Michael Bociurkiw
@michaelbociurkiw.bsky.social
New York Times-published OpEd writer. Global affairs analyst. Author. Sr Fellow - Atlantic Council. Former spox at OSCE & UNICEF. Founder - World Briefing report on Substack
A dark period for Ukraine - in more ways than one. Even as Russian attacks cripple Ukraine’s energy grid, a sweeping corruption scandal is sending political shockwaves through Kyiv. Prosecutors allege multimillion-dollar kickbacks were arranged to protect energy facilities under fire….
A Dark Shadow of Corruption Falls Over a Darkened Ukraine
As Russian missiles plunge cities into darkness, Operation Midas exposes a network of kickbacks reaching deep into President Zelensky’s inner circle — threatening to erode trust at home and abroad
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:07 AM
A dark period for Ukraine - in more ways than one. Even as Russian attacks cripple Ukraine’s energy grid, a sweeping corruption scandal is sending political shockwaves through Kyiv. Prosecutors allege multimillion-dollar kickbacks were arranged to protect energy facilities under fire….
Ukraine's energy and justice ministers have resigned in the wake of a major investigation into corruption in the country's energy sector.
Major corruption scandal engulfs top Zelensky allies
The Ukrainian president has called for the justice and energy ministers to be removed from their posts.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Ukraine's energy and justice ministers have resigned in the wake of a major investigation into corruption in the country's energy sector.
World Briefing: Thailand Edition - “Together, these flashpoints expose how the ‘peace’ Trump once boasted of brokering — from South Asia to the Middle East — is teetering under the weight of reality.”
Trump’s “Peace” Teetering: Explosions, Blackouts & Border Blasts Shake the World
From Islamabad to Ukraine to Indochina to Gaza, the conflicts Donald Trump claimed to have ended are reigniting — exposing just how thin the fabric of global stability has become
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:00 AM
World Briefing: Thailand Edition - “Together, these flashpoints expose how the ‘peace’ Trump once boasted of brokering — from South Asia to the Middle East — is teetering under the weight of reality.”
Power outages triggered by Russia targeting of critical infrastructure in #Ukraine pummeling the economy. In some regions of Odesa there will be more hours of the day without power than with - 13 1/2 hours.
November 12, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Power outages triggered by Russia targeting of critical infrastructure in #Ukraine pummeling the economy. In some regions of Odesa there will be more hours of the day without power than with - 13 1/2 hours.
The Americas has lost its prized measles elimination status, @who.int confirmed, after more than a year of sustained outbreaks in Canada. In means the entire region — from the Canadian Arctic to Argentina — can no longer claim to be measles-free
Oh Canada! You Just Cost the Americas Its Coveted Measles-Free Status
After a year of outbreaks Canada has cost the Americas measles-free status - a preventable reversal fueled by vaccine hesitancy & disinformation. "Put simply an extremely sad day for public health"
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:40 PM
The Americas has lost its prized measles elimination status, @who.int confirmed, after more than a year of sustained outbreaks in Canada. In means the entire region — from the Canadian Arctic to Argentina — can no longer claim to be measles-free
From Gulfstreams over Lisbon to data farms in New Jersey, our digital revolution is deepening the climate divide - between those who can fly above the storm and those who must weather it #websummit #cop #cop30
While the Tech Bros Party, the Planet Boils: Climate Change Has Never Looked so First Class
Private jets stack up over Lisbon, data farms drain cities dry, and nearly a million flee a monster typhoon in the Philippines
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:47 AM
From Gulfstreams over Lisbon to data farms in New Jersey, our digital revolution is deepening the climate divide - between those who can fly above the storm and those who must weather it #websummit #cop #cop30
A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that media reports about Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov falling out of favor “are completely untrue.”
Kremlin denies growing rumors of Sergey Lavrov’s ouster
“Completely untrue,” insists Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, as chatter builds about the veteran foreign minister.
www.politico.eu
November 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that media reports about Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov falling out of favor “are completely untrue.”
World Briefing Plus: I also examine the growing Russian presence in Thailand, the new exodus of Ukrainian men aged 18–22 following loosened wartime rules, and the PR crisis now facing Kyiv as President Zelensky’s democratic credentials come under scrutiny….
From Bangkok to Brussels: Scam Empires, Russian Shadows, and Ukraine’s Rough Week
This World Briefing Plus video travels from Southeast Asia’s dark underbelly to Europe’s shifting frontlines - exposing online scam syndicates, Russia’s growing reach & Ukraine’s political headaches
open.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
World Briefing Plus: I also examine the growing Russian presence in Thailand, the new exodus of Ukrainian men aged 18–22 following loosened wartime rules, and the PR crisis now facing Kyiv as President Zelensky’s democratic credentials come under scrutiny….
