From The Daily Os.
I'm Zara, I'm Sam.
It's Thursday, the twenty third of January. Here's what's making headlines this evening.
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lemon has requested a trial without a jury as he prepares to face rape charges in the Queensland's Court. Lehman is accused of two counts of sexual assault dating back to October of twenty twenty one in Toowoomba, which is west of Brisbane. His lawyers are expected to file an application to the Twomba District Court seeking a judge only trial. The request means it would be up to a single justice rather than a jury,
to determine whether or not Lehman is guilty. The twenty nine year old is yet to enter a plea, but his lawyers have indicated he will defend the charges. Pre trial hearings will begin in March.
New South Wales police are searching for three men believed to have assaulted two off duty police officers in Sydney's Inner West. It's understood the officers approached a group of men who are arguing with each other in Newtown late last night. Emergency services were called to the scene after the men then allegedly punched and kicked the officers repeatedly. One officer, a twenty five year old man, was found unconscious and given CPR. He was taken to hospital in
a serious but stable condition. The second off duty officer, also a twenty five year old man, was taken to hospital with facial injuries, but has since been discharged. New South Wales police said the attackers fled the scene before police arrived. They're calling for any witnesses or anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.
A new wildfire has broken out in Los Angeles, forcing the evacuations of more than thirty thousand residents. Within six hours of igniting, the Hughes fire burned through nearly forty square kilometers of vegetation near Santa Clarita, which is northwest of La. Large amounts of fire retardant have been spread across the impacted area thanks to slower wind speeds. The California Fire Department has instructed residents in parts of the La and Vas Tourer counties to leave now, citing an
immediate threat to life. An ongoing wildfire crisis in southern California has claimed at least twenty eight lives this month and destroyed thousands of structures. In addition to the latest evacuations prompted by the Hues fire, twenty three thousand other LA residents remain under evacuation orders as crew's continue efforts to contain the Palisades and Eaten wildfires.
And today's good news, solar energy production in Europe has overtaken coal for the first time ever. The latest report from climate think tank ember Energy found solar panels generated eleven percent of the European Union's electricity in twenty twenty four, compared to coal burning plants, which generated just ten percent of the EU's annual energy. The European Electricity Review also
shows gas power generation declined for the fifth consecutive year. Collectively, renewable sources generated twenty seven percent of the EU's power grid in twenty twenty four, led by wind and solar as the region becomes less reliant on fossil fuels.
That's the latest from the Daily OZ newsroom. If you're looking for something else to listen to this evening, make sure you catch up on today's deep Dive from Billie and Emma on the national response to increased anti Semitism.
We'll be back again tomorrow morning with a deep dive on the push to overturn b am I as a metric. You'll have to tune in to listen to that episode tomorrow morning. Have a great evening. My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda Bungelung Calcottin woman from Gadigol Country. The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait island and nations.
We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past and present.