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

In this week’s World Briefing Plus — recorded here in Thailand — I connect the dots on the explosive scam-center phenomenon I’