Latest news with #Oswald
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Who was Tommy Oswald? Here's what you need to know about the Australian athlete who died suddenly at 33
Tommy Oswald. Image via: Instagram/ The Australian athletics community is mourning the shocking and sudden death of Tommy Oswald, a 33-year-old runner, father, and community leader who left a lasting impact both on and off the track. Known to many as 'Australia's nicest bloke,' Oswald passed away unexpectedly over the weekend, leaving behind his wife Alana, their young daughter Ella, and a nation grieving the loss of a man who inspired thousands. Who was Australian athlete Tommy Oswald? Tommy Oswald was an Australian runner. His sudden passing over the weekend left his wife Alana, young daughter Ella, and an entire nation in mourning for a man who inspired so many. Beyond his professional career in sports, Tommy Oswald was a symbol of compassion. In 2015, he drew nationwide attention when, at just 23, he welcomed his homeless and pregnant 17-year-old cousin Kiarna into his home. 'She didn't ask me if she could stay with me, but I had that day off work so I drove down to the Gold Coast straight away and picked her up,' he said in an earlier interview with His selfless act went viral, turning him into a household name for all the right reasons. That deep empathy extended into everything Oswald did. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A genetic disorder that is damaging his organs. Help my son Donate For Health Donate Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola As a runner and sports enthusiast, he built one of the country's largest athletics communities—Athletes Australia, a Facebook group with more than 35,000 members. The group became a safe space for athletes to connect, share experiences, and uplift one another. When news of Oswald's passing broke through a heartfelt message by his friend Tim Ohthy, the online community erupted in grief. 'Tommy was not only passionate about athletics, but just a damn good human being… He was equally quick when it came to supporting a mate, looking after family or just helping a complete stranger out,' Tim wrote. The loss sparked a wave of emotional tributes from Olympians and sports legends. Glynis Nunn, a former Olympic gold medallist, posted, 'Tommy spoke to everyone on the ground and just loved his family and friends. Never too busy for anyone. Opened his heart to all. A tragic loss to the community far and wide. Prayers to his family.' Former Olympic sprinter Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, commentator David Culbert, and other athletics icons echoed similar sentiments, describing Oswald as a man whose warmth and presence transcended sport. Tommy Oswald was called ' Australia's nicest bloke ' Oswald's story was about how he made people feel. Whether it was helping a friend move, picking someone up from the pub, or offering a listening ear on a beach walk, Tommy was known for being dependable, grounded, and real. He was called 'Australia's nicest bloke.' 'Many of my network and friends have been privileged to experience his friendship,' said his longtime friend Jason Wright, who launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Oswald's wife and daughter. 'I am privileged to have been Tommy's mate for 10 years.' Though the cause of his death remains under investigation, Oswald's memory is already being carried forward in the stories of those he helped, the laughter he shared, and the lives he quietly changed. As his family shared in a brief but emotional statement, 'The world is a lesser place today after the death of Tommy Oswald. Tommy, 33, was a beautiful young father and loving husband, who had a huge impact on the lives of all who knew him.' FAQs Who was Tommy Oswald? Tommy Oswald was an Australian runner, husband, and father known for his community work and founding the Athletes Australia Facebook group. How did Tommy Oswald die? He passed away suddenly at the age of 33; police are still investigating the cause of death. What is Athletes Australia? It's a Facebook community created by Tommy Oswald with over 35,000 members, designed to unite people through their shared love of athletics. Also Read: Astronomer CEO and HR romance gets overwhelming response from sports world Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Sporting world rocked by death of much-loved identity
