leading to Stubbins' elevation.

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It's taken nearly 10 years of travelling, but Danish adventurer Torbjørn Pedersen has reached his 203rd and final country, and all without ever taking a flight.

Arriving by container ship into the Maldives, the man known as Thor has completed an incredible journey that has seen him criss-cross the world, battle coronavirus border restrictions, get stuck for two years in Hong Kong, and also fall in love and get married.

His travels were all in a single unbroken journey, and along the way he kept his friends and family updated on his website, Once Upon A Saga.

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Speaking to Stuff Travel from the Maldives capital of Malé, Pedersen said he can't quite comprehend all that he has achieved.

"It appears that the Saga has been of great importance to many as I'm now receiving a lot of very emotional reactions and very moving messages. It may take a long time before I fully understand the gravity of it all," said Pedersen.

"I had been doing this for 3512 days when I set foot in the Maldives.

"I'm not sure I have understood that it is over yet and I might need a long time to settle and reflect on everything.

"Having said that, I am happy that it is over, that it ended successfully and that I never gave up. It is quite overwhelming with all the attention and kind words that I receive from every corner of the world right now."

Amongst the rules he set himself, he had to visit each country for at least 24 hours and would only spend US$20 a day, that's just over A$30, explaining "in some countries I'm above while in other countries I'm below".

Funding has come from crowdsourcing and a variety of companies, along with free passage from many shipping companies.

At one stage he had to self-finance, which wiped out his own personal funds. He was forced to sell some possessions and take out loans.

He has endured a lot of container ships – 37 all up.

But all his plans nearly came unstuck heading to New Zealand, country number 197.

In May last year, the ship which had pledged to bring him across the Tasman from Australia said it would no longer carry him, then Immigration New Zealand said he couldn't enter the country due to COVID regulations.

While Customs here had given him the green light, the reversal by Immigration had left him "confused and frustrated".

He had an added wrinkle of a new Danish passport waiting for him in New Zealand.

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Immigration then reversed its stance, but the ship carrying him wasn't allowed to enter New Zealand waters until the hull was cleaned, and poor weather was preventing that. For three weeks the ship drifted just outside NZ's maritime border.

Eventually the ship was granted access and Pedersen managed to get passage to cross off the last few Pacific islands before Sri Lanka and the end destination of the Maldives.

Pedersen said time has healed the frustrations he felt with travel to New Zealand.

"I really like NZ and always think fondly of (the) country. Having said that, the pandemic wasn't over and NZ was opening up in stages so it wasn't straight forward to arrive onboard a ship.

"Furthermore the container vessel which took me had not had its hull cleaned for a year, so we were not permitted to come inside NZ waters and drifted for about three weeks. And then the company that could have helped me onward to the next country did not want to assist due to pandemic restrictions.

"As such, for a while at least, I was scratching the back of my head. Fortunately YWAM Koha (a New Zealand-registered Medical Aid Ship) came to the rescue and brought me up to Fiji so the journey could continue."

Waiting for him in Malé at the end of his adventure was wife Le Gjerum.

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The original plan was to get hitched when he got to New Zealand, but the pandemic forced a rethink, so they got married in Hong Kong instead.

"She has been a wonderful support throughout all of this and she is very proud of me. The Maldives marks the 27th time she has come out to visit me."

The adventure isn't quite over yet as he is returning to Denmark without taking a plane.

Pedersen says in the FAQ on his site that, "I would not be able to say that I went TO every country in the world without flying as I never went TO Denmark. I went FROM Denmark without flying. Also I would simply like to stay true to the nature of the project and return home over sea and land, thus closing the circle".

Once he does get back home he is planning to write a book on his adventures and do some speaking engagements, having been a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross. He is also hoping to produce a documentary.

Asked what he has learnt about himself through all of this, his answer was simple: "I've learned that I have more inner strength than I ever imagined."

This article originally appeared on Stuff and is republished here with permission.

Newly-released surveillance footage shows the moment a US bus driver and passenger opened fire on each other on a moving bus earlier this month.

