Spanish state prosecutors have accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion, for kissing a player on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. Rubiales, the now-suspended president of the Spanish soccer federation, kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on 20 August in Sydney, Australia. Prosecutors presented a case against Rubiales to Spain’s National Court in Madrid two days after Hermoso formally accused him of sexual assault. According to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault. The new law eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” sanctioning any unconsented sexual act. Prosecutors added Friday that Rubiales could have committed an act of coercion when, according to Hermoso, he pressured her to speak out in his defense immediately after the scandal erupted regarding his behavior. Rubiales has insisted the kiss was consensual. Hermoso has denied that in statements issued by her and her players’ union. Prosecutors have asked the judge that Rubiales appear before a court to give preliminary testimony. If the National Court judge agrees the hear the case, it would lead to a formal court investigation that will end with a recommendation for the case to either be dismissed or go to trial. Hermoso, a 33-year-old forward, now plays for Mexican club Pachuca after a long career with top Spanish and European clubs, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. She returned to her Mexican club on Thursday. The 46-year-old Rubiales faces threats other than a possible criminal trial. He was suspended from his post by Fifa on 27 August, a day after he refused to step down when he delivered a defiant speech to the general assembly of his federation in which he said he was victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.” Rubiales was banned from his post for 90 days while Fifa disciplinary judges consider his case. Soccer’s governing body can impose sanctions on individuals ranging from warnings and fines to suspensions from the sport. Rubiales also faces action from the Spanish government. A government legal panel overseeing sports has opened a probe to determine if he abused his authority by kissing Hermoso or tainted the image of Spain with his conduct. He faces being deemed unfit to hold his post for up to two years. Rubiales’ behavior at the final, which included a lewd crotch grab while next to dignitaries including Spain’s queen and teenage princess, combined with his speech have tarnished the Women’s World Cup title and damaged his own federation. Spain’s women’s players have said they won’t play again for their nation until big changes are made in the federation. The federation fired coach Jorge Vilda, but the players have yet to say if they consider that sufficient. Read More Luis Rubiales could face criminal charges after Jenni Hermoso accuses Spanish FA president of sexual assault Dear men, a kiss is never just ‘a kiss’ Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso accuses Luis Rubiales of sexual assault for World Cup kiss Rubiales could face criminal charges after sexual assault filing Sacked Jorge Vilda defends clapping Luis Rubiales’ ‘I will not resign’ speech Luis Rubiales fallout live: Spain boss Vilda hits out at ‘unfair’ sacking

Elon Musk has announced he’s hired former NBCUniversal advertising boss Linda Yaccarino as the new Twitter chief executive. The erratic billionaire confirmed widespread speculation that Ms Yaccarino would take on the role in a Twitter post on Friday. “Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app,” Mr Musk wrote. Ms Yaccarino will focus on business operations, while Mr Musk will stay on as executive chairman and focus on product design and new technology, he said. Hours earlier, Ms Yaccarino said in a statement she was leaving her role as chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal after more than a decade at the media conglomerate. “It has been an absolute honour to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team,” she said. “We’ve transformed our company and the entire industry.” Ms Yaccarino oversaw the launch of the NBC’s streaming site Peacock. On Thursday, Mr Musk teased the appointment when he announced he had hired a woman to take over the social media platform’s top job from him in six weeks. The appointment, six months after Mr Musk said he would step down as CEO, comes as Twitter faces an exodus of advertisers, service disruptions, and renewed scrutiny from regulators. After purchasing the platform for $44bn last October, Mr Musk has fired around 80 per cent of the workforce, reinstated banned accounts, and allowed hate speech to flourish under the guise of “free speech”. Read More Elon Musk says he's found a new CEO for Twitter, a woman who will start in 6 weeks Stephen King ruthlessly shuts down US commentator Dan Bongino after incendiary exchange Twitter finally adds secure messaging to DMs – but Elon Musk tells people not to ‘trust it’ Reports: NBC Universal executive will take over as the new CEO of Twitter AP News Digest 4 a.m. Secure messaging arrives on Twitter - sort of. 'Don't trust it yet,' Musk warns

Long ago Venus was nicknamed Earth's twin, a world roughly the same size as our

Google has hired Brazilian former President Michel Temer to lobby lawmakers considering a proposal to regulate the internet,

Vietnam on Thursday ordered nationwide checks on small apartment buildings after a fire tore through a block in Hanoi, killing 56 people in the country's...

As in most horror films, Apple's October event, named "Scary Fast," didn't take long to

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday ordered Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and

'Extraction 2' may have only just been released but Chris Hemsworth has confirmed a third movie is being discussed.

What's the right way to describe a group of worms? A "bunch" may sound like a lazy descriptor, but it's correct.

Jesús Ferreira scored a goal in each half to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps

Two men, claiming to be from MrBeast's team, offered to pay for whatever a father-son duo could put in their cart within 30 seconds but then fled

The United Nations said hate speech was on the rise everywhere, as the UN Human Rights Council held an urgent debate Tuesday...