Latest news with #Dominique
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Bromhof karateka to represent SA at world championships
Bromhof-based karateka Dominique Belt (15) won gold at the recent Japan Karate Shoto (JKS) Federation Nationals. Read more: Randpark Ridge dojo Seishin Martial Arts Academy shapes future karate champions Dominique has shown improvement, as earlier in the year she took home a bronze medal at the Gauteng Karate Federation Championship. Fighting for West Rand and Gauteng, the young martial artist is soon to represent the nation, as she's been selected to represent South Africa at the world championships in India. She said that she enjoyed the JKS tournament as she felt there wasn't as much pressure as in the other competitions. 'I could breathe, focus, and just enjoy being on the mat. Winning first place, and becoming the JKS Nationals champion, means the world to me. 'This gold medal is the result of every moment I didn't give up. I've faced many tough international competitors, and I've lost more times than I can count, but I kept going. Every loss made me stronger, and this win shows that all the hard work has paid off.' Also read: Bromhof based karatekas 11-year dream realised Dominique added that she is excited and honoured to be selected to represent her country. 'It feels like a dream coming to life. I'm proud of myself, but I'm even more grateful. My journey hasn't been easy, but I've had incredible people guiding and supporting me. It takes so much discipline, sacrifice, and passion, and I've given it everything I have.' Dominique is appealing to the community for assistance in making her dream of competing in the world championships come true, as the trip is self-funded. 'This dream is my whole heart, but I can't reach it alone. If you're able to assist with sponsorships, donations of any size, or even by sharing my story, it would mean more than words can say. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps cover my training, gear, and travel expenses.' To support Dominique's journey, and for more information, contact Nikki Belt on 065 844 5823. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Ferndale Shotokan Karate Dojo dominates karate competition At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Press and Journal
17-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Finnies 'doesn't need as much staff' as boss claims Aberdeen bus gates leave shop 'quieter than ever'
'This is the quietest the shop has ever been,' Dominique Dawson tells me as she gestures at the handful of customers browsing the shiny jewels on display. There was a time when the showroom at Finnies would have been bustling with shoppers, each perusing the glossy cabinets in search of that perfect present. The family-owned business has been a George Street staple for more than 65 years, and is known for its collections of luxury items – from engagement rings to classy silverware. But this hasn't really been the case in the last two years… As a manager – and now director of Finnies – Dominique spends most of her days behind the counter and has seen the change firsthand. She recalls the busy spell they had after the pandemic, later boosted by the expansion of the store in March 2023, which aimed to offer shoppers a 'truly luxurious experience' . All of this, however, took a turn when the bus gates were installed in August that year. Two years on, she says Finnies continues to bear the brunt of the traffic system, blamed for deterring potential customers from the city centre and surrounding areas. 'Our biggest challenge has been getting people through the door,' Dominique says. 'There are obviously a lot of factors involved in that – post-Covid recovery, the move to online shopping, the LEZ, the main thoroughfare being closed, the cost-of-living crisis… 'But then you throw in the bus gates and the uncertainty of how to get into town. 'We lost six staff members last year – some retired, some moved country – and I haven't replaced them. I just don't need to with the footfall that's coming in.' Dominique and her family were among the first to back The Press and Journal's Common Sense Compromise campaign last summer. Along with dozens of other city traders, she called for the local authority to 'listen to exacerbated business owners' cry for help' and tweak the bus priority route. Their pleas fell on deaf ears, however, and they are now – led by veteran retailer Norman Esslemont – on the verge of suing the council over the traffic measures. Dominique says the issue has only got worse in the past year as more and more people ended up being slapped with a fine after being caught up in a bus gate. And she argues that people are still as confused driving in the city centre as they were the day the bus gates were first put in place. 'The council might say that we'll get used to it but what if outsiders can't get used to it?' Dominique fumes. 'You wouldn't believe the number of account managers I have that have come to see us and have been fined – it's a nightmare, and it just leaves a nasty taste in your mouth. 'People are not coming in daily, so they still don't have the confidence to navigate them. 