The incident left both injured, transit authorities said.

The shoot-out started after a passenger, identified as Omarri Shariff Tobias, got up while the bus was in motion and asked the driver to let him off between designated bus stops, according to a news release from Charlotte Area Transit System.

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The driver, David Fullard, told Tobias he would have to wait until the next approved stop.

After about a two-minute exchange, Tobias pulled out a gun and pointed it at Fullard, the transit system said. At this time, Fullard also pulled out a firearm, the transit system said.

Both men fired their guns "in rapid succession," although it is unclear who shot first, company spokesperson Brandon Hunter told CNN by phone Saturday.

Fullard was struck in the arm and Tobias was struck in the abdomen, according to the transit system.

Dramatic video of the encounter shows Fullard stopping the bus and pushing open the shattered driver barrier, as he stands up with his gun still drawn.

As Tobias crawled toward the back of the bus, where the two other passengers on board had moved, Fullard fired his gun again from the aisle of the bus.

Tobias and another passenger exited the bus through the side door and Fullard exited through the front door, firing his gun again, the transit system said.

Both Fullard and Tobias are in stable condition and expected to recover, and the other two passengers were unharmed, the transit system said in a statement released Wednesday.

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Tobias was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats, and carrying a concealed firearm, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a news release.

It's unclear whether charges will be brought against Fullard.

Fullard was fired by his employer, RATP Dev, which employs the transit system's bus operators, Hunter told CNN on Saturday.

CNN has reached out to RATP Dev for comment.

Possession of a firearm or other weapons while on duty or on company property is prohibited by the company's workplace policy and employees can be discharged after the first violation, according to the transit system.

The Charlotte Area Transit System said Fullard did not follow proper protocol.

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"It would have been reasonable for the operator to attempt to de-escalate the situation by allowing the suspect/passenger to exit the bus before arriving at the next bus stop," the transit system said.

Fullard is still recovering from his injuries, his attorney told CNN, noting Fullard was "a dedicated employee and treasured his employment," who worked as a driver for more than 19 years.

"I have represented a substantial number of CATS drivers over the years. Some of whom who have been assaulted, shot at or shot during their work activity," attorney Ken Harris told CNN in an email.

"They consider themselves public servants. In light of their commitment, dedication and the workplace dangers that they encounter, we have continuously encouraged the CATS system to enhance security measures for drivers," Harris said.

Tobias is currently being held in lieu of US$250,000 bond (A$383,138)and is next due in court June 6.

CNN has not been able to locate an attorney for him.

Police say they are continuing to investigate the case.

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An Aussie milk company which sold its products at Woolworths and Coles has plunged into voluntary administration.

New South Wales-based company Made By Cow has announced it will cease production and appoint administrator KordaMentha in what was a "tough decision" after years in business.

The company said it has faced economic uncertainty and supply challenges due to a climate of "growing interest rates and inflation".

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"It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that from yesterday, Made By Cow will be closing its doors," the company said in a statement.

"Our morning coffee will never be the same but it's sure been good while it lasted."

The company marketed its products as the world's first safe-to-drink raw milk and said it used a "patented, world-first technique uses extreme cold pressure to eliminate harmful bacteria".

The brand thanked distributors, retailers, staff and customers for their support since their range launched on supermarket shelves and in health food stores in 2016.

"To all of our distributors and retailers, thank you for including Made By Cow in your range," the company said.

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"You allowed our milk to get into stores and customers' hands and without you, we wouldn't have been able to scale and grow as we did.

"To all the Made by Cow team members, old and new, we thank you for your hard work, commitment and dedication to the brand.

"Lastly, to you, our valued customers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us."

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For almost a decade a man my family trusted sexually abused me. A child rapist and master manipulator, he fooled everyone. I hope one day it becomes easier for survivors to take down their abusers in Australian courts, writes 9News crime reporter Zarisha Bradley.

I do not recall the first time. From as old as I can remember, I was repeatedly sexually abused by a monster who married into my family.

