Former Tennis Champion Becker Jailed in UK Bankruptcy Case

Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (not pictured) at Southwark Crown Court to face sentencing after being found guilty of four charges earlier this month, in London, Britain, April 29, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley
Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (not pictured) at Southwark Crown Court to face sentencing after being found guilty of four charges earlier this month, in London, Britain, April 29, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley
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Former Tennis Champion Becker Jailed in UK Bankruptcy Case

Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (not pictured) at Southwark Crown Court to face sentencing after being found guilty of four charges earlier this month, in London, Britain, April 29, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley
Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (not pictured) at Southwark Crown Court to face sentencing after being found guilty of four charges earlier this month, in London, Britain, April 29, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley

German tennis great Boris Becker was jailed for two years and six months by a London court on Friday for hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds of assets after he was declared bankrupt.

Becker was convicted earlier this month of four charges under Britain's Insolvency Act, including failing to disclose, concealing and removing significant assets following a bankruptcy trial.

The 54-year-old six-times Grand Slam champion was found guilty of transferring money to his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharlely after his 2017 bankruptcy.

"It is notable you have not shown remorse or acceptance of your guilt," judge Deborah Taylor told him as she sentenced him at London's Southwark Crown Court.

"While I accept the humiliation you have felt as a result of these proceedings, you have shown no humility."

She said Becker would serve half his sentence behind bars and the remainder on license. Becker, whose partner Lillian and son Noah were in court, looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.

He was previously convicted of tax evasion in Germany in 2002, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.



Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
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Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)

The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will sit on the ground during the day and rise again every evening.

Paris Olympics organizers said that from Saturday, the cauldron attached to a balloon will fly more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries gardens near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum from sunset until 2 a.m.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron, which is the first in Olympic history to light up without the use of fossil fuels.

Organizers said the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.”