Sydney woman victim of chemical attack

A severely burnt woman discovered in Sydney bushland claimed she was a victim of a chemical attack. Source: AAP

POLICE are mystified as to how a woman who was critically burned in an apparent chemical attack survived for days on the streets of western Sydney with little more than basic first aid.

A resident on Ferraro Crescent at West Hoxton heard cries from nearby bushland on Friday night and called triple zero.

When police arrived they found Monika "Nikki" Chetty, who has reportedly been sleeping rough in the area for months, with extensive burns to her face and body.

The 39-year-old told police she was attacked about a week ago in a Liverpool park but she did not seek help at hospital.

"In my 41 years in the police, this is most baffling - I cannot fathom the circumstances leading up to this," Green Valley Police Detective Superintendent James Johnson told reporters on Saturday.

"She is covered in black marks. It's full-thickness burns.

"She would have been in absolute agony, in my opinion, and to survive this long is amazing."

Ferraro Crescent resident Gavin O'Brien reportedly found Ms Chetty washing her wounds around the side of his house on Boxing Day.

"I couldn't tell it was a woman, the person was that disfigured," he told Network Ten.

"Had bandages on their head, didn't look too well. I asked if they were OK, they didn't want to talk, they were quite distressed."

It has been reported the woman is a mother of three who occasionally slept in bushland near where she was found by emergency services.

"She's been hanging up bedsheets and clothes along the park fence," neighbour Frank Ravese told the Seven Network.

Ms Chetty is in the Concord hospital burns unit in critical condition and police have asked for anyone with information to come forward.

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Qld cop dragged 200m by car

A police officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in Townsville. Source: AAP

A POLICE officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in central Townsville.

Police will allege the driver of the car grabbed the officer's arm after he leant into the car to breath test the driver about 2.40am on Saturday.

The driver then drove about 200m before the 45-year-old officer managed to free himself.

The officer was allegedly elbowed twice in the face.

He has been treated in hospital for a cut to his head and eye, a chipped tooth and multiple abrasions and bruising.

The 23-year-old driver was later involved in a police car chase and has been taken into custody.

Charges are yet to be laid.

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Body found in Canberra unit

DETECTIVES are trying to determine whether foul play was involved in the death of a man discovered in an ACT home unit.

A friend of the 52-year-old found his body at lunchtime on Saturday at a building in Bega Flats, Reid, police say.

A crime scene has been set up, with investigators working to establish the cause of death.

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Vic man missing in reservoir

THE search continues for a man feared drowned in a reservoir in Central Victoria after a family outing on the water.

The man, aged in his 20s, had been in a boat with three family members on Waranga Basin near Rushworth when the motor failed just after 5pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Kelly Yates said the man attempted to swim to shore to seek help but turned back.

He disappeared in the water in front of his family on his return to the boat.

"He's jumped into the water to try and get help when the boat has broken down," Ms Yates said.

There is a strong current in the water due to water being pumped in and out of the catchment, police said. A search and rescue operation was launched on Thursday involving police, SES, Coast Guard and Water Police and continued on Friday.

The search will stop overnight and continue on Saturday from 8am (AEDT).

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Recall NSW parly over booze violence: oppn

The NSW opposition wants parliament to be recalled to pass legislation on alcohol restrictions. Source: AAP

THE NSW opposition wants parliament to be recalled immediately to pass legislation on alcohol restrictions.

As 18-year-old Daniel Christie continues to fight for his life after he was felled by a punch at Kings Cross on New Year's Eve, the opposition is calling for Premier Barry O'Farrell to take action on alcohol-fuelled violence within the next week.

The opposition has repeatedly called for the government to implement its alcohol policy, which includes imposing 1am lockouts and 3am last drinks.

"Barry O'Farrell can recall parliament and this could be brought into policy by next Friday," opposition liquor regulation spokesman, Dr Andrew McDonald, told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

"If he weren't in bed with big alcohol he would have passed this legislation by now."

Dr McDonald said he would love to see legislation passed within the next week if parliament could be recalled for an emergency sitting.

"There will be more deaths from alcohol this summer than we will have on the roads," he said.

The opposition's demands for change have previously been echoed by emergency service workers and doctors, who last month urged the government to implement the plan.

They say the Newcastle trial cut alcohol-fuelled violence by 37 per cent and emergency department admissions by 26 per cent.

But Mr O'Farrell on Thursday said the government had already imposed measures in Kings Cross, which had seen assaults in the precinct drop by one-third.

"That's of no comfort to the Christie family but equally, the slogan being put forward by my opponents is of no comfort to someone who was assaulted at 9pm," Mr O'Farrell said.

The Christie family broke their silence on Thursday, saying their lives have been turned upside-down since their son was attacked.

He remains in a critical condition in St Vincent's Hospital.

"We have all been affected so much by this tragedy, and our clear focus remains with our son and brother through this difficult time," the family said in a statement.

They said they didn't agree with the term "king-hit", adding that "coward punch" was more appropriate.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher agreed, saying the term "coward punch" should be used in legislation

People needed to understand king-hitting people and other gutless acts should not be respected, he told reporters on Friday.

"They should not be hidden in words like assault occasioning actual bodily harm or assault occasioning grievous bodily harm," he said.

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Men quick to give up new year diets: study

A poll shows some 26% of men who make a resolution to lose weight abandon their diets after one day. Source: AAP

A QUARTER of men who make a New Year's resolution to lose weight have already given up on their diets by January 2, a poll suggests.