'Would I risk it? Would I give it a go or would I just go around that area?…These are still questions we hear every day.' The Finnies team has now pledged an extra £2,000 to the crowdfunder, launched in January to raise the thousands needed for the looming court battle. Hundreds of business owners and residents have since donated, raising more than £55,000 towards the cause. Dominique says the most frustrating part has been the ignorance city leaders have shown to their concerns and 'their refusal to listen to them'. She adds: 'At no point did the council stop to think: 'The city is on its knees. Should we really do this right now? Or maybe at least wait until we are in a better place? 'It's just disappointing that they still haven't come back to the table to find a compromise and listen to us and our cry for help. 'There are some great businesses in Aberdeen, and we are all keen – and desperate – to support and grow the commercial success of the city. 'And this wouldn't be so difficult if we were all moving in the same direction. The businesses are, the people are – but the council is just going the opposite way.' And despite all the setbacks they have experienced, Dominique is confident traders will prevail in their fight against the condemned city centre restrictions. Traders have put their faith into lawyer Alasdair Sutherland, who forced Highland Council into a humiliating climbdown on traffic bans in Inverness a few years ago. And Dominique believes his expertise combined with the support from the business community in Aberdeen will get their battle over the line. She adds: 'We've now created enough noise for the council to understand that we're not just moaning – this is a genuine concern that is affecting all of us. 'We are at a point where we are going to court and that's an achievement in itself. 'I'm very confident that we can win this.' More details on the bus gate court battle can be found on the crowdfunder page.
Fibre2Fashion
16-05-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Germany's Puma names Dominique Gathier VP of Teamsport
Global sports company PUMA has appointed Dominique Gathier (45) as the new Vice President of its Teamsport business unit starting May 15. He replaces Matthias Bäumer who took on the role of PUMA's Chief Commercial Officer earlier this year and he will report directly to Maria Valdes, PUMA's Chief Product Officer. Dominique, a French and German national, has been with PUMA for 19 years and has held various positions in marketing and product development during that time. Most recently, he worked as the Senior Director of Product Line Management for Teamsport Footwear and Equipment, overseeing the company's successful football boot franchises FUTURE, ULTRA and KING. He studied management at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, France. "With Dominique, we have appointed an experienced leader for our Teamsport business unit, who has played a crucial role in launching some our most successful performance products," said Maria Valdes, chief product officer at PUMA. "I am confident that Dominique will continue to build on PUMA's strong momentum in Teamsport and introduce exciting new products that will resonate with athletes at all levels, teams and fans around the world." In his new role, Dominique will be responsible for the entire product team in the business unit. He will ensure the successful development and execution of product strategies while collaborating with PUMA's many external partners such as clubs and federations. PUMA's Teamsport business unit makes footwear, apparel and accessories for football and locally relevant sports including handball, rugby and cricket. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Puma has named Dominique Gathier as VP of its Teamsport unit. A 19-year Puma veteran, he replaces Matthias Bí¤umer and will report to chief product officer Maria Valdes. Gathier previously led product lines for FUTURE, ULTRA, and KING football boots. He will now oversee product strategy and partnerships across football and other key sports. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Indian Express
UK man sedates, rapes wife for years, then confesses to her. 5 years later, he was convicted
When Kate sat down one evening for what she thought would be an ordinary talk with her husband, she never imagined the words that would follow. Sitting at their dinner table, he leaned forward and said, 'I have been raping you. I've been sedating you and taking photographs of you for years.' In the kitchen of their suburban home in the UK, Kate (not her real name) felt her world shatter. He spoke so casually she later recalled to the BBC, as though he was asking, 'We're going to have spaghetti bolognese tomorrow for dinner, is it all right if you pick up the bread?' For years, she sleepwalked and had unexplained mornings when she woke to find him having sex with her, acts she could never consent to while unconscious. He apologised each time, and Kate, manipulated by his remorse even helped him seek psychiatric care. She had no idea he was spiking her tea with prescription sedatives to carry out his assaults. Her body soon began to betray her. Panic attacks struck without warning, her weight plummeted, and a sense of dissociation clouded each day. It was only when she confided in her sister that action finally followed. Their mother called the police, but Kate was hesitant. 