Latest news with #Toowoomba
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Footballer, Bachelor star … fantasy writer? The TikTok furore over Luke Bateman's book deal
Hello Caitlin. I hear people on TikTok are up in arms over a Queensland farmer/Canberra Raiders player/Bachelor star scoring a book deal. Who is this modern day Renaissance man? Julia, a colleague described Luke Bateman's four years with the Raiders as the one of an 'honest toiler, who always played above his weight', and to be frank, it's a fairly apt description for the guy. The Toowoomba countryman grew up as the typical sports-playing boy. On his now famous TikTok account, he has spoken earnestly about reading books in a toilet cubicle as a child so his peers wouldn't witness his sensitive side. But that didn't stop him from appearing on The Bachelor's 11th season in 2023 and confessing his love to contestant Ellie Rolfe in the finale (he retired from the Raiders in 2019 after a knee injury). Contrary tothe show's usual success rate, the pair split up months later. But he quickly found a new love to fill his life: #BookTok. He posted his first video in April, speaking passionately from inside a car about his love of books and struggle to 'share those things' as a male in 'blue collar work'. He now has more than two dozen videos, 178,000 followers, and has landed a book deal. Fans are following him for his book reviews, but they're also there for his rugged good looks. In one video, he joked about multiple comments claiming he looked like Shrek after the ogre became a human. 'To begin with, I was like, ah, that's a hard pill to swallow,' he said, donning a large brimmed hat. 'But then I went and Googled … and I was like, they make a good point.' So tell me, what kind of book is he going to write? A farming manual? A sport biography? A reality TV tell-all? You'd think so, but guess again. Bateman's first book, expected to be released in early 2027, will be an 'epic fantasy' story about a young boy battling hardships in a magical world. His contract is a two-book deal, so there's more to come. If you follow his TikTok, this category may not come as a huge surprise. Bateman has filmed several videos about his love of fantasy fiction, including one that runs through his 'GOD TIER' fantasy reads and several dedications to giants Robin Hobb and Garth Nix. That said, he's also delved into 'smut' books (or 'cliterature', as his followers call it), posting a detailed review of the popular Court of Thorns and Roses series. I didn't see that one coming. Obviously he has many skills, but has he ever published anything before? No. But he has written poetry. In one video, posted to TikTok this week, Bateman shared prose he had written while going through a breakup (we've all been there), titled 'When Magic Had a Name'. Publishing has also been a long-held aspiration for Bateman. When announcing the surprise book-deal on social media, he described it as a 'childhood dream come true'. 'I've wanted to be an author my whole life,' he told his audience, teary with joy. 'I can't wait to write this book.' How have people responded to the news? It's fair to say the feedback has been mixed. Some commenters were quick to congratulate Bateman for his Simon & Schuster deal, but others questioned how he had nabbed the deal. In response to backlash, the publishers said they had assessed the scope of his series including its 'magic system' and the 'journey of the protagonist' as well as receiving a 10,000 word writing sample, including a synopsis. Yet the issue has reignited debate about power and privilege in the literary industry, including the weight given to celebrity platforms over more marginalised authors. The inaugural Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion, published in 2022, found less than 1% of Australian publishing professionals were First Nations, 8.5% had an Asian cultural identity and about 5% identified living with a disability – well below population parity. In Bateman's own words, speaking with the entertainment news website Chattr: 'Obviously, a lot of these conversations are very new to me … I can wholeheartedly understand how angry and resentful these things would make people.'
