1. A Long-Awaited Official Reckoning After weeks of feverish speculation, public outrage, and a relentless storm of online accusations, a measure of clarity has finally arrived. Gold Medalist, the agency representing actor Kim Soo-hyun, has issued a formal notice confirming that the authorities have concluded their investigation into the allegations that Kim Soo-hyun once dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. According to the agency, the case was not referred for prosecution because the claims “could not be substantiated.” This is not merely a legal technicality; it is a decisive moment in a saga that has…

Let’s be honest: most of us in the UK don’t think twice about what it means to live in a democracy. We grumble about politicians, roll our eyes at party scandals, and assume that elections, courts and the rule of law will always be there. It’s a comfortable assumption, reinforced by the fact that, as the Bayeux Tapestry reminds us, nobody has successfully invaded this island since 1066. Spend a few days in Lithuania, though, and that complacency starts to crack. I was in Vilnius last week as a guest of cybersecurity company Surfshark, attending #Disinfo2026, a conference dedicated to…