Leinster travelled to Bilbao with dreams of a fifth European star to add to their badge.

They had hoped for redemption in the Basque city, the site of their last Champions Cup triumph in 2018, where they could wipe away the pain of their previous four defeats.

However, after being blown away by a superb Bordeaux performance in the first half, this one will arguably hurt more than most.

Players and staff had talked about the “fine margins” of previous final defeats, but on Saturday the gulf could not have been clearer.

Tommy O’Brien crossed early but what followed was a display of power and poise, largely dictated by Maxime Lucu, Mathieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

By the time Yoram Moefana raced under the posts after intercepting Harry Byrne’s pass at the end of the first half, the game was done and dusted with Bordeaux leading 35-7.

Leinster improved after the restart and Bordeaux weren’t quite as fluid, but the damage was done and the Top 14 side ran out 41-19 winners.

“I think a bit of a theme of the season has been finding a way,” captain Caelan Doris told BBC Radio 5Live.

“We’ve been behind several times and there’s been composure and finding a way, but despite a good effort in the second half it was too high a mountain to climb.”

He spoke to Belfast Live to mark Dementia Action Week

This is Belfast man Paul McCooey who was recently diagnosed with dementia after he began to notice issues with his eyesight.

The 71-year-old from north Belfast spoke to Belfast Live to mark Dementia Action Week (18-24 May), which aims to bring together local organisations and community groups who support people living with dementia, along with their carers, families, and loved ones.

Paul told us: “My diagnosis was quite quick. I knew there was something wrong with me, but I didn’t know what it was. I went to the doctor and then I was referred to hospital for all sorts of tests before it was confirmed that I have one of the rarer forms of dementia.

READ MORE: ‘Keep active attitude helps me to live well with dementia’ says Enniskillen grandmaREAD MORE: ‘A doctor told me I had dementia and to go home and Google it’

“It was about three years ago when I noticed that I couldn’t see things. They’d be there and sometimes they wouldn’t be there.

“I was also putting things down and then when I went to pick them up, I couldn’t see them. I went to the optician who ended up leading the way towards other things in terms of investigations that eventually led to the diagnosis.”

An MRI scan at Musgrave Park Hospital was the end result as Paul, a former archaeologist, explained: “I wasn’t sure what the outcome was going to be but my mother had dementia so I was half thinking down that line. I was still very shocked whenever I found out that it was dementia so it was a bit of a bombshell.

“The medical team didn’t talk over me, they talked to me and explained everything so I was quite happy with it in that sense.”

Since his diagnosis, Paul has found a lifeline through the support of his peers after joining his local Dementia NI Empowerment Group.

His wife Sue added: “Paul had just retired and I actually thought that it was all maybe the frustration of not being busy all the time, because he had a very busy life and job, so he wasn’t doing anything and I thought that was part of it.

“Paul went into overdrive at first when we got the diagnosis but then came to terms with it. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself really and it was then that we called into Dementia NI at Duncairn and that was a good call because they were brilliant.

“We have two sons it was hard for them but they’ve adapted very well to it all and help out when Paul needs it. It has been hard but we just take it as it comes. Paul would always have been the one that would have organised things so I’m having to do that now and make a bit of a mess of it at times!”

Advertisement

Paul added: “I’m getting through life and it’s not really impinging on me that much most of the time, but it does, obviously, when I’m trying to do certain things and sometimes I stop talking because I can’t work out what I’m trying to say.

“Dementia NI have put a completely different spin on it, a different perspective, and give you a sense of hope and a chance to move forward rather than being in the same place. Their meetings are good because nobody really sits there and says nothing. Everybody always has something to say. Sometimes it’s brilliant, sometimes it’s maybe not brilliant, but it doesn’t matter that’s not the point.”

“There’s no rules or regulations as everybody who’s there knows what it’s like and unfortunately we have a lot of experience. There’s a lot of humour in the group with people – it’s one for all and all for one.”

To find out more about the work of Dementia NI and its network of Empowerment Groups, visit www.dementiani.org or call 028 96931555.

To ensure you don’t miss out on all the latest from Belfast Live, be sure to make us your preferred source on Google.

Kimi Antonelli says he and Mercedes team-mate George Russell “were both lucky not to crash” in an incident during the sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Italian said he was “very annoyed” by an incident at Turn One on lap six, in which he tried to overtake Russell around the outside and ended up off the track.