Angelina Jolie’s Driver in Ukraine Is Taken Away for the Draft: not the PR Kyiv would’ve wished from this high-profile visit but reflects the reality of life on the ground in #Ukraine
Angelina Jolie’s Driver in Ukraine Is Taken Away for the Draft
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Angelina Jolie’s Driver in Ukraine Is Taken Away for the Draft: not the PR Kyiv would’ve wished from this high-profile visit but reflects the reality of life on the ground in #Ukraine
Trump Bully Diplomacy Meets a Burning Planet: As US envoys strong-arm smaller nations to block UN pollution pact, world leaders in Brazil denounce his climate denialism - exposing a superpower willing to scorch alliances as easily as the atmosphere #COP30
Trump's Bully Diplomacy Meets a Burning Planet
As Trump pressures smaller nations to block a pollution pact, leaders in Brazil denounce his climate denialism - exposing a superpower willing to scorch alliances as easily as the as the atmosphere
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Trump Bully Diplomacy Meets a Burning Planet: As US envoys strong-arm smaller nations to block UN pollution pact, world leaders in Brazil denounce his climate denialism - exposing a superpower willing to scorch alliances as easily as the atmosphere #COP30
The embattled Thai host of #MissUniverse had quite the rap sheet well before the ongoing pageant here in Bangkok. His insulting treatment of Miss Mexico and other contestants shouldn’t have come as a surprise youtu.be/i8kOAxV-JtE?...
Miss Universe Meltdown in Bangkok | Contestants Walk Out After Miss Mexico Is Berated
YouTube video by MICHAEL BOCIURKIW
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The embattled Thai host of #MissUniverse had quite the rap sheet well before the ongoing pageant here in Bangkok. His insulting treatment of Miss Mexico and other contestants shouldn’t have come as a surprise youtu.be/i8kOAxV-JtE?...
As I said on CNN, Belgium & EU leaders can act now in a relatively painless — administratively complex but politically manageable way - & release frozen Russian assets. Or wait until Russian mischief escalates to where they are forced to pay more later, in the form of bomb shelters in kindergartens
Belgium Blocks Ukraine’s Reparations Loan — Then Gets a Taste of Hybrid War
Brussels balks at handing over frozen Russian assets even as suspected Kremlin drones shut down its skies.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
As I said on CNN, Belgium & EU leaders can act now in a relatively painless — administratively complex but politically manageable way - & release frozen Russian assets. Or wait until Russian mischief escalates to where they are forced to pay more later, in the form of bomb shelters in kindergartens
A week of flight & fight. In Myanmar, trafficked workers fled one scam center only to be re-recruited at another. In America, voters turned out in force to send a message that the Trump-era grip on Republicans is slipping. Different corners of the world, same storylines of power shifting hands
Scammers Flee, Democrats Sweep
Raids on Myanmar’s cyber-fraud empire send workers scrambling for new gigs, while voters across the U.S. hand Democrats decisive victories — and Trump another warning shot
open.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A week of flight & fight. In Myanmar, trafficked workers fled one scam center only to be re-recruited at another. In America, voters turned out in force to send a message that the Trump-era grip on Republicans is slipping. Different corners of the world, same storylines of power shifting hands
Tonight was a referendum on the economic policies of the Republican Party
November 5, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Tonight was a referendum on the economic policies of the Republican Party
Singapore has signaled it’s had enough with scammers. A sweeping new law extends its famously tough corporal-punishment regime to cyber-criminals and scam recruiters — a stark reminder of how digital fraud has become the region’s fastest-growing crime wave
Singapore Raises the Stick in the War on Scammers
The city-state is toughening penalties for cyber-fraud — extending corporal punishment to those behind billion-dollar scams — as Southeast Asia wages an escalating battle against digital crime.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Singapore has signaled it’s had enough with scammers. A sweeping new law extends its famously tough corporal-punishment regime to cyber-criminals and scam recruiters — a stark reminder of how digital fraud has become the region’s fastest-growing crime wave
Enslaved in the Cyber Age: Trapped Inside Southeast Asia’s Scam Compounds - From Myanmar’s war zones to Thailand’s borders, a vast network of scam centers is raking in billions — exploiting human misery, weak governance, and digital impunity
Link: open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Link: open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
November 4, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Enslaved in the Cyber Age: Trapped Inside Southeast Asia’s Scam Compounds - From Myanmar’s war zones to Thailand’s borders, a vast network of scam centers is raking in billions — exploiting human misery, weak governance, and digital impunity
Link: open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Link: open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Mark Carney was elected as prime minister to stand up for Canada 🇨🇦 - not to placate a tantrum-prone American president. His contrition feeds an old stereotype — that Canadians apologize too much, even when we’ve done nothing wrong
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Mark Carney Caves — and Canada Says Sorry (Again)
Mark Carney’s apology for a Reagan-inspired ad wasn’t diplomacy — it was capitulation. And Canadians will remember this 'elbows down' move
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Mark Carney was elected as prime minister to stand up for Canada 🇨🇦 - not to placate a tantrum-prone American president. His contrition feeds an old stereotype — that Canadians apologize too much, even when we’ve done nothing wrong
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
World Briefing Plus: Today, I’m coming to you from Asia, where the ASEAN and APEC summits have just wrapped up. Where Donald Trump’s grandstanding and shakedown diplomacy left leaders and diplomats scrambling to make sense of his latest brand of “peacemaking.”
