‘Losing for Wales is the worst feeling’ – Jones

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Summer tour second Test: Japan v Wales

Venue: Noevir (Misaki Park) Stadium, Kobe Date: Saturday, 12 July Kick-off: 06:50 BST

Anybody who doubts the devastation players feel after losing for Wales just needs to spend a few minutes with scrum consultant and former prop Adam Jones.

The 24-19 loss to Japan was a record 18th consecutive defeat which has seen Wales slip to a lowest-ever 14th in the world rankings.

The losing streak stretches back to October 2023 and the players were visibly upset in Kitakyushu following yet another defeat, although they have a chance to level the series in Kobe on Saturday.

Jones represented Wales 95 times and endured lows as well as the highs of winning three Grand Slams and reaching a World Cup semi-final.

So he knows about the effects of playing for Wales.

“You’re representing your country, it’s the be-all and end-all,” said Jones.

“You put it before everything else. You put it before your friends and family.

‘This Wales team care’

Wales full-back Blair Murray reacts in despair after losing to JapanGetty Images

Jones says the record sequence of defeats can not be attributed to a lack of effort.

“They care and want to play,” said Jones.

“A lot of history has gone into their jersey and they massively care about that and what it represents.

“There’s been times in the past when there’s been a few players coming through the international system who probably don’t care. They just wanted the Wales cap and accolades that go with it.”

Jones, however, is adamant the current group of players is not like that.

“They’ve done everything to win but unfortunately we’ve come up short.

“I know it’s easy to say they deserve a win from how they apply themselves they’re a good group of boys.

“They don’t deserve to be in this sort of rut and the criticism they’re getting.”

Jones believes the final quarter against Japan typified the tourists’ lack of confidence.

In hot and humid conditions, Wales led the hosts 19-7 before conceding 17 unanswered points in the second half.

Wales football boss Bellamy gives positive message to rugby squad

Craig Bellamy in a Wales press conferenceHuw Evans Picture Agency

Wales have made attempts to try and solve the lack of confidence.

Before they arrived in Japan, interim head coach Matt Sherratt invited guest speakers to address the squad and to try and instil some positivity.

Among them was Wales football manager Craig Bellamy who urged the players to use the inspiration of trying to be somebody who was going to stop the losing streak, rather than reflecting on previous defeats.

“There were a couple of things that resonated and that was one,” said Jones.

“He [Bellamy] said everyone knows Wales because of the Welsh rugby team. As much as it’s where we are now, Welsh rugby is still a big thing in world rugby. It’s what we’re known for.

“There’s a bit of pressure, but on the flipside, the people who turn it around, or get the monkey off our back, it will be pretty special for them.

“There will be relief as well, I’m sure.”

Jones says Wales can not fixate on the failures.

“We’ve got to move on,” said Jones.

“You look through it, but you can’t dwell otherwise you’re just going round and round. Then it’ll be 19, 20 games.

Trying to finish on a high

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Just such an opportunity comes in Kobe on Saturday, as Wales look to level the series in their final game of the season.

Wales are aiming to ensure they do not go a full international campaign without a win after suffering nine defeats in 2024-25.

“At the moment we’re in this big losing streak but that one win will give them a bit of confidence to kick on,” said Jones.

“It’s the last week of the season, which is always tough, but there’s a carrot at the end of it.

“They’ve got five weeks off after this now, so they’ve put everything into this last game and hopefully we’ll get the result we want.”

While the players get five weeks off, Jones will be straight back to the day job at Harlequins on Monday morning after having had two stints with Wales during the Six Nations and summer tour.

Jones was brought into the Wales set-up by Warren Gatland, who then left his role after defeat against Italy in Rome in February, with Matt Sherratt taking over as interim head coach.

Jones was retained for the summer tour, with his Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson also brought in on a temporary basis to look after the forwards.

Despite all the trauma, with six defeats and no wins so far while he has been involved, Jones has no regrets about his international return, after playing his final game for Wales in 2014.

“I’ve loved it, it’s been brilliant,” said Jones.

“It’s been just over a decade since I last played for Wales and I loved representing my country.

“Playing for them for 11 years changed my life. The chance to represent them as a coach has been just as special.

“It’s been frustrating. It’s been pretty strange with Gats bringing me in where I had god knows how many questions over whether we get on anymore.

