A Seoul court rejected an arrest warrant sought for Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group's vice leader.
South Korean prosecutors accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($A48.7 million) to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is at the centre of the scandal.
On the other hand, the formal UN chief Ban Ki-moon is being pummeled by embarrassing headlines and critics over a series of alleged mistakes.
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