ABC News
15 hours ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Queensland braces for cooler temperatures as cold front arrives
A frosty start to the morning is expected in southern Queensland as temperatures plummet to near 0 degrees Celsius. The Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) Daniel Hayes said cooler, wintry temperatures were expected in the state's south from today onwards. "We're looking at a high pressure system that's moving across New South Wales and Victoria at the moment, and that's rigging up over Queensland," he said. "It's pulling up some quite cold air from the south through those states and into southern and central Queensland [on Thursday]." The Darling Downs, including Toowoomba and Warwick, the Maranoa and Warrego, and even north to Carnarvon Range and the Central Highlands could see temperatures dip down into single figures. Brisbane's minimum is expected to drop below 10 degrees over the next two days, with maximum temperatures reaching the low 20s. As the frost forms, places such as Roma, Stanthorpe and Dalby in south-western Queensland could also experience cold minimums. Mr Hayes said the minimum temperatures were forecast to drop 1 or 2 degrees below the June average as the cooler air from the south moved through. "Some of those minimums might push down to the coldest for the year over the next couple of days," he said. "In some places we may get to the coolest for the year to date, but probably nowhere near any of our long-term records." With minimum temperatures forecast to be as low as 2 or 3 degrees today, Mr Hayes said frost was expected around southern parts of the state. Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland chief executive Rachelle Patterson is riding a bicycle thousands of kilometres on a fundraising journey for mental health support and departs St George this morning on the next leg of her journey. Ms Patterson said the colder mornings were tough, but riders were prepared despite temperatures that felt like -3 degrees. "It has been so chilly, not just with the actual temperature, but the wind chill factor has been incredibly cold," she said. "You can wear all the right clothing, wind-protecting anything, and it just cuts straight through. "It's like icy knives." Along the south-east coast, the BOM has issued a strong wind warning for Thursday. "We will see gale warnings coming onto the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast with some fairly large waves and swells building in the offshore area down there, but apart from that mostly warning-free across Queensland," Mr Hayes said. Dry conditions are expected for the rest of Queensland on Thursday, but showers could form on Friday as moisture is pushed north. Cool overnight temperatures are forecast for the central-west and north-west parts of Queensland, including Cairns, which could reach a minimum of 17 degrees in the coming days.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘I knew I wasn't going home': Woman explains nightmare experience as man charged with sexual assault
A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to nine months in jail after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting three women in Toowoomba over an eight-month period. Nasir Ilyas Kicho was sentenced in the Toowoomba District Court on May 16, having already spent 276 days in pre-sentence custody. The court heard the offending occurred between July 2023 and March 2024, and included three sexual assaults, one count of deprivation of liberty, and one count of common assault. Mr Kicho pleaded guilty to the charges and told the court he was 'so sorry'. The first offence involved a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted in July 2023 after Kicho delivered her a DoorDash order. The court heard Mr Kicho groped her and forcibly kissed her despite her protests. He gave her $50 and told her he would return the next day before leaving after being interrupted by a housemate. He initially denied wrongdoing to police but later admitted to kissing her on the forehead. The second assault took place in March 2024 after Kicho met a 42-year-old woman at a brewery. He offered her a lift home, during which he groped her breast and touched her thighs. The third incident involved a young woman who was waiting for an Uber in Toowoomba's CBD. Kicho, posing as a rideshare driver, picked her up and drove in the wrong direction. He stopped at a bottle shop, kissed her, and locked the car doors. The court heard he later took her to his home, where she sent her location to friends before Mr Kicho took her phone. Police arrived soon after and found the woman near his car. One victim explained the nightmarish moment she realised she was in trouble. 'Within minutes, I knew I wasn't going home,' a woman identified as Jess told A Current Affair on Monday. She demanded Kicho be deported for his crimes. 'He needs to be used as an example to everybody else that we let into this country,' she said. 'I was definitely a different person before this happened. It can happen to anybody. Absolutely anybody. And it can keep happening. 