Here's what you need to know this morning.
Police still trying to reach body in torched Newtown boarding house
Police investigating the alleged murders of at least three people in a Sydney boarding house have so far been unable to recover the third body from inside the burnt-out building.
Detectives have been hindered from retrieving the man from the Newtown property because the building is structurally unstable, but plan to do so today, and will also look for more possible victims.
A former resident of the boarding house, 45-year-old Richard Hotoran, is accused of dousing the property with an accelerant and setting it alight.
He's been charged with three counts of murder and remains behind bars after not applying for bail.
Outside the court, his lawyer, Adam Ly, described the charges as "very serious".
"I'm not sure what he will be pleading at this stage. It's very early on in the investigation … I understand they haven't even fully investigated the crime scene yet, so it's got some time to go," he said.
Premier, wife welcome new baby
Premier Dominic Perrottet and his wife Helen have welcomed the arrival of their seventh child overnight.
The proud parents were captured smiling in a hospital bed with newborn Celeste Grace Perrottet in a post on the Premier's Twitter.
The couple said they were "absolutely thrilled" to welcome their new baby girl.
"She's looking forward to being kissed and cuddled, fought over and cherished by her big brother and sisters," the Premier wrote.
How crime fell during the pandemic
Instances of some areas of crime hit historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has shown.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) report details a major reduction in offending across the spectrum as lockdowns kept people inside their homes.
In 2021, the rate of murder, robbery, burglary, car theft, stealing offences and malicious damage were the lowest level since BOCSAR crime records began 27 years ago.
Property offences also fell sharply during both lockdowns and remain well below pre-pandemic levels, even after mobility restrictions have been lifted.
Violent crime, by comparison, showed a different pattern during the pandemic.
Counts of both sex offences and non-domestic assault, were temporarily low during both lockdowns — but both promptly returned to pre-pandemic levels once restrictions were eased.
However, levels of domestic assault rose during the pandemic.
Jackie Fitzgerald, executive director at BOCSAR, said it was unsurprising that the huge social upheaval caused by the lockdowns had a flow-on effect on levels of criminal activity.
"What was unexpected was that the downward trend was so consistent across offences," she said.
Crucial meeting in train stand-off
Transport officials and the state's rail workers union are set to meet today as more planned industrial action again threatens to disrupt NSW's train network.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) says it plans to take industrial action tomorrow, amid protracted negotiations over a new enterprise agreement.
This week the state government and RTBU traded barbs in the media over the government's decision to shut down the train system for a day last month due to similar industrial action.
RTBU state secretary Alex Claassens said this renewed action by members was designed to force the government to give commuters fare-free Fridays until June, as compensation for the shut down.
In response, Transport Minister David Elliott promised fare-free Fridays for a year if the RTBU vowed not to protest during that same period.
COVID-19 case spike
NSW yesterday recorded its highest daily COVID-19 case numbers in months, in a spike believed to be fuelled by the latest Omicron sub-variant.
There were 30,402 infections announced on Wednesday, just days after Health Minister Brad Hazzard foreshadowed a steep rise in cases.
However, 10,000 of those cases were detected by positive Rapid Antigen Tests recorded on Sunday and Monday but not reported until now, due to a technical glitch.
It means the real case number was 20,304, but figures from Sunday and Monday were also revised upwards by several thousand.
The BA.2 Omicron variant is being blamed for rising cases, with authorities reporting it is more transmissible than its predecessor, BA.1.
NSW Police Commissioner tests positive to COVID-19
Meanwhile, the NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will isolate at home after being diagnosed with COVID-19, but will remain on duty.
In a brief statement released last night, the NSW police media unit says Commissioner Webb took a rapid antigen test on Tuesday, which came back positive.
The statement said Commissioner Webb had been isolating at home since Monday.
"She will not be attending any 'in-person' events or appointments during her isolation period," the statement said.
Vivid 2022 program released
The action-packed program for Vivid Sydney has been released.
More than 250 shows and light instillations will be featured, with highlight speeches from former prime minister Paul Keating and Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who successfully sued her boss, Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.
See the program from May 27 to June 18 here.