The Australian athletics community are mourning the death of much-loved identity Tommy Oswald. The 33-year-old's sudden death over the weekend has sparked an outpouring of support with Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions among those to pay tribute. Oswald (née Connolly) was once dubbed Australia's nicest man for taking in his homeless, pregnant teenage cousin in 2015. He was also a talented runner, but came to prominence in the athletics community for founding and running the hugely popular Facebook page Athletes Australia. The community, which is designed to help people support each other through their love of athletics, has over 35,000 members. A post to the group on Saturday shared the news of Oswald's tragic death. 'This is by far the hardest post I have ever had to write in this group and just a warning that this may be very tough to read,' Tim wrote. 'I am devastated to let everyone know that yesterday the founder of this amazing group Tommy Oswald passed away suddenly. 'Tommy was not only passionate about athletics, but just a damn good human being. Whilst always being up for a laugh and quick to take the piss out of anything and everything, he was equally quick when it came to supporting a mate, looking after family or just helping a complete stranger out. He had an incredibly kind heart, which he shared with MANY people both inside this group and outside. 'My thoughts are with his wife Alana and his little girl Ella during this tough time. As well as the rest of his family, close friends, work colleagues and basically anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Tommy.' Oswald was a loving husband to Alana and doting father to Ella. The family released a statement over the weekend. 'The world is a lesser place today after the death of Tommy Oswald. Tommy, 33, was a beautiful young father and loving husband, who had a huge impact on the lives of all who knew him,' they said. 'Police are investigating the cause of his death, and his wife Alana and extended family have asked for privacy during this terrible time. 'They will not be making any further comment.' Oswald went viral in 2015 for his kind gesture in taking in his 17-year-old cousin Kiarna, who was pregnant and homeless. 'I'm so broken that you're gone it's breaking my heart. Tommy you will always be my favourite cousin, I love you forever,' she wrote on Facebook. A host of champion Australian athletes also paid tribute. Leading commentator and former Olympic silver medallist David Culbert wrote: 'Shattering. Thanks for all you did for field & track.' Olympic gold medallist Glynis Nunn wrote: 'Tommy spoke to everyone on the ground and just loved his family and friends. Never too busy for anyone. Opened his heart to all. A tragic loss to the community far and wide. Prayers to his family.' Sally Person's former coach Sharon Hannan wrote: 'Goodness me what a shock to hear that Tommy has passed. Sincere condolences to his immediate and extended family and to all who knew him.'
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Sporting world rocked by death of much-loved identity Tommy Oswald
The Australian athletics community are mourning the death of much-loved identity Tommy Oswald. The 33-year-old's sudden death over the weekend has sparked an outpouring of support with Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions among those to pay tribute. Oswald (née Connolly) was once dubbed Australia's nicest man for taking in his homeless, pregnant teenage cousin in 2015. He was also a talented runner, but came to prominence in the athletics community for founding and running the hugely popular Facebook page Athletes Australia. The community, which is designed to help people support each other through their love of athletics, has over 35,000 members. A post to the group on Saturday shared the news of Oswald's tragic death. 'This is by far the hardest post I have ever had to write in this group and just a warning that this may be very tough to read,' Tim wrote. 'I am devastated to let everyone know that yesterday the founder of this amazing group Tommy Oswald passed away suddenly. 'Tommy was not only passionate about athletics, but just a damn good human being. Whilst always being up for a laugh and quick to take the piss out of anything and everything, he was equally quick when it came to supporting a mate, looking after family or just helping a complete stranger out. He had an incredibly kind heart, which he shared with MANY people both inside this group and outside. 'My thoughts are with his wife Alana and his little girl Ella during this tough time. As well as the rest of his family, close friends, work colleagues and basically anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Tommy.' Oswald was a loving husband to Alana and doting father to Ella. The family released a statement over the weekend. 'The world is a lesser place today after the death of Tommy Oswald. Tommy, 33, was a beautiful young father and loving husband, who had a huge impact on the lives of all who knew him,' they said. 'Police are investigating the cause of his death, and his wife Alana and extended family have asked for privacy during this terrible time. 'They will not be making any further comment.' Oswald went viral in 2015 for his kind gesture in taking in his 17-year-old cousin Kiarna, who was pregnant and homeless. 'I'm so broken that you're gone it's breaking my heart. Tommy you will always be my favourite cousin, I love you forever,' she wrote on Facebook. A host of champion Australian athletes also paid tribute. Leading commentator and former Olympic silver medallist David Culbert wrote: 'Shattering. Thanks for all you did for field & track.' Olympic gold medallist Glynis Nunn wrote: 'Tommy spoke to everyone on the ground and just loved his family and friends. Never too busy for anyone. Opened his heart to all. A tragic loss to the community far and wide. Prayers to his family.' Sally Person's former coach Sharon Hannan wrote: 'Goodness me what a shock to hear that Tommy has passed. Sincere condolences to his immediate and extended family and to all who knew him.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
