Around 100 days before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Olympic flame was ignited at Ancient Olympia, Greece. The flame will travel through Greece to France, arriving in Marseille on May 8 and reaching Paris for the opening ceremony on July 26.

Actress Mary Mina, portraying an ancient Greek High Priestess, lit the torch using a backup flame at the 2,500-year-old Temple of Hera. Dignitaries present included IOC President Thomas Bach and President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The flame was passed to the first torchbearer, Greek rower Stefanos Douskos, who then handed it to Laure Manaudou, a French Olympic champion. Approximately 600 torchbearers will carry the flame over 5,000km, passing through cities and archaeological sites in Greece.

The Olympic flame will be handed over to Paris 2024 organizers on April 26 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The next day, it will board the French vessel Belem at Piraeus port for its journey to France. The flame symbolizes peace and unity, connecting past and present Olympic Games.

Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater collapsed in court after his bail application was rejected on domestic violence charges. The 54-year-old faces 19 charges including stalking, intimidation, and assault occasioning bodily harm, with his next court hearing scheduled for May 31. Slater denied all allegations against him.

During his court appearance, Slater wore prison greens and collapsed to the floor when his bail application was denied. He has been in police custody since his arrest over the weekend, and has denied all accusations made against him by the complainant. Slater, known for his cricket career, played 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for Australia between 1993 and 2001, scoring over 5,000 runs.

The charges against Slater range from alleged offences between December 5, 2023, and April 12, 2024, with the most severe being choking or strangulation. Despite the serious charges, Slater continues to maintain his innocence. His collapse in court following the denial of his bail application has gained widespread attention, with the former cricketer now awaiting his next court hearing to contest the charges levied against him.

Former Australia cricketer Aaron Finch pinpointed the disparity in boundary-hitting as the key factor behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 25-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. Travis Head and Dinesh Karthik’s valiant efforts weren’t enough to chase down SRH’s record total of 287/3, the highest in IPL history.

Finch highlighted the importance of hitting sixes in the T20 format, emphasizing the impact of boundaries on the game’s outcome. Heinrich Klaasen’s aggressive approach and Travis Head’s early momentum set the tone for SRH’s dominant batting performance.

RCB’s bowling unit lacked depth and experience, with the absence of a specialist spinner and Mohammed Siraj on the bench. The pace bowlers struggled to contain SRH’s onslaught, conceding 137 runs off just ten overs.

The match witnessed a record-breaking display of power-hitting, with Sunrisers and RCB collectively hitting 38 sixes. SRH’s 41 boundaries set a new benchmark for T20 batting excellence, showcasing their aggressive approach and intent throughout the innings.