Some 26 per cent of men abandon their diets after one day, a survey found.

Meanwhile, one in 10 women cave in to cravings for unhealthy food after 24 hours and 31 per cent give up their diet within one week, according to health company Bupa.

Its poll of 2000 adults found that a third of Britons thought about losing weight at least once a day.

And while experts say that shedding weight works best with a combination of a healthy diet and exercise, only 30 per cent of people said they would always do physical activity alongside a diet.

Dr Tim Woodman, medical director at Bupa said: "This time of year we see a flurry of diets offering a quick fix.

"Fad diets might help you lose a few pounds at first, but they won't help you stay a healthy weight in the long run.

"The only healthy way to shed excess fat and keep it off is to eat healthy, nutritious meals and increase physical activity."

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Cyrus rang in New Year in Times Square

Miley Cyrus rang in 2014 with a headlining spot at Times Square's annual NYE bash in New York. Source: AAP

MILEY Cyrus rang in 2014 with a headlining spot at Times Square's annual New Year's Eve bash in New York.

The pop star, who scrapped a show in Florida to perform as part of TV network ABC's end-of-year TV marathon, sang Get It Right and Wrecking Ball just before midnight, but it was too cold for her to "twerk" or show off too much skin.

Instead, she and three dancers hit the stage in matching gold outfits and the pop star also wore a floor-length white winter coat to keep off the chill.

Cyrus smiled through the show even though she was ill - shortly before taking to the stage, she tweeted, "This cough/cold is not a good combo. please keep praying for me. If I can just get thru tonight I can have a nice lil break."

She cheered up just before taking the stage when she told host Ryan Seacrest all about her "modest" costume, revealing, "This is the most clothed I've been in all of 2013... Due to standards and practices and also the cold weather, this is what we came up with."

And she started 2014 with high praise from Courtney Love, who ended 2013 with the post: "if it wasn't for @MileyCyrus 2013 would've been a dull dreary year. if you can't agree with that, you're an idiot."

Melissa Etheridge also got the Times Square revellers ready for 2014 by singing John Lennon's peace anthem Imagine just before midnight, and the coverage then bounced to Billy Joel performing across the Big Apple at the Barclays Center just after the famous ball drop and the start of 2014.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Icona Pop and Blondie were also part of the countdown celebrations in Times Square.

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Vic saved from scorching heat

Southerly winds are protecting Victoria from a blast of desert heat that's baking other states. Source: AAP

VICTORIANS could be putting on jackets and dodging rain clouds while some parts of the country sweat through record-breaking temperatures.

Weather bureau senior forecaster Terry Ryan says Victoria won't be hit by the blast of hot desert heat that's struck elsewhere.

"We're protected by this generally southwest to southerly air flow," he said on Thursday.

"We've got nothing here that's very hot at all."

Melbourne only reached a high of 20C by midday on Thursday with temperatures forecast to stay between a low of 12C and a high of 24C during the next five to six days.

Even in the far north, Mildura reached the state's highest temperature of 25.5C at 1pm (AEDT).

The town isn't forecast to break above 30C until Wednesday.

A band of rain has also been crossing the state as the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Christine is picked up by southerly winds.

Scattered showers are forecast in Melbourne over the next five days.

Victoria's fire danger ratings have also dropped to low across northern parts of the state.

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Bon Jovi still highest-grossing tour act

Bon Jovi ended 2013 on a high after banking $US259.5m to score the year's highest-grossing tour. Source: AAP

BON Jovi have re-affirmed their status as the highest-grossing tour act.

The American rockers have ended 2013 on a career high after banking $US259.5 million ($A292.61 million) to score the year's highest-grossing tour.

The Livin' On A Prayer stars have been trekking across the globe on their Because We Can: The Tour shows since February, and their huge success has landed them the top spot in Pollstar.com's annual list.

The figure is a record for the stars themselves, despite guitarist Richie Sambora quitting the gigs in April to spend more time with his daughter.

Beyonce's The Mrs Carter Show World Tour, which kicked off in April, was a distant second with a haul of $US188.6 million, while Pink claimed third place with $US170.6 million for her The Truth About Love tour.

Justin Bieber and Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band rounded out the top five, while Rihanna, Taylor Swift and One Direction also placed high on the list.

The Pollstar data re-affirms Bon Jovi's status as the highest-earning touring act of the year - Billboard magazine editors also honoured the band with the same title in early December.

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Deadline set for Stradbroke Island exodus

Campers have been told to leave a North Stradbroke Island beach or face being removed by police. Source: AAP

CAMPERS have been told to leave a North Stradbroke Island beach by 4pm (AEST) or face being removed as a large bushfire burns nearby.

Queensland authorities want to have Main Beach cleared of people before they close the only road out.

"We are asking people to evacuate. However, we would suggest if you aren't removed from that area by four o'clock today you will be forced to evacuate," a police spokeswoman told AAP.

The fire, which was set off by lightning, has been burning in thick bushland for days.

It's not threatening lives or property, but authorities are concerned about an expected wind change on Wednesday afternoon.

About 900 campers could be at risk if the fire changes direction, they say.

A massive exodus began earlier on Wednesday and many people are arriving in the town of Dunwich.

Ferries and barges will take the holidaymakers back to the mainland from there.

A Stradbroke Ferries manager told AAP they could not comment because they were too busy organising the evacuation.

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