“I was quite well alongside and there was definitely contact so I need to recheck that,” said Antonelli.

Russell said: “It was tense, it was close, but from my side it was just close, hard racing. I don’t think I did anything wrong.

“There was nothing untoward with the driving and it wasn’t even investigated. So that says enough.”

Antonelli complained about Russell’s driving over the team radio but was told by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to stop “moaning”.

Wolff added later: “It was great cinema. Tough fighting, not only between our two but also with Lando [Norris]. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

“You can see how quickly it goes, you create a gap with two cars and then you start to fight a bit and you can lose a race. If that goes longer and unlucky for us and it is the grand prix, then Norris may well win.

“I really enjoy these moments because it allows us to learn and say: ‘OK, what are we doing with this situation, how are we handling that in the future?’ Because you don’t want to lose a race, you don’t want to crash into each other and sometimes it needs a little moment to remind ourselves what our objectives are.

“This is not particularly against one or the other. There is a framework we want to establish and I’d rather have it in a sprint race, where it is not about a lot of points, than the main race.”

South African activists who were detained when their boats were intercepted while trying to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza alleged Saturday they were beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers in a detention facility.

The Global Sumud Flotilla of 50 vessels was intercepted Monday in international waters some 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Israel as they sought to breach the blockade and deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The activists said they were held for several days in Israel’s K’tziot prison where some said they were shocked with electricity while being interrogated about their participation in the flotilla.

The Israeli government has denied allegations of mistreatment of detained flotilla activists, saying they were “false and entirely without factual basis.” There was no immediate response to the activists’ accusations Saturday.

The activists were welcomed by pro-Palestinian supporters and their families as they arrived in South Africa from Turkey on Saturday morning.

They said many of them received harsh treatment, especially when the Israeli soldiers learned they were from South Africa, a country that has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice and accused it of committing genocide in Gaza.

“We were denied access to water for a while. Food they did give us, food that was not suitable for human consumption. We were denied access to toilets for many hours, and the minute we started protesting we were shot at with rubber bullets,” said activist Faizel Moosa.

Moosa, a former anti-apartheid activist during South Africa’s liberation struggle against white minority rule, said the treatment they received under detention was the worst he had ever experienced.

“Having experienced detention under the apartheid regime during the struggle, this was far worse. It just goes to show that this is what Palestinians go through on a daily basis,” said Moosa.

Dr. Margaret Connolly, who was among an Irish contingent in the flotilla, said she had never been so frightened as she described dehumanizing conditions in detention.

She said some people were struck with guns. Detainees who had been stripped of their clothes and denied blankets had to huddle together in the cold to prevent hypothermia.

Connolly, the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, was among a group of 15 Irish activists who were greeted by cheering supporters and family members as they arrived home in Dublin on Saturday.

She said Israeli forces didn’t provide enough water or toiletries, and her medical kit was confiscated, preventing her from providing proper medical care. She said bread bags and shirt sleeves used for bandages and slings were later taken away.

“They wanted us to suffer,” Connolly said. “A lot of the soldiers with American accents, shouting down: ‘You should have thought of this before you came.’”

Three Chileans who were detained by Israel while attempting to reach Gaza to deliver aid also arrived home Saturday, where they criticized the Chilean government for what they described as its inaction in securing their release.

Víctor Chanfreau, Claudio Caiozzi and Carolina Eltit were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. A large group of supporters greeted the trio at the airport in the capital, Santiago, with Palestinian flags, signs and applause.

“The Chilean government acted terribly, unsurprisingly,” Chanfreau told reporters at the airport, calling the Chilean Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic efforts in their detention “negligent.”

Eltit reported being beaten and held “in precarious conditions, without toilet paper, one bathroom for 190 people, lying in the sun, tied hand and foot.”

Connolly criticized the Irish government for rejecting sanctions against Israel.

Activist Qutb Hendricks called on the South African government to pile pressure on Israel by banning the sale of coal and other supplies to the country.

___

Associated Press writers Brian Melley in London and Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Sliceburg, which has existing sites in Darlington and Middlesbrough, recently announced it is set to open its third venue in Hartlepool in June.

Just days later, the business revealed it has secured the keys to a fourth store, but has not disclosed where it will be.