'There was a grief. Not just for me, but for the children. Their dad would never be who he was,' she said. Six months later, Kate's determination hardened. Psychiatric notes and testimony from Narcotics Anonymous and church friends revealed confessions he'd made about drugging his wife to rape her. Initially, the Crown Prosecution Service declined to charge him and only after Kate demanded a review did prosecutors admit their error. In 2022, a jury convicted him of rape, sexual assault by penetration, and administering a substance with intent, handing down an 11-year sentence, five years after Kate's ex-husband had made his confession. Today, Kate lives with PTSD, a neurological disorder born of her ordeal, but she has reclaimed her voice. Thousands of kilometres away, in a sunlit Provençal village, retired grandmother Gisèle Pelicot believed her marriage of six decades was untouchable. She tended her garden, cooked large dinners, and swam in her small pool unaware that her own husband, Dominique, a self-proclaimed family man who took his grandchildren to football matches on Sunday, maintained a dark secret. 'You were a caring, attentive husband, and I never doubted you,' she would later say at trial, 'we shared laughter and tears,' she added, her voice breaking. Her abuse came to light only after Dominique was arrested in 2020 for filming women without consent. What followed stunned France: police found over 20,000 photos and videos of Dominique drugging Gisèle and facilitating her rape by more than 70 men. He labelled the video folder simply, 'Abuse.' Dominique and more than 50 co-defendants—neighbours, relatives, and strangers brought under false pretences—stood trial in Aix-en-Provence in 2024. Amidst devastating circumstances Gisèle refused to hide. She sat in the public gallery, sunglasses shielding her gaze, declaring that anonymity would have been as good as silence. Over weeks of testimony, the scale of betrayal became clear. Men summoned by Dominique, who promised them therapeutic relief for his 'ailing' wife, claimed they believed they had consent. When Dominique spoke from the dock, he offered remorse without denial saying, 'I am a rapist, like the others in this room.' Convicted of rape and sexual assault, the men received sentences ranging from six to twelve years. In the village streets, murals of Gisèle appeared near the town hall, and banners unfurled from Avignon's ramparts reading 'Merci Gisèle.' Thousands marched, some clutching knitting needles as symbols of domestic strength. Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, told TIME, 'This is the first time in France you have deep thinking on this subject. I believe there will be a before and after.' Yet, Kate and Gisèle stand among millions whose suffering remains hidden. Cross-culturally, shame and guilt anchor victims within marriages, fearful of divorce, financial ruin, or social exile. Raquel Kennedy Bergen of St. Joseph's University notes that victims often remain silent to preserve family stability. In France, just 20 per cent of rape survivors file charges, and of those, 94 per cent end without trial. Worldwide, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the WHO. Legal systems can retraumatise. In New York, former governor Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment lawsuit collapsed when his team's invasive demands for medical and therapy records threatened to humiliate his accuser. Fictional portrayals, like the controversial non-consensual scene in Netflix's Bridgerton, reflect social confusion about marital consent, weaving romance and coercion in a way that blurs reality. In India, Section 375 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita excludes husbands from rape charges, with the government arguing in 2024 that labelling spousal abuse as rape would be 'excessively harsh.' The UK outlawed marital rape in 1991 and today over 100 countries criminalise it, leaving India among roughly 30 holdouts including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. United Nations Population Fund data shows two-thirds of married Indian women face physical or sexual violence. Domestic violence also carries a lethal toll. A study of North Indian pregnant women revealed that women exposed to abuse are 2.59 times more likely to suffer perinatal or neonatal death. Many campaign for reform, but progress is slow. England and Wales are drafting specific spiking offenses carrying up to ten years in jail; France's parliament debates shifting its rape definition to centre on consent; Indian activists continue to challenge marital exemptions. But laws alone cannot break the silence. In the kitchens and courtyards where trust was betrayed, Kate and Gisèle have reclaimed their stories. They have shown that when the sanctuary of home becomes a site of violation, survival demands more than laws – it demands solidarity, empathy, and an unwavering belief that no call for help should ever go unanswered.
