SOUTH KOREA: President Yoon Suk Yeol denied wrongdoing today in a burgeoning influence-peddling scandal that is severely hitting his approval ratings and providing political ammunition to his rivals.

The scandal centres around allegations that Mr Yoon exerted inappropriate influence on the conservative ruling People Power Party to pick a certain candidate to run for a parliamentary by-election in 2022 at the request of Myung Tae-kyun, an election broker and founder of a polling agency.

AUSTRALIA: The government announced today that it plans to institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance.

The legislation will be introduced in Parliament later this year and the age limit would take effect 12 months after the law is passed, Mr Albanese told reporters.

SPAIN: Authorities in Spain seized 13 tonnes of cocaine in a cargo container apparently filled with bananas, in what they called the biggest anti-narcotics operation in the country’s history.

Officials found bricks of drugs hidden behind the fruit on a vessel at the southern port of Algeciras in southern Spain, police said in a statement Wednesday. 

THAILAND: A court today found a Thai woman not guilty over involvement in a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured 120.

Wanna Suansan was one of three people charged with the blast at Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist destination, particularly for visitors from China.

The Bangkok Southern Criminal Court ruled that there was not enough evidence to link her to the bombing.