The president of Spain’s football federation has refused to resign after he kissed a Women’s World Cup champion after the final last weekend.
Luis Rubiales, 46, grabbed player Jennifer Hermoso and kissed her on the lips during the awards ceremony following Spain’s 1-0 victory over England on Sunday in Sydney, Australia.
Ms Hermoso, a 33-year-old forward and key contributor to Spain’s victory, said: “I did not like it, but what could I do?”
The footballer said such acts “should never go unpunished”, in a statement.
Mr Rubiales claimed the kiss was “mutual” and “with consent” at a meeting of the Spanish football federation’s general assembly on Friday.
He added that he was the victim of a witch hunt by “false feminists” after rapidly repeating “I won’t resign” four times.
In the version of events Mr Rubiales gave to the assembly, he said Hermoso had lifted him up in celebration and he asked her for “a little kiss?” and she said yes.
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“The kiss was the same I could give one of my daughters,” Mr Rubiales said.
Image: Pic: Noe L amas/SPP/Shutterstock
He said that he would defend his honour in court against politicians, including two ministers, who called his kiss an act of sexual violence.
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Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s deputy prime minister, was indignant following Mr Rubiales’ decision, saying he had to go.
Ms Diaz tweeted: “What we have seen today… is unacceptable. The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for chauvinistic actions is over.
“Rubiales cannot continue in office.”
His defiant defence of the kiss at the meeting followed a widespread backlash against his behaviour.
Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias, who has two caps for Spain’s men’s side, has said he will not play for the national team in protest, “until things change and these kinds of acts don’t remain unpunished”.
The striker, 30, called “for a fairer, more humane and decent football”, adding: “I am sad and disappointed.”
Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said Mr Rubiales’ attempt to apologise, which came after he initially insulted his critics, was unconvincing, and that “he must continue taking further steps” to be held accountable.
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England defender Jess Carter says that it is ‘really sad’ that the moment of the World Cup final was ‘tarnished’ by the Luis Rubiales kiss controversy.
In his apology released on Monday, Mr Rubiales said: “We saw it as something normal, natural and not in any way in bad faith. But outside it seems that a commotion has been created.
“When you are president of an institution as important as the federation, you have to be more careful.”
Before the forced kiss, Mr Rubiales had grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture from the section of dignitaries at the stadium, with Spain’s Queen Letizia and the 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia standing nearby.
Image: Hermoso was denied by Earps from the penalty spot
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Spain’s Women’s World Cup parade
The controversy has overshadowed the final and Spain’s first triumph in the global tournament.
The team arrived back in Madrid a few days ago after delivering heartbreak to England- with Olga Carmona’s first-half goal proving too much for the Lionesses.
Hermoso started the match in the World Cup final in Sydney, but was denied the chance to get on the scoresheet after her penalty was stopped by England goalkeeper Mary Earps.
Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.
While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.
The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.
Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.
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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.
The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.
And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.
Image: US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters
Trump holds trade deal talks – reports
It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indianand Israelirepresentatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.
The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.
Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.
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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.
Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.
Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.
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Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump
He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’
“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.
The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.
The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.
The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.
The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.
Image: Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP
Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.
Image: The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP
After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.
He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.