“Next thing he’s gone, so that was strange.

“I have enjoyed it but then I just get straight back into it with Harlequins on Monday and I might be a bit jet-lagged.”

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  • Wales Rugby Union
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Acropolis closes as Greece sizzles under another severe heatwave

Greece has shut the Acropolis and halted outdoor work across the country as a fierce heatwave scorches the region, pushing temperatures to above 40C (104F) and leading to fire alerts and severe weather warnings across the Balkans.

The Greek Ministry of Culture announced that the 2, 500-year-old Acropolis site would remain closed until 5pm on Tuesday “for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures”.

The landmark, perched above capital Athens with little natural shade, typically attracts tens of thousands of tourists each day.

This is Greece’s second severe heatwave since late June. Meteorologists expect temperatures to peak at 42C (107.6F) in some parts of the country, with Athens facing highs of 38C (100.4F). Similar conditions are forecast for Wednesday.

To protect labourers exposed to the sun, Greece’s Ministry of Labour has ordered a work pause from noon to 5pm in multiple regions, including popular islands. The restriction applies to outdoor jobs such as construction and food delivery.

“Days with a heatwave make my job more difficult”, 43-year-old courier Michalis Keskinidis told the AFP news agency. “We drink a lot of water, use electrolytes, and take breaks whenever possible”.

Heatwave across the Balkans

Last year, the Acropolis recorded 4.5 million visitors – up by more than 15 percent from the previous year – and authorities have been forced to close the site during previous heatwaves as well.

Fire danger remains a key concern. Civil protection officials have issued high-risk warnings for areas including greater Athens, central Greece and the Peloponnese. Greece’s fire service is already tackling up to 50 blazes daily, said senior fire officer Constantinos Tsigkas.

Elsewhere in the Balkans, extreme weather continues to batter neighbouring countries. In Serbia, meteorologists warned of elevated fire risks after 620 wildfires were reported on Monday. Simultaneously, parts of the country face threats of hail and hurricane-strength winds.

In Croatia, storms injured two people in Vinkovci when a power line collapsed onto a home. Strong winds and rain have flooded roads, knocked down trees and caused widespread power outages in Split, where a ferry broke loose and sank a tourist boat.

Alleged Money Laundering: Court To Rule On Yahaya Bello’s Travel Application July 17

On medical grounds, Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has set a hearing date for July 17 to hear a request from Yahaya Bello, the immediate-ex-gouverneur of Kogi State, to leave the country.

His attorney, Joseph Daudu (SAN), informed the court that he had requested that the registrar grant his client’s request for the release of his client’s international passport so that he could travel for medical treatment.

However, the EFCC counsel had a counteraffidavit, claiming that granting the request could halt future proceedings.

In response to the counteraffidavit from the prosecution team, Daudu claimed that the defendant’s team had also submitted a further affidavit of 20 paragraphs, which the applicant had presented himself with two exhibits on July 7, 2025.

ADC Members File Suit Contesting Interim Executive’s Positions’ Legality.

“Exhibit C is the CTC of your lordship’s decision allowing the defendant to be released on bail, and Exhibit D is the FHC’s decision allowing him to be released.”

He continued, “We urged your lordship to grant our application by adopting these documents.”

responding to the prosecution’s claim that the request was a case of abuse of court due to the fact that a similar request was made at the FHC.

He argued that the court process could not have been used abusively. He argued in favor of the fact that the complainant was the one to bring those allegations before various courts.

Daudu claimed that applying in one court and not the other court would be futile.

The defendant should have given his sureties notice when he applied to leave the country, according to Chukwudi Enebele (SAN), the prosecution attorney, who defended the EFCC’s counteraffidavit.

He believes that the sureties must decide whether to remain his security when he travels.

The defendant’s attorney were also attempting to converge the courts by filing the same application at both the FCT High Court and Federal High Court, he added.

Daudu responded by saying that the sureties knew of this already.

It is a dead argument, to be sure, regarding the interpol issue. He has never broken the law of your lordship. They have even forgotten about those red alerts, the attorney continued, urging the court to approve the application.

Nearly half a million Afghans return from Iran after crackdown

Nearly 450, 000 Afghans have returned from Iran since early June, according to the United Nations refugee agency, after Tehran imposed a July 6 deadline for undocumented migrants and refugees to leave the country.