‘A Different Man' Offers Unexpected Look into Physical Appearances, Human Nature
About 20 years ago, 'Hito wa Mitame ga Kyuwari' (Appearances matter 90% for people) became a bestselling book in Japan. With its eye-catching title, the book discusses the importance of non-verbal communication. The author, Ichiro Takeuchi, used 'mitame,' meaning appearance, as an umbrella term not only for looks, but also various non-verbal information about someone, such as facial expressions, demeanor and tone of voice. Still, preoccupations with looks persist no matter what. But why? A Different Man, a new film written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, shakes up viewers' preconceptions through its unexpected setting. Protagonist Edward (played by Sebastian Stan of 'The Apprentice' and the 'Avengers' franchise) has severe facial disfigurements; living alone in his New York apartment, he dreams of becoming an actor, but cannot find a way forward. He spends his days unable to express himself, always concerned about how others look at him. He has a crush on a new neighbor, aspiring playwright Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), but cannot act on his feelings. One day, however, Edward's appearance undergoes a dramatic change. An experimental treatment he has undergone at the suggestion of a doctor has worked, and he starts a new life under a new name. Everything is going fine until Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man who looks exactly like Edward's former self, comes along. Can we become someone we want to be if our appearance changes? If not, why? Through Edward's story, the film depicts the tragic nature of always wanting what we cannot have. Stan skillfully portrays Edward's inner conflict with the help of special effects makeup in the film's first half, and his own face in the latter half. The ensemble, with Pearson's Oswald as the epitome of non-verbal communication and Reinsve naturally embodying a woman unbound by societal values, are also outstanding. In showing the consequences of obsession with appearance and surprising twists, the film shares some elements with 'The Substance,' starring Demi Moore. Both introduce fictitious advanced medical treatments – but as real-world cosmetic procedures pervade society at an incredible speed, the horror comes from the stories not seeming completely fantastical. Stan and Moore both won the 2025 Golden Globe awards for best performance in a motion picture in the musical and comedy category for these film roles. The fact that they won in this category may mean that people saw the inherent ludicrousness of human nature reflected in both performances. But I can't just laugh it off. Onda is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer with expertise in film.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
The CIA Reveals More of Its Connections to Lee Harvey Oswald
For more than 60 years, the CIA claimed it had little or no knowledge of Lee Harvey Oswald's activities before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. That wasn't true, new documents unearthed by a House task force prove. The revelation adds fuel to the long-simmering questions around what the agency knew about the plot to murder the president, and what else it may be hiding. The documents confirm that George Joannides, a CIA officer based in Miami in 1963, was helping finance and oversee a group of Cuban students opposed to the ascension of Fidel Castro. Joannides had a covert assignment to manage anti-Castro propaganda and disrupt pro-Castro groups, even as the CIA was prohibited from domestic spying. The CIA-backed group known as DRE was aware of Oswald as he publicly promoted a pro-Castro policy for the U.S., and its members physically clashed with him three months before the assassination. And then, a DRE member said, Oswald approached them and offered his help, possibly to work as a mole within his pro-Castro group, the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. The CIA had long denied any involvement with the Cuban group, or any awareness of Oswald's pro-Cuba advocacy. After the most recent release of documents, the agency did not respond to a request for comment. The House Oversight Committee created a task force on 'federal secrets' to revisit the executive orders by President Trump, in both of his administrations, requiring the release of assassination files by government agencies. After the task force held hearings on the JFK