
South Korea's top court clears Samsung chairman Lee
The Supreme Court's verdict on Thursday permanently removes a long-running legal distraction for Lee as Samsung plays catch-up in a global race to develop cutting-edge AI chips.
The Supreme Court upheld an appeals court's ruling dismissing all the charges in the case involving the merger a decade ago between two Samsung affiliates, Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries, which prosecutors said was designed to cement Lee's control of the tech giant.
A lower court last year had also cleared Lee of the charges.
Samsung's lawyers said they were "sincerely grateful" to the court for its decision and added in a statement that the ruling confirmed that the merger was legal.
Samsung Electronics shares were little changed after the ruling, up 1.7 per cent.
The Supreme Court ruling was widely expected, but comes at a critical moment for Lee, who has faced mounting questions about his ability to lead Samsung Electronics - the world's top memory chip and smartphone maker - as it grapples with growing competition and playing catch-up in artificial intelligence chips.
For nearly a decade, Lee has faced legal challenges, including those from the merger that paved the way for his succession after his father, Lee Kun-hee, had a heart attack in 2014 that left him in a coma.

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9 News
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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
TV reality star trial over chopper crash delayed again
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Wright rose to fame starring in National Geographic's Outback Wrangler and Netflix series Wild Croc Territory. The trial of reality TV star Matt Wright on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice after a fatal outback helicopter crash has again been delayed. The February 2022 crash killed Wright's friend and Outback Wrangler TV show co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson, who was hanging from a sling under the chopper on a mission to collect crocodile eggs. A jury was set to be chosen on Thursday. But in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Wednesday, Acting Justice Allan Blow rescheduled the empanelment for August 5. It ensures the jury will be selected following a long weekend, with August 4 marking the Picnic Day public holiday in the territory. On Monday Wright pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, accused of tampering with evidence to cover up non-adherence to aircraft maintenance rules. 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But in the Supreme Court in Darwin on Wednesday, Acting Justice Allan Blow rescheduled the empanelment for August 5. It ensures the jury will be selected following a long weekend, with August 4 marking the Picnic Day public holiday in the territory. On Monday Wright pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, accused of tampering with evidence to cover up non-adherence to aircraft maintenance rules. The trial is expected to take up to four weeks and hear from about 25 witnesses. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the crash near the King River in Arnhem Land found the chopper's engine stopped mid-flight because of a lack of fuel. The crash into a paperbark swamp killed Mr Wilson, 34, and critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson, 28. The charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice carries a maximum 15-year jail term in the NT. Wright rose to fame starring in National Geographic's Outback Wrangler and Netflix series Wild Croc Territory.


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9 hours ago
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Erin Patterson's Leongatha house can't be sold after court put restraining order on its sale
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