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Newsweek
Navy Officer Charged After Wife Found Dead in Hotel Room
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A U.S. Navy officer was charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday in the death of his wife, Jessica "Jesse" Arguinzoni Olsen, whose body was discovered in a hotel room in Japan in October. Lieutenant Commander Christopher Olsen was also charged with obstruction of justice at a preliminary hearing at Naval Base San Diego on Wednesday. Why It Matters Jesse's family is calling on the Navy for more transparency as the case proceeds. Dominique Arguinzoni, Jesse's sister, said the family is still searching for answers after Christopher was charged. "LCDR Christopher Olsen has finally been charged—five months later. And still, we wait. No timeline. No answers to our questions about the next legal steps. No clear communication. No respect," Dominique told Newsweek. Dominique confirmed to Newsweek that Olsen was charged with Article 118, which is second degree murder, and Article 131B, which is obstruction of justice, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. She noted that the United States Navy is handling the court proceedings. Lieutenant Commander Christopher Olsen has been charged with murder following the death of his wife, Jessica 'Jesse' Arguinzoni Olsen. Lieutenant Commander Christopher Olsen has been charged with murder following the death of his wife, Jessica 'Jesse' Arguinzoni Olsen. Dominique Arguinzoni What To Know Christopher joined the Navy in 2014 and became a surface officer last July. He was stationed at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan from November 2022 to December 2023. He is now assigned to Naval Surface Group Southwest in San Diego. Police found Jesse, 37, dead in a hotel room in Fukoka on October 28. She suffered injuries to her head, including her jaw and hyoid bones, Stars and Stripes reported. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Naval Forces Japan for comment. Dominique said her family has been treated like an "afterthought" ever since they were informed of Jesse's death over the phone. "There was no in-person visit, no support team, no effort to ensure they were physically or emotionally able to process the news," Dominique said. "We were simply told that Jesse was dead—and that her husband, LCDR Christopher Olsen, was a person of interest." She said the family was promised a liaison officer to help them navigate the process of settling Jesse's affairs and navigating legal proceedings. "First, we were told that the liaison had retired. Then, we were told my parents were not eligible for a liaison at all, because the legal next of kin—the person of interest in her murder—was her husband," Dominique said. The family is still awaiting the return of Jesse's personal belongings .Dominique said they were asked to provide a list of items, so Christopher can decide whether to release them. "What kind of system prioritizes the accused over the grieving? How can we accept a system where the family of a murdered woman must beg for updates and plead for the return of her belongings?" Dominique said. The family is calling for justice for Jesse and wants to ensure that "no other family is ever treated this way again." A Facebook group has been started called "Justice for Jesse Olsen" and a GoFundMe for the family has raised over $8,000. What People Are Saying Dominique, in a statement to Newsweek: "The silence from the Navy is not just inhumane—it is part of the injustice. This lack of accountability and communication must be exposed. Jesse was a daughter, a sister, and a beloved human being. She mattered. And she deserves better than to have her life and death swept under the rug." Commander Paul Macapagal, spokesperson for Naval Forces Japan, in comments to Stars and Stripes: "We are unable to comment further at this time due to the ongoing litigation. The Navy is committed to ensuring the military justice system is fair and impartial, and the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty." What Happens Next The hearing officer is expected to make a recommendation to the Navy's Office of Special Trial Counsel, which decides whether to refer the case to trial. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
