China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday declined to address a report its former foreign minister Qin Gang was ousted from his position over an alleged extramarital affair.

'Still holding hands and still laughing (with you not just at you). I love you so much,' wrote Victoria Beckham

Declan Rice went to the World Cup surrounded by England team-mates who had won the biggest prizes in the game – now he is a £105million player who insists he is not fazed by the price tag having lifted European silverware and instantly taken to Champions League football. The 24-year-old admitted a year ago in Qatar that he wanted to play at the highest level and left West Ham in the summer after captaining them to Europa Conference League glory. Rice moved across London to Arsenal, joining the Gunners for a club-record fee and has hit the ground running with a run of fine performances for Mikel Arteta’s side. While previous big-money signings have seemingly been weighed down by hefty price tags, Rice has flourished in spite of it. “When the transfer was going through I was very nervous because of the price tag,” he said. “It’s natural to think about that. You’re a human being bought for £105m, it doesn’t feel very normal. But that was because of what I’d done at West Ham, what they valued me at. “When I signed for Arsenal, I just thought I just need to be Declan Rice, be myself, don’t be any different, everything will go smoothly. You’re a human being bought for £105million, it doesn’t feel very normal Declan Rice “The first three weeks of pre-season were really tough in terms of the change. When you’re at a new job you start to feel really settled after a few weeks. “That really feels the case now. In terms of the price tag, I don’t really think about it, I just play the games and try to play as well as possible. “Honestly, I just try to play my football. I don’t let it affect me in any way, shape or form. I just go to training, try to train as well as possible.” Rice’s England colleague Jack Grealish admitted he found talk of his £100m move to Manchester City “annoying” and that more was expected of him as a result of the big fee. “It’s £100m, it’s a lot of money, I could understand the pressure that comes with it,” added Rice. “Not only the pressure you put on yourself but there’s an expectation of being bought for that much money we need to see performances straight away. “I want to repay the club back straight away, they have invested a lot of money in me, I need to prove why I can go there and change things. “I can see why Jack struggled maybe at the start – mentally. He was a £100m footballer but as he wasn’t playing as much, it was probably as bit different for him. Now he’s flying and it’s the same for me.” Rice insists he always had faith in his ability to step up to the highest level and he has shone particularly brightly on Arsenal’s Champions League nights so far. “I won the trophy at West Ham, which was another level. It was incredible for me and the club. Now I’ve been playing on Champions League nights and been playing relatively well, but it’s something I always believed I could do,” he said. “It was just waiting for my chance and my opportunity. Every game that’s coming now, I’m just trying to take it step by step and perform on the biggest stage. “Speaking honestly, I feel I was playing as well at West Ham in my last season. Even though we didn’t have the best season as a team, I feel like I kicked on again. You never want to stay stale as a footballer. “You’re always looking to improve, always looking to get better. I still feel there’s so many more levels I can get to. It’s just about being eager to learn, practising on the training pitch, and always listening as well.” Rice has also called on England to end an unbeaten 2023 with a “bang” by winning their final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia on Monday. England have not suffered defeat since their World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of France last December and sealed their spot at next summer’s finals with two games to spare. After a drab 2-0 win over Malta on Friday, Rice is keen for England to put in a better showing to bring the curtain down on a strong calendar year. “I think especially the other night after Malta there is just a bit of pride in ourselves that we need to raise our level,” the Arsenal midfielder said. “We need to put out a statement and it would be a good way to end the year. We are currently unbeaten since the World Cup so it is down to us to go out tomorrow night, put on a performance.” Read More Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory Rico Lewis hopes his versatility helps him make late push for Euro 2024 squad Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title Luke Humphries continues stunning rise with Grand Slam of Darts success

The Beverly Hills police received another report of vandalism just a mile from the apartment on the same day

Taylor Swift is, once again, in attendance at boyfriend Travis Kelce's game on Sunday. Kelce has been dominant in the first half for the Kansas City Chiefs as t

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 19, 2023--

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was critical of an “enthusiastic” section of Mexican fans who booed Max Verstappen after Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. Race winner Verstappen, who saw off a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton though the Brit was later disqualified alongside Charles Leclerc, was jeered as he walked onto the podium in Austin. Then chants of “Checo” for Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez were audible during the Dutch national anthem. Verstappen and Perez have endured a topsy-turvy relationship as team-mates, most notably clashing in Brazil last year when the Dutchman rebuked a team order to let the Mexican pass. F1 returns to Mexico City this weekend and Marko, who has previously apologised after referring to Perez’s ethnicity as a reason for his struggles this season, suggested it was only a particularly keen group of fans who were jeering. “We are in contact with a lot of Mexicans,” said Marko. “The majority are very friendly and fair, but there are always some let’s say enthusiastic people who don’t maintain the fair sporting standard. “But we have no concerns and are happy to go to Mexico.” Red Bull boss Christian Horner added: "I don’t think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico! “But that’s water off a duck’s back. One year you are the villain, the next year you are the hero." Verstappen himself was unfazed by the boos, telling Dutch media: “In the end, I’m the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me.” Following Hamilton’s disqualification, Perez now has a 39-point lead over the Brit in the battle for second place in the world championship with four races to go. Read More Logan Sargeant earns first F1 point in bizarre circumstances Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes react to shock disqualification from United States GP Chaos as Lewis Hamilton disqualified four hours after finishing second in US GP

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson’s son is the team’s newest tight end

SpaceX launched four private astronauts en route to the International Space Station, including the first woman from Saudi

When conspiracy theorist Alex Jones marched his way to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, riling up his legion of supporters, an unassuming middle-aged man in a red "Trump 2020" hat conspicuously tagged along.

Jurgen Klopp is considering an appeal against Alexis Mac Allister's controversial red card in Liverpool's 3-1 win...

A coalition of professional sports teams in Missouri is backing a new proposal to put legalized sports betting on the 2024 ballot