The surge compounds Afghanistan’s existing challenges as the impoverished nation struggles to integrate waves of returnees from Pakistan and Iran since 2023, amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises after decades of conflict.

The UNHCR reports that more than 1.4 million people have “returned or been forced to return to Afghanistan” this year alone. Iran’s late May directive potentially affects four million undocumented Afghans among the approximately six million Afghan residents claimed by Tehran.

Border crossings increased dramatically from mid-June, with some days seeing approximately 40, 000 people entering Afghanistan. Between June 1 and July 5, 449, 218 Afghans returned from Iran, bringing the 2024 total to 906, 326, according to an International Organization for Migration spokesman.

Many returnees report experiencing pressure from authorities, arrests, deportations, and financial losses due to hasty departures. The crisis response has been hampered by significant cuts in foreign aid, prompting calls for increased funding from the UN, international NGOs, and Taliban officials.

The UN has cautioned that this mass return could further destabilise Afghanistan, which already faces entrenched poverty, unemployment, and climate change effects. “Forcing or pressuring Afghans to return risks further instability in the region, and onward movement towards Europe”, the UNHCR said on Friday.

While Taliban officials advocate for a “dignified” return process, Iranian media frequently reports mass arrests of “illegal” Afghans. Iran’s deputy interior minister, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, acknowledged that while undocumented Afghans in the country were “respected neighbours and brothers in faith”, Iran’s “capacities also have limits”. He indicated the return process “will be implemented gradually”.

Liam Gallagher faces huge risk ahead of Oasis’ Heaton Park gig which could be ‘disaster’

EXCLUSIVE: Liam Gallagher could be preparing to take a huge risk as Oasis prepares for their first hometown show at Manchester’s Heaton Park this weekend

Liam faces a huge risk ahead of the Heaton Park gigs this weekend(Image: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Liam Gallagher faces a major risk ahead of the first Oasis gig at Heaton Park, Manchester this weekend. Liam, 52, faces getting a rocky reception at the Oasis homecoming Manchester gigs – if he continues asking the crowd to “do the Poznan”.

The frontman urged all fans at both Cardiff gigs to turn around and bounce up and down during the anthem Cigarettes & Alcohol. He said on Saturday: “I don’t ask you to do the Mexican wave or sh*t like that, but I want you to do the poznan so everyone turn around and put your hands on each other. It’s 2025, don’t be shy. When the tunes start, you jump up and down, it’s very easy, you don’t need GCSEs.”

And he also posted a clip of the Poznan on his official social media with his comments from Friday night where he similarly said: “I want you to do the Poznan, so turn around and put your hands on each other.” This gives the impression it could become a tour staple move for fans to jump around during that song.

Oasis will headline Heaton Park this weekend
Oasis will headline Heaton Park this weekend(Image: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

But the Poznan is a celebration used by Manchester City and at Heaton Park he would be asking a crowd to do it which will contain many thousands of Manchester United football fans.

One music source told the Mirror: “Liam loves seeing the crowd do it, but it will be a higher risk strategy at Heaton Park. It will be no surprise if he does do it or gives City a shout-out on stage because he and Noel are such big fans. Bonehead is the only red(United fan) in the lineup.”

The two brothers haven't performed in Manchester since the Bank of Burnage gigs in June 2009
The two brothers haven’t performed in Manchester since the Bank of Burnage gigs in June 2009(Image: Big Brother Recordings / PR Handout)

On social media, Manchester United fans are already debating the prospect of the Poznan this weekend. One suggested her could never watch Oasis live because they are City fans. But on X, formerly known as Twitter, one said: “I’ll be there at Heaton Park and won’t be doing the Poznan but doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the music?”

Another user called Fenton said: “Oasis surely won’t ask the crowd to do the Poznan at Heaton Park will they? Will end in disaster.” One fan called Sam said: “You can quite easily support Utd and love Aasis. Just won’t catch me doing the Poznan.”

The gig will be the first since Noel finally revealed why he and his younger brother decided to end their feud, which started when Noel quit the band in 2009. Before performing at the Rock en Seine festival, he dramatically walked out and said he couldn’t work with his brother anymore.

It's the concert nobody ever expected to happen – but it is
It’s the concert nobody ever expected to happen – but it is(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Speaking last weekend, he said that Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs was the mastermind behind the reunion. Noel introduced the band, whilst also joking about the high turnover of drummers Oasis had in the past. He said: “On drums, our 13th official drummer, Joey Waronker.