This was someone who was there when I took my first steps and attended every family Christmas. A trusted figure who always appeared to be generous, bearing lollies and chocolates for children. But underneath the family-man facade, he was a child predator. A child rapist and master manipulator fooling everyone around him.

This adult, who was meant to be looking after me, committed sickening acts against me for almost a decade during my childhood in Queensland.

The abuse was disgusting, humiliating and soul-destroying.

I look back at photos of myself as a six-year-old, in first grade, and want to hug that little girl. To tell her it's OK to speak up.

But the fear that I felt as I was threatened, "don't tell anyone", forced me to keep the cruel secret deeply hidden. The fear of me getting into trouble. The fear of saying these words out loud. The fear of breaking up my family. The fear of unknown repercussions kept that little girl quiet, for far too long.

The day I told my mum, in my final year of high school, is a day I will never forget. It took everything in me for the words to even come out. I will never forget the pain of watching her break down in front of me. It was as if her whole world had just fallen apart. I will never forget how she blamed herself. But no one was responsible for these crimes, except him.

I thought that the hardest part was now over, now I'd told my mum. I thought, we would go to the police and they would lock him up. But nothing could have prepared me for what was to come next.

My mother immediately rushed me to Bundaberg Police Station, where I was interviewed by detectives for almost two hours.

The thought of telling my dad was terrifying, knowing he would want to hurt the person who hurt his first-born daughter. At this point, my abuser was living just a kilometre away from my family's home in Gin Gin.

I remember how uncomfortable, overwhelmed and unsettled I felt at the police station. The officers needed me to describe the incidents in the finest detail, every time I was assaulted by this monster, right down to what kind of clothes I was wearing on each day.

Despite everything I went through, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones. I don't know how I would have coped if the verdict was different, but that's the reality for so many Australian girls and women. About 87 per cent of sexual assault cases go unreported in Australia. Of those reported cases, only one in 10 results in a conviction

But how could I possibly remember when it happened almost every time I was left alone with him since the beginning of my memory?

It was like opening a can of countless worms buried deep underground for years. A can of worms I had tried very hard to forget I had buried.

I now understand why the police needed me to recall, in great detail, every possible bit of abuse that I could – and I'm grateful they and I persisted. If speaking up isn't hard enough, getting a conviction in the Australian court system is even tougher.

I remember a detective asking if I would be willing to confront my abuser in a recorded phone call to try and get a confession. That terrified me beyond words. But as the eldest of four sisters, it was a fear I forced myself to overcome. I agreed to do it for them.

There I was at Gin Gin Police Station, alone in a room, shaking uncontrollably. My mother and high school chaplain waited outside.

I had spent the nights prior trembling about this vital moment on the phone, and how I would find the words to come out. The monster had no idea I had told my family, or spoken to police at this point.

"Why did you do it?", I eventually asked him with tears streaming down my face.

"I don't know. I don't know darling. I don't really know," he replied, unaware the conversation was being recorded.

"I want to try and put it behind me, but if it becomes a real issue. Well, I'll just move away," he continued.

"I know it was wrong. Alright? I know it was wrong, what happened."

The expressions of regret and apologies were repeated.

"I regret it every day that it happened. So I regret it, whatever happened, yes, every day. And I can't, the thing is, I can't change it now darling. I just can't change it. And I can't do anything about it," he said.

He admitted his wife would be "devastated if she knew".

By the time I hung up, my entire being felt like it was on autopilot. I was a complete blubbering mess in a state of shock.

I remember an officer telling me how brave I was, assuring me, "don't worry – you'll probably never have to see him again".

But the very next day after school I went to work, at our small town's IGA deli. And he turned up. He never spoke a word, instead he just stared at me from the other side of the counter. My heart thumping out of my chest, I walked into the cold room freezer and burst into tears.

On the night of his arrest, I did not sleep at all.

He was charged with five serious offences including rape (digital), indecent treatment of a child and maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child with a circumstance of aggravation.

Yet he was granted bail straight away.