'It wasn't a one off. He's done all this on purpose. He knew what he was doing.' In sentencing, Judge Craig Chowdhury described the offending as 'alarming' and said women should be able to get home safely. He acknowledged Mr Kicho had already served more time than would ordinarily be imposed and accepted his guilty plea entitled him to a reduced penalty. Prosecutor Peri Cardiff, said the Toowoomba community 'utterly denounced' the crimes and argued for an 18-month sentence. Ms Cardiff said Mr Kicho had deliberately targeted vulnerable women. Defence barrister Nathan Edridge asked the court to consider the consequences of a sentence exceeding 12 months under Australia's Migration Act, which allows for the deportation of non-citizens sentenced to a year or more in prison if they have not lived in Australia for more than a decade. Mr Edridge said Kicho had arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2022 after living in a Kurdish refugee camp for nearly a decade. He told the court Mr Kicho's wife and daughter remained in the camp, which housed about 10,000 people, and his extended family had been killed during conflict in their home village. Mr Edridge submitted that a nine-month sentence would be appropriate, factoring in the 276 days already served. Judge Chowdhury ultimately imposed a nine-month sentence, saying the time already served was equivalent to a two-year term under standard sentencing discounts. Mr Kicho will be released from custody unless the Department of Home Affairs decides to intervene and cancel his visa.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘How are you going, miss?': Chilling moment armed teens attempt to smash way into home in Toowoomba, Qld
Chilling footage has captured the moment a group of teenagers, armed with knives and shovels, attempted to smash their way into an elderly couple's home under the cover of darkness. The teenagers can seen wearing hoodies tightly-wound to conceal their faces as they gather outside the home in Toowoomba on Friday night. In a bizarre moment, one addresses the occupants on the video doorbell footage, saying: 'How're you going miss?' The resident responds with: 'I think you better go. I'll have to call the police'. Holding shovels, one of the teenagers tells the other to: 'Smash the window, smash the window with a shovel'. Although unsuccessful in their attempt, the teens take a picture of the house before leaving with one teenager remarking the couple had a 'Volkswagen'. It is alleged the teenagers had also approached another house up the straight in Harristown five minutes earlier – with footage allegedly capturing one teen stabbing the door with a knife. Michelle, who lives a suburb over, told 9News that the group were allegedly 'bashing and trying to get into the door'. 'They had a knife and yelling out they wanted the car keys,' she said. Michelle's partner went outside to make sure the teenagers had left. He did not realise they were allegedly armed until seeing the footage. 'Quite a decent-sized knife, yeah it's just terrible and there's a few around last night unfortunately,' she said. 'There's certainly no feeling of optimism that anything is going to get any better.' Michelle also told Sunrise she was initially scared and in disbelief, but says she is now angry. 'The neighbourhoods really quiet there's a few young families around, a few elderly people,' she said 'After it happened, on the (neighbour's) advice we went to the police, just in case they tried to attempt something at their houses as well.' While Michelle admits feel rattled by the events, she says she wants action taken. 'I know that they can't get in, they tried and they failed so (I'm) not as vulnerable as Friday night,' she said. '(I want) tougher penalties, knowing that they are going to get in trouble, that they may potentially spend a period of time in jail. 'I'd like to see a complete knife ban in public. That would be great. Just to try and take some of these weapons off the street. So a potential home invasion isn't going to be one that could lead to something a lot worse.' Queensland Police have said investigations remain ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police. 9News reported that the police have said that the group are also being investigated for a break and enter in Kingthorpe and were last seen driving a Kia Cerato. The car was stolen on Friday morning with the number plate KORD43, and has been spotted in Newtown and Kearneys Spring in a continued crime spree across the Downs. No arrests have been made.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
One-time Queensland Derby fancy Beau Dazzler can rebound from second-up syndrome
Maddy Sears feels Queensland Derby contender Beau Dazzler may have fallen victim to 'second-up syndrome' last start, but says he will be back to his best for the big Group 1 dance on Saturday. Beau Dazzler has long been one of the main fancies for the Queensland Derby but his odds have now ballooned to $26 after being beaten more than five lengths in the traditional lead-up of the Rough Habit Plate (2000m). It was in stark contrast to how he returned in brilliant fashion when sizzling home for third over the unsuitable 1600m distance in the Queensland Guineas. 'We half expected him to run a bit like that second-up in the Rough Habit, a bit of second-up syndrome,' Sears, who trains with her dad Tony, said. 'He probably raced a bit fresh when he pinged the lids that day. 'He was also closer to the leaders in the run than what we anticipated. 'I don't think the 2400m of the Derby will be a problem for him at all. 'We want to come out quite neutral on him, we don't want him too handy and we want it to be a genuine tempo.' Maddy and dad Tony hail from Toowoomba but Maddy has been training on the Gold Coast for several months. The day after the Derby, Tony will move to the Gold Coast. They duo will still retain a stable in Toowoomba but the operation will be based out of the coast. It is an exciting new era for family training team and it will be even more exciting if they can kick it off with a maiden Group 1 triumph at Eagle Farm on Saturday. 'It doesn't get any better than that, a maiden Group 1,' Maddy Sears said. 'It would be the first one for me and the first one for Dad, it would be huge. 'It would also be (jockey) Jag's (Guthmann-Chester) first Group 1, so there would be quite some scenes. 'Dad and I work very well together and I am looking forward to Dad moving down to live on the Gold Coast.'