“On guitar, if it wasn’t for him none of this would have f**king happened in the first place, Mr Bonehead.” Meanwhile, Liam apologised to fans for the 16-year wait following their last concert. he said: “Hello people, it’s been too long.” As they broke into fan-favourite Champagne Supernova, their final song of the evening, the lead singer said: “Right you beautiful people, this is it. Nice one for putting up with us over the years, we know we’ve been difficult. Champagne Supernova, nice one.”

The band are supported by 90s group Cast, and former frontman of The Verve, Richard Ashcroft.

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Fiona Phillips’ desperate plea to husband as Alzheimer’s ‘wipes her away’

Ahead of the publication of their new book, Fiona Phillips and her dedicated husband, Martin Frizell, have spoken candidly about the realities of life with Alzheimer’s Disease, including the former presenter’s heartbreaking plea

In a candid admission, Fiona Phillips’ devoted husband, Martin Frizell, has opened up about the desperate plea she’s made as the couple deals with the everyday realities of living with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Fiona and Martin first locked eyes on the set of GMTV, back when he was chief correspondent. Although independent-minded Fiona had never intended to marry, they fell in love quickly and tied the knot in a 1997 Las Vegas wedding.

In the years since, Fiona and Martin, who share sons Nathaniel and Mackenzie, have stuck by each other through thick and thin. When Fiona, 64, was given a shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2022, after months of suffering from brain fog and anxiety, Martin made sure to be there for her every step of the way.

Now Martin has offered a devastating insight into how their lives have changed, with his “glamorous, glittering star” of a wife now vulnerable and in need of constant reassurance.

READ MORE: Fiona Phillips’ husband reveals her heartbreaking daily routine after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell have spoken out about the realities of life with Alzheimer’s Disease(Image: Getty Images Europe)

In a joint piece penned for the Mail Online, producer and editor Martin shed light on the “isolating” nature of Fiona’s illness, admitting, “the dinner-party invitations have dried up”.

Martin wrote: “It’s not that Fiona would even want to go out for dinner, but sometimes it would be nice to be asked. I don’t think people are deliberately trying to exclude us; they’re just not sure what to say, and so they say nothing at all.

“And it does feel lonely. It feels selfish to say that because this is not about me – it’s about Fiona and she’s the one who is really suffering in all this. She’s the one who feels lonely and scared and is often in pain.”

Fiona Phillips with her husband Martin - pictures taken since her diagnosis in May 2022
Martin has revealed that ‘vulnerable’ Fiona now struggles to be left alone

Sadly, when Martin does try to head out alone, Fiona finds it difficult to be left, sometimes even begging him to stay. He continued: “Sometimes when I’m going out, she will say, ‘Please don’t leave me,’ because she wants me to be close by. And it breaks my heart that my strong, independent wife has become so vulnerable.”

In the same piece, Canterbury-born Fiona spoke of the challenges she faces as her “memory skips away”, with even her most precious memories now difficult to grasp – a feeling that she’s likened to “trying to chase a £5 note that’s fallen out of your purse on a gusty day”.

Fiona Phillips
Fiona has enjoyed a glittering career as a presenter and journalist(Image: Daily Mirror)

Paying tribute to her supportive husband, Martin, the mum of two shared: “I couldn’t be writing this at all without my husband Martin, and my closest friends, who are helping me articulate more clearly the thoughts I once had that are now harder for me to reach.

“I used to be able to talk to anyone about anything (a skill inherited from my mum), and then I made a career out of chatting to people on television. Nowadays, I can find talking about my life agonisingly difficult. Sometimes I get halfway through a sentence and I can’t remember where I was heading with it or the word I was looking for. It feels awful.”

Fiona was only in her early 60s when she learned she had Alzheimer’s – an illness she had assumed she wouldn’t have to think about for another 20 years. She had initially attributed her symptoms to going through menopause, but further tests revealed the devastating diagnosis.

Speaking previously with the Mirror, former breakfast TV host Fiona divulged: “It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80. But I was still only 61 years old. “I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us.”

With Martin’s assistance, Fiona has penned a book called Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, which is set to be published later this month.

Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s by Fiona Phillips (Macmillan, £22), is to be published July 17.

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