Sliceburg, Darlington (Image: Sliceburg)

In a post on social media yesterday (May 21), the owners said: “After the success of our Darlington and Middlesbrough stores, we are opening up Hartlepool in June, but we’ve just secured the keys to our FOURTH store, can you guess where?”

The post featured a picture of a map, with many customers suggesting possible locations including Sunderland, Newcastle, Bishop Auckland and Durham.

The post added: “We also wanted to give you guys a big shout-out. Without you, none of this could be possible. We can’t wait to serve more of you our delicious food soon.”

Sliceburg, Darlington (Image: Sliceburg)

The Hartlepool venue is expected to open early next month following refurbishment work, but the exact location and opening date have yet to be announced.

The Darlington restaurant, which opened in 2023, is known for its smash burgers, fries and tenders, available to eat in or takeaway.

It was previously listed as one of ten exceptional restaurants as part of the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Awards 2024, which spotlight small independent businesses across the UK.

One resident who uses the hospital said they had been told that B2 ward could close, following changes to another ward last year.

It has raised concerns that it would cause bed shortages and less space for people accessing the hospital, with the ward usually used for adult medicine and the elderly.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has not confirmed that B2 ward will permanently close, but said wards and bed numbers are regularly reviewed depending on demand and patient need.

The trust said it was also developing a new intermediate care unit at the hospital site for patients needing extra support before being discharged home.

Rae Wheatcroft, chief operating officer for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We regularly review and adjust our bed numbers across Bolton to respond to changing demand, making sure resources are in the right place and meeting the areas of greatest need.

“This includes developing a new intermediate care unit here on the hospital site, which will provide beds in an appropriate setting for patients requiring a little more support before they are discharged to the place they call home.

“We are also working hard to move more care out of hospital and into the community, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.”

A spokesperson for the trust later said wards can open and close “on a rotating basis depending on where need is”.

A climber has died after plunging 2,000ft to her death down a volcano on her 42nd birthday.

Ingrid Daniela Vera Figueroa was climbing with a group of friends when the accident occurred at around 3pm on Sunday.

The mum-of-two posted a birthday message on social media just hours before her death.

Ahead of her climb up Llaima Volcano, one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Chile, she said: ‘It’s three in the morning and we’re finishing packing our backpacks to ascend Llaima.

‘I hope God accompanies me on this wonderful day, on which I’m turning 42 and am super happy.

‘Yes, I have a little uncertainty about what’s going to happen.’

Ingrid, who worked as school governor at Alexander Graham Bell School in Villarrica City, plunged to her death from a height of around 2,000ft (600m) while taking photos on the descent.

She reportedly released her ice pick, lost her balance, possibly exacerbated by strong winds, and slipped and fell down a steep ravine.

Rescue efforts were hampered by severe weather, with strong winds preventing a rescue helicopter from reaching the site.

Ingrid’s death was confirmed that evening, but her body could not be recovered until Monday morning at around 6:30am due to continuing poor conditions.

A joint operation involving police, firefighters, volunteers, and representatives from the National Forest Corporation successfully retrieved her remains.

Conaf director Héctor Tillería said the hiking group did not register with the park authorities or Carabineros beforehand, contrary to protocol.

He warned of adverse weather this week, with sub-zero temperatures and demanding high-mountain conditions, and urged all climbers to register properly for safety.

A school spokesperson, where Ingrid served as governor, called her a ‘responsible, kind, committed’ mother.

The community offered condolences to her husband, two children, family and friends.

Volcán Llaima, one of Chile’s most active volcanoes at over 3,000 metres, is a popular but challenging destination for experienced hikers.

Authorities continue to investigate the precise circumstances of the fall.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Diver reveals dangers of Maldives shark cave where 6 people lost their lives

MORE: Mother of three women who died off Brighton beach also drowned, family reveals

MORE: Mystery of Maldives divers killed in ‘Shark Cave’ may have been solved

As Emily Atack prepares to co-host ITV’s brand new quiz show Nobody’s Fool alongside Danny Dyer, we take a look at her remarkable famous family

ITV viewers on the hunt for their next favourite game show need look no further, as brand new quiz show Nobody’s Fool kicks off tonight (Saturday 23 May).

Hosted by Danny Dyer and Emily Atack, Nobody’s Fool features ten contestants battling it out in a strategic quiz show with a remarkable twist.

