A 50-year-old man was on Friday given a 20-month suspended sentence for blackmailing a German priest with nude photos.

During the trial at Augsburg District Court in the southern state of Bavaria, the defendant, who had no previous convictions, admitted to all charges.

According to the indictment, he sent nude photos downloaded from an internet platform hosting homosexual content, as well as a photo showing the priest, to the theologian at the end of 2022.

He threatened to give the photos to television stations and publish them in the priest’s parish, and demanded the priest send him 50,000 euros (56,600 U.S. dollars).

Later, the defendant also sent an email with the nude photos to the priest’s parish office.

The priest did not respond to either attempt or contact but reported the matter to the police.

The defendant was charged with attempted extortion and sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.

The sentence was suspended on probation.

The man must also pay 800 euros.

The verdict is not yet final. (dpa/NAN)

The United States says it will begin revoking visas of Chinese students and tighten screening for future applicants from China and Hong Kong, the US State Department said on Thursday.

“The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media platform X.

In a press release, the State Department stated that it would also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.

It was not immediately clear how many students currently in the United States would be affected or whether any exemptions would apply.

According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), about 277,000 Chinese students were enrolled at U.S. universities during the 2023-2024 academic years, making them the second-largest group of international students after those from India.

The U.S. already applies strict visa rules for Chinese nationals in certain academic disciplines, particularly in science and technology.

China’s Foreign Office said it filed a complaint against the unjustified step.

Washington’s discriminatory actions expose the lie of freedom and openness that the U.S. has always boasted about, said spokeswoman Mao Ning in Beijing.

The new measures come amid reports that the State Department has halted new visa interviews for international students and exchange visitors while it reviews screening procedures, including expanded checks on social media activity.

The pause reportedly affects F, M and J visa categories, including those for students, interns and au pairs, with further instructions expected in the coming days.

However, relations between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated further since U.S President Donald Trump took office in January.

The two economic powers are engaged in a deepening trade dispute and competing for global influence across multiple fronts.(dpa/NAN)

A South Korean Navy patrol plane with four people on board crashed on a mountain in Pohang, a city in the south-eastern part of the country.

The Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing authorities.

The crash happened at 1:50 pm (0450 GMT).

According to the report, witnesses said smoke was seen rising from the mountain.

The bodies of all four people aboard the plane have since been recovered, Yonhap reported.

The navy, in a short statement to reporters, said the crash occurred after the aircraft took off for a training exercise, but crashed due to unidentified reasons.

The navy said that it is investigating further details.

Fire workers were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze.(dpa/NAN)