Five NSW ministerial staffers have agreed to appear before an upper house inquiry on the caravan hoax after initially refusing, following a threat of arrest.

Council of the City of Sydney

Five staff members for the NSW Premier and Police Minister, who had previously declined to attend an upper house inquiry, have agreed to provide evidence voluntarily after being warned they could face arrest and detention. The inquiry, chaired by Independent Rod Roberts, is investigating whether the government withheld information about the Dural caravan hoax as Parliament expedited the passage of racial hatred legislation.

The situation has drawn criticism over the government's handling of the matter and has overshadowed the Premier's new housing policy during Budget Week. The opposition leader is expected to focus on cost of living, housing, infrastructure, services, and debt in his budget reply.

Labor staffers agree to testify at caravan inquiry after legal threat

on the brink of putting ministerial staff behind bars. This has never been done in the 125 years of the Evidence Act. The legal advice clear. Five staffers for the Premier and Police Minister who refused to attend an upper house inquiry had no reasonable excuse. But after being told they would be arrested and held in custody until the next hearing. The five witnesses have reconsidered their position and have agreed to attend a hearing to provide evidence voluntarily. I think it's a dangerous precedent for the state. Nobody wanted to see anybody arrested at all and this is what should have happened in the first place. Independent Rod Roberts is chair of the committee. It's investigating whether the government withheld information about the Dural caravan hoax as Parliament rushed through racial hatred laws. We weren't told exactly what was going on. The Premier claims that's a conspiracy. The chair of the committee has been incredibly direct and sharp criticising the NSW government for a conspiracy. That we rushed through legislation that he ultimately voted against. Well, Chris Minns is a liar. I voted for that legislation. My concerns are the process. The staffers will finally give evidence on Friday morning. But this whole debacle has diverted attention in Budget Week. The Premier's new signature housing policy overshadowed by his fight with the upper house. Even his announcement at a building site this morning didn't go to plan. Strong winds forcing it back to Parliament. This is a government that is signalling to industry that we're ready to support you to build, build, build. While the opposition leader will build his case in his budget reply tomorrow. I'll be talking a lot about cost of living, housing, infrastructure, services and debt. Lachlan Kennedy for 10 News First.

Catastrophic flooding in Texas has killed at least 32 people, Fourteen of them children. Another 27 are missing from a girls' sleep-away camp. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said more than 850 people have been rescued as crews search 30 miles of river for survivors.

Hunt

Dozens of children among missing from Texas flood waters

The unemployment rate for new college graduates has recently surged. Economists say businesses are now replacing entry-level jobs with artificial intelligence. Ali Bauman has the story.

Cambridge

Unemployment surges as employers replace new hires with AI

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is sending a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible ceasefire deal. Hamas calls the latest response "positive." Meanwhile, Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least 14 in Gaza.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Renewed momentum for Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza

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Washington

Global Tariffs

Trump turns attention to trade after major legislative win

The funeral proceedings of the late football players Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva took place in the church of Gondomar in their hometown in the east of Porto. Family members, teammates and coaches joined thousands of mourners to pay their final respects.

Gondomar

Thousands gather to bid farewell to Liverpool's Diogo Jota

McMahon's most recent projects included Netflix's whodunit "The Residence" and the Nicolas Cage drama "The Surfer," which premiered earlier in the year at SXSW.

Melbourne

Australian-American actor Julian McMahon dies, 56

Diplomatic efforts are ongoing as U.S President Donald Trump looks to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel has previously accepted the US proposal, meanwile Hamas has "submitted a positive response" to the mediators.

Doha

Israeli hostage negotiation team to fly to Doha to hold talks with Hamas

A forestry worker injured in a wildfire in the western Turkish province of Izmir has died from his injuries, raising the death toll in recent days from the fires to three, as emergency crews also continued to battle a blaze in a province bordering Syria.

Hatay

Turkiye’s wildfires declared national emergency

Search and rescue operations continued overnight after flash floods slammed central Texas, killing dozens, officials said. More than 20 children are still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp hit by the floods, the Kerr County sheriff said.

Kerrville

Rescues continue in central Texas after deadly flash floods

Officials in the U.S. state of Texas say at least 13 people have died in overnight flash floods after torrential rains triggered an overflow of the Guadalupe River. Nearly 20 children attending a summer camp in the south-central area are missing.

Kerr County

Deadly Texas floods: Search efforts underway for missing children

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Ödemiş

Turkiye wildfires: At least two dead as fires burn for eighth day

It was not clear if Hamas’ statement meant it had accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire.

Jerusalem

Hamas says it is  'positive' about latest ceasefire proposal

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Heavy rainfall in central Texas caused the Guadalupe River to overflow and unleash a torrent of water. The bodies of at least 13 children and adults have been recovered and more than 20 girls are missing from a sleepaway camp.

Floods kill at least 13 in Texas, over 20 missing from summer camp

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy, Trump agree on joint defense efforts in phone call

Russia pummeled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, injuring at least 23 people and damaging buildings across the capital only hours after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin, officials said.

Russia hits Kyiv with largest drone attack after Trump-Putin call

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More than 80 people killed in Gaza in one day

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President Donald Trump said Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual deals.

Trump: Letters telling countries their tariff rate going out Friday

Indonesian rescuers on Thursday (July 3) temporarily halted a search for 30 people still missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near the island of Bali with the loss of six lives, the national search and rescue agency said.

Gilimanuk

Indonesia suspends search for 30 missing after ferry sinks near Bali

After marathon debate sessions in the Senate and House, President Donald Trump’s budget bill passed in the House. Republicans secured the biggest win of Trump’s presidency.

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Florida says the first group of migrant detainees have arrived at the new immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." CBS News correspondent Shanelle Kaul has more.

Ochopee

First group of detainees arrive at "Alligator Alcatraz," Florida says

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday (July 3) that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that he plans to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. CBS News White House reporter Willie James Inman has more.

Trump speaks with Putin, plans call with Zelenskyy

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez reports on a lawsuit from lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia alleging he suffered “torture and mistreatment” after he was wrongfully deported and held in El Salvador’s notorious mega prison.

Tecoluca

Kilmar Abrego Garcia claims he was tortured in El Salvadoran prison

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CBS News political contributor Caroline Polisi joins "CBS Mornings" to break down the jury's verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial and the judge's decision to deny bail for the music mogul ahead of his sentencing.

Manhattan

Sean "Diddy" Combs denied bail after split verdict

Liverpool soccer player Diogo Jota has died aged 28, just weeks after marrying his childhood sweetheart. The footballer passed away in a car crash in northern Spain.