World Briefing Plus: Trump’s 'Peace Tour,' Royal Reckonings, and Southeast Asia’s Scam Economy
My exclusive dispatch from Asia separates optics from reality and signals where the story heads next
open.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
World Briefing Plus: Today, I’m coming to you from Asia, where the ASEAN and APEC summits have just wrapped up. Where Donald Trump’s grandstanding and shakedown diplomacy left leaders and diplomats scrambling to make sense of his latest brand of “peacemaking.”
The King has decided to strip Andrew of his “prince” title and that he can no longer live in his Royal Lodge home at Windsor. This morning, he has officially lost his Duke of York title - after a “creative” choice by the King
King Presses 'Nuclear Button': Prince No More, Duke No More, Mansion No More
King Charles strips Prince Andrew of all titles and his Windsor residence — a final, unprecedented act of royal reckoning that leaves the Duke of York without title, status, or the huge sanctuary
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:32 PM
The King has decided to strip Andrew of his “prince” title and that he can no longer live in his Royal Lodge home at Windsor. This morning, he has officially lost his Duke of York title - after a “creative” choice by the King
Beijing’s studied calm contrasted sharply with Trump’s eagerness to declare success. It brought to mind a saying — not truly Chinese, though it feels as if it could be: “You may have the watches, but we have the time.” Few maxims better capture the long game China continues to play….
🕰 Trump Has the Watches. Beijing Has the Time
Behind the smiles in South Korea: no new deals, muted Chinese optics, and a U.S. president racing to claim victory as the clock quietly ticks Beijing’s way.
open.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Beijing’s studied calm contrasted sharply with Trump’s eagerness to declare success. It brought to mind a saying — not truly Chinese, though it feels as if it could be: “You may have the watches, but we have the time.” Few maxims better capture the long game China continues to play….
World Briefing - Europe Edition: France has become a hot spot in Russia’s hybrid war against Europe, as Moscow seeks to undermine one of Kyiv’s most powerful backers by aggravating its political and social tensions. Plus - more on the fragile Gaza ceasefire
Gaza Burns. Trump Shrugs. Qatar Voices Concern
After Israeli strikes kill over 100, including 35 children, Trump maintains “nothing will jeopardize” the ceasefire while Qatar warns that renewed violence threatens the fragile peace framework.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:44 PM
World Briefing - Europe Edition: France has become a hot spot in Russia’s hybrid war against Europe, as Moscow seeks to undermine one of Kyiv’s most powerful backers by aggravating its political and social tensions. Plus - more on the fragile Gaza ceasefire
Maritime Mutual - a small insurer headquartered in New Zealand, backstopped by some of the world’s biggest reinsurance firms - has helped in the trade of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil by providing vessels skirting Western sanctions with the insurance they need to enter ports
The World’s Most Powerful Storm — Ever!
As Jamaica braces for a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane named Melissa, the rest of the world watches a preview of the climate chaos to come.
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Maritime Mutual - a small insurer headquartered in New Zealand, backstopped by some of the world’s biggest reinsurance firms - has helped in the trade of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil by providing vessels skirting Western sanctions with the insurance they need to enter ports
Beyond swirling winds & storm surge lies a quieter disaster: the displacement of millions. As global leaders bicker, the number of climate refugees set to swell to 1.2bm by 2050. I connect the dots between #Melissa’s devastation, rising seas & a political class still pretending the tide isn’t rising
The World’s Most Powerful Storm — Ever!
As Jamaica braces for a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane named Melissa, the rest of the world watches a preview of the climate chaos to come.
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Beyond swirling winds & storm surge lies a quieter disaster: the displacement of millions. As global leaders bicker, the number of climate refugees set to swell to 1.2bm by 2050. I connect the dots between #Melissa’s devastation, rising seas & a political class still pretending the tide isn’t rising
Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Hits the Real World: Jordan’s King warns no country will risk “enforcing peace” in Gaza, Israel vetoes Turkish troops, and the Palestinian economy collapses under war’s weight — raising the question: who will actually police Trump’s ceasefire?
Gaza Peace Plan Hits the Real World
Jordan’s King warns no country will risk “enforcing peace” in Gaza, Israel vetoes Turkish troops, and the Palestinian economy collapses under war’s weight. Who will actually police Gaza?
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Hits the Real World: Jordan’s King warns no country will risk “enforcing peace” in Gaza, Israel vetoes Turkish troops, and the Palestinian economy collapses under war’s weight — raising the question: who will actually police Trump’s ceasefire?
Showman-in-Chief Steals the #ASEAN Spotlight: Donald Trump turns a modest ceasefire into a made-for-TV “peace deal,” choreographing his own diplomatic pageant as Southeast Asia quietly moves on with deeper integration
Showman-in-Chief Steals the ASEAN Spotlight
Trump turns a modest ceasefire into a made-for-TV “peace deal,” choreographing his own diplomatic pageant as Southeast Asia shrugs and quietly moves on with deeper integration.
open.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Showman-in-Chief Steals the #ASEAN Spotlight: Donald Trump turns a modest ceasefire into a made-for-TV “peace deal,” choreographing his own diplomatic pageant as Southeast Asia quietly moves on with deeper integration