The following morning, I received a phone call from his wife, who I thought would leave him immediately. Instead, she pleaded with me to drop the charges in exchange for money.

This call completely broke me. My mum held me as I cried.

I now believe his wife was also a victim in that moment, manipulated over many years. Eventually, she did leave him, and I've since forgiven her.

Despite all the evidence the police had, he still denied everything and dragged me through a jury trial.

The blatant lies he told to the court made me upset and angry. The refusal to take any accountability for all the pain and suffering he had caused me and my family, hurt.

The court process, especially as a minor, is traumatic. I was forced to endure relentless cross-examination on the witness stand by his defence lawyer.

It was like re-living the nightmare yet again, aggressive and persistent suggestions – assertions "it never happened" – while the perpetrator watched my every move.

I had to be dragged through hell and back for his lies to come undone. I was the child, he was the adult and here I was thrust into a ruthless justice system just trying to tell the truth.

I tried so hard to be strong but at one point, the tears started to build, and I felt myself begin to break down.

How could this man sit there and terrorise me like this? He knew exactly what he did to me.

Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty on every charge. He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years jail in 2016.

He tried appealing and that failed. The judge rejected his final attempt to escape responsibility, describing my recorded phone call as a "powerful piece of evidence".

After the sentence, my mum called to let me know the local newspaper had covered the trial in horrific detail.

While my name was suppressed as a minor, it was not hard for a small town, with a population of just over 1000 at the time, to put two and two together.

The shame and embarrassment was immense. I never want to make a victim feel the way I did reading those articles, and that's stuck with me every time I have the privilege of sharing a survivor's story.

Despite everything I went through, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones. I don't know how I would have coped if the verdict was different, but that's the reality for so many Australian girls and women.

About 87 per cent of sexual assault cases go unreported in Australia. Of those reported cases, only one in 10 results in a conviction.

I am among the 1.5 per cent of Australians who actually get to see their abuser go to jail.

It was a huge part of my healing process that I will never take for granted. Nor will I take for granted the power I have to expose this child predator now via this column, and the choice I'm afforded to publicly speak out.

His name is Charlie Faulkner. While serving his sentence, I have been told that he suffered a stroke, leaving him using a wheelchair.

I am so grateful I can turn my pain into power. I just hope one day it's easier for Australian children to take down their abusers in a courtroom.

I'd like to thank Queensland Police and Detective Senior Constable Hayley Self who was the investigating and arresting officer at the time. She was such a powerful female role model for me as a scared little girl and helped take back the control stolen from me.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact 1800RESPECT, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service, on 1800 737 732.

Police in Venice are investigating the source of a phosphorescent green liquid patch that appeared Sunday in the city's famed Grand Canal.

The central Victorian football community is mourning the shock death of 17-year-old Dallas Keogh who collapsed in the changing sheds after playing through a match injured.

Paramedics were called to the Kyneton Football Netball Club about 12.20pm yesterday and rushed Dallas in a critical condition to Kyneton Hospital, where an air ambulance was waiting for him.

Dallas died at the hospital before he could be transferred.

READ MORE: Four killed, fifth fighting for life after horror crash

Teammates paid tribute online to their friend

"Still hard to believe this is real," one person wrote.

"We all love ya mate, fly high king."

Another player said Dallas will be "forever in my heart".

"Fly high Dally, love you always," his teammate said.

It is understood Dallas suffered an internal injury on the field but he saw out the last quarter and sat on the bench.

He collapsed in the visitors rooms after the game and later died in hospital.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he extended his "deepest sympathies, my prayers and best wishes" to Dallas' family and friends.

A spokesperson for Castlemaine Football Netball Club said players and supporters were "devastated" by the "tragic" death.

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"The club and league's first priority is providing and facilitating support for the family, friends, teammates, and coaches of the player," the spokesperson said.

The club has requested people respect the privacy of family, friends and teammates, they added.

Police said the exact circumstances surrounding the player's death are yet to be determined "but the matter is not being treated as suspicious".

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

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