assassination this spring, Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) led a push for the CIA to revisit its archives, which produced some significant discoveries, including new details about Joannides, who had previously only been identified with the alias of Howard. That's the name members of the DRE in Miami had for the CIA contact they kept apprised of their actions, but the CIA informed both the Warren Commission in 1964 and the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978 that Howard didn't exist. In 1998, after the formation of the Assassination Records Review Board, the CIA again said it had no records related to Howard and the name may have been 'nothing more than a routing indicator.' Documents from Joannides' CIA personnel file were released earlier this month showing he had obtained a phony D.C. driver's license. The name on it: 'Howard Mark Gebler.' 'This confirms much of what the public already speculated: that the CIA was lying to the American people, and that there was a cover-up,' Luna said in an email. The documents also show the CIA gave Joannides a career commendation medal in 1981 in part for his handling of the Cuban group and also for his role as a liaison to the House assassinations committee, in which researchers have said that Joannides stonewalled them when they dug deeper into CIA files. The commendation noted his assignment as 'Deputy Chief of the Psychological Warfare Branch' in Miami in 1962, and said 'He did particularly well with the handling of exile student and teacher groups.' 'It's a breakthrough, and there's more to come,' said Jefferson Morley, a longtime JFK researcher and former Washington Post reporter, who first sued the CIA for their assassination files in 2003. 'The burden of proof has shifted. There's a story here that's been hidden and avoided, and now it needs to be explored. It's up to the government to explain.' There is no indication in any of the files that the CIA was involved in the assassination of Kennedy, which the Warren Commission declared in 1964 was the work of Oswald as a lone gunman. The House in 1976 launched a select committee to investigate the assassinations of Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., and concluded that Oswald worked as part of a 'probable conspiracy,' but they could not determine who else was in the conspiracy. Staff members for the committee have said they were making progress on unearthing documents from the CIA in 1978 until a new agency liaison was installed: Joannides, whom they had no idea was at the center of what they were trying to uncover. 'Joannides began to change the way file access was handled,' committee staff member Dan Hardway testified before Luna's task force in May. 'The obstruction of our efforts by Joannides escalated over the summer [of 1978]. … It was clear that CIA had begun to carefully review files before delivering them to us for review.' After the movie 'JFK' launched new questions about the slaying, Congress in 1994 created the Assassinations Records Review Board, which again tried to recover key documents from federal agencies, and again probed the CIA. The CIA responded with its memo about 'Howard,' saying he didn't exist. 'My memo was incorrect,' said J. Barry Harrelson, a former CIA official who wrote the memo. 'But this wasn't deliberate.' He said he wasn't provided Joannides's personnel file, but that it was provided to the review board. Morley said the review board received the file, but seeing no references to Oswald, didn't realize its relevance. Harrelson said the release of the D.C. driver's license notes was 'the first time I'd seen it.' In an interview, Harrelson also said Howard was not listed in the 'registered alias' database of the CIA. Morley said that was an indicator that Joannides's Miami operation was 'off the books,' and not formally recognized by the agency. Harrelson disagreed, saying 'he had a public driver's license' and that the Cuban students knew his name, though not his real identity. Harrelson's memo also noted that progress reports on Joannides's Miami operation were missing for the 17 months he was there, which Morley said was another indicator that the anti-Castro program was secret even within the CIA. The search for Howard began in the 1990s when Morley interviewed members of the Cuban group DRE, short for Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil, or Student Revolutionary Directorate. Among them was Jose Antonio Lanuza, now 86, who told The Post that 'Howard' dealt only with the DRE's leader, Luis Fernandez Rocha, and Rocha would pass on direction from 'Howard.' Previously released records show that the CIA had begun reading Oswald's mail in 1959, when he defected to the Soviet Union, a move that attracted American media attention. Oswald returned to the U.S. in 1962 with a new wife and daughter in tow and settled in Dallas. Morley has found that the CIA continued to monitor Oswald. 'At least 35 CIA employees handled reports on Oswald between 1959 and 1963,' Morley said, 'including a half dozen officers who reported personally to [counterintelligence chief James] Angleton or deputy director Richard Helms.' The files included State Department and FBI reports about his defection and his activities with the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, a pro-Castro group in the U.S. for which he launched a one-man chapter in New Orleans in August 1963. When Oswald publicized his involvement in the pro-Castro group, the DRE swung into action and confronted him on the street in New Orleans, leading to a brief altercation and police involvement. One of the DRE members challenged Oswald to a debate, which was broadcast on the radio in the Crescent City. Rocha sent a tape of the debate to Howard, DRE records show. Not long after that, Oswald approached one of the DRE members in New Orleans and offered his help, Lanuza said in an interview. 'He indicated he might be interested in helping us train for military operations,' Lanuza said. Then, Oswald sent a letter to the DRE, Lanuza said. 'It was handwritten, two pages,' Lanuza recalled. 'It was crap. A ranting thing. 'I am willing to go to Miami to help you guys.' It was all building up a legend. I was constantly getting letters from gringos who wanted to come in and dress up in military garb and show up in my office.' He filed it away. Was Oswald secretly offering to spy on Fair Play for Cuba, something the CIA had other operatives doing? Lanuza thinks so, but the DRE didn't follow up with Oswald. 'Lee Harvey Oswald was trying to get in the good graces of the CIA,' Lanuza said. 'He said 'I'll do whatever.'' But when the news hit that Oswald had been arrested three months later, Lanuza and Rocha called Howard. Lanuza said Howard told them to call the FBI and provide the letter, and then alert the media to Oswald's pro-Cuba leanings. The FBI came and took Oswald's letter with a promise to return it, Lanuza said, but never did. Lanuza then phoned his contacts in the news media, who promptly added Oswald's political leanings to their coverage. The Fair Play for Cuba Committee soon imploded from its association with Oswald, a massive victory for the CIA – and for Howard. Morley and other researchers always suspected Howard was Joannides, who died in 1990, but it wasn't confirmed until the driver's license documents were released July 3. 'Why couldn't they say that [before 2025]?' Morley asked. 'I think the only reason is there's something nefarious going on. If it's something innocent, just say this is what happened.' Oswald said 'I'm a patsy' when speaking to journalists in Dallas police headquarters after his arrest, and many disbelieve the Warren Commission conclusion that he was a lone gunman. 'He really wasn't alone, he had the CIA looking over his shoulder for four years,' Morley said. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA counterintelligence officer who has delved deeply into the case, said, 'This looks a hell of a lot like a CIA operation.' He said a plausible theory was rogue CIA officers created the conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy, unknown to the agency, and that 'the CIA covered it up not because they were involved, but because they were trying to hide the secrets of that period.' He said many in the CIA were angry with Kennedy after he withdrew support for the agency's Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 as well as for his gradual move toward peace with the Soviet Union after the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. 'The question is what was Joannides doing for the CIA monitoring Oswald?' Mowatt-Larssen said. 'The people who were orchestrating this had access to Joannides's reporting. They used that to monitor Oswald. His bona fides are being set up to be a lone gunman,' a cover story for other shooters. 'We are getting closer to the truth about Oswald and the CIA, but I do think there is more to come,' said Senior U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim of Minneapolis, who chaired the assassinations review board in the 1990s. 'The Joannides disclosures are most important, I think.' Tunheim said he didn't see any CIA complicity 'at this point. I see hiding information to avoid embarrassing questions, information that proves past lies.' He noted that Congress passed the JFK Records Act in 1992. 'Where are Howard's monthly reports and progress reports? Howard's files must exist, probably apart from Joannides's files.' Luna agreed with Mowatt-Larssen that 'there was a rogue element that operated within the CIA, outside the purview of Congress and the federal government, that knowingly engaged in a cover-up of the JFK assassination. I believe this rogue element intentionally turned a blind eye to the individuals that orchestrated it, to which they had direct connections. I think this rogue element within the CIA looked at JFK as a radical. They did not like his foreign policy, and that's why they justified turning a blind eye to his assassination and those involved.'