Rather than rewarding the cleverest players, the show’s outcome hinges on how intelligent each contestant’s rivals believe them to be.

Throughout the competition, players must identify who they consider the weakest link amongst them and ruthlessly vote them out, reports the Daily Star.

Host Danny said of the new series: “This is a blinder of a game show and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Emily and I had a brilliant time making it and much like the audience at home will be, we were kept guessing right until the very end.”

Co-host Emily added: “It’s so exciting to be part of something this new and fresh. The chance to work with Danny again was a no brainer for me. We had such a laugh. Can’t wait for everyone to watch, it’s an absolute must see.”

While Emily fronts the new programme alongside her role in hit series Rivals as Sarah Stratton – where Danny also stars as Freddie Jones – she isn’t the only well-known face in her family.

Emily’s mother is accomplished actress Kate Robbins. Kate, 67, is not only a celebrated performer but also reached number two in the UK charts during the 80s with her smash hit ‘More Than in Love’, and has appeared in iconic productions including Spitting Image, After Life, and EastEnders.

Emily’s aunty happens to be none other than Amy Robbins, who portrays Christina Boyd in Coronation Street. Christina made her debut on the ITV soap in 2023 as Daisy Midgeley’s mum and has been embroiled in numerous dramatic storylines since.

While Christina’s appearances were initially sporadic, she’s become a more prominent fixture on the cobbles lately, particularly through her relationship with George Shuttleworth.

Amy, 54, has an impressive CV including Dr. Jill Weatherill in The Royal, Stephanie Morelle in World’s End, Caren in EastEnders and Defence Barrister Milligan in Emmerdale.

Talent clearly runs in the family, with Amy’s sister Emma also working as an actress, while another sibling, Jane, has made her mark as an artist, actress and musician, notably performing with the UK’s Eurovision act Prima Donna in 1980. These are Emily’s aunties.

Emily’s uncle Ted has also graced the Corrie set in three small parts, though he’s perhaps better recognised for his appearances in Calendar Girls, The Slammer, Diddy Movies and Benidorm, amongst other productions.

However, the family’s most famous connection is undoubtedly Emily’s mother Kate and her aunty Amy’s first cousin once removed – The Beatles legend Paul McCartney. Paul is Amy and Kate’s mum’s cousin, and she’s spoken fondly of him, saying: “He’s everything you would hope him to be, genuinely lovely.”

Nobody’s Fool launches on Saturday 23 May at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Gunmen opened fire in two separate attacks Thursday on the Honduran coast, killing at least 25 people, including six police officers, authorities said.

The first incident took place at a plantation in the municipality of Trujillo in northern Honduras, where at least 19 workers were shot and killed, according to Public Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Yuri Mora.

The resource-rich region has been the site of a decades-long agrarian conflict.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has previously issued precautionary measures to some activists in the region who have been threatened, surveilled and intimidated for their work defending the environment and land rights.

The 2024 killing of environmental leader Juan López highlighted the dangers of defending natural resources in this highly militarized area of Honduras. The Central American nation regularly ranks as one of the most dangerous for environmentalists, with five killed in 2024 and 18 the year before, according to nongovernmental organization Global Witness.

Three people were recently arrested for masterminding López’s killing, providing a rare glimpse of justice in a country with high rates of impunity.

In the second attack, assailants opened fire on police in the municipality of Omoa in the Cortes department near the Guatemalan border, killing six officers, including a senior officer, police said.

The officers were assigned to an anti-gang mission and were attacked while traveling to Omoa from the capital, Tegucigalpa, police said.

National Police spokesperson Edgardo Barahona said earlier Thursday that determining the death toll in Trujillo was complicated partly because relatives of the victims have removed bodies of their loved ones. Investigators have been sent to the scene, he said.

The National Police and armed forces will respond to both of the areas where attacks took place, and teams including forensic specialists and prosecutors will be formed to investigate, the Security Ministry said.

Honduras has struggled with high rates of crime linked to gangs and the transnational drug trade, although its homicide rate has decreased significantly in recent years since a 2011 peak of 83 murders per 100,000 residents, according to the World Bank.

International human rights organizations have criticized Honduras for its militarized approach to fighting crime, which they say has led to human rights abuses including torture, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

This includes a three-year state of exception to suspend some constitutional rights and grant more power to security forces that ended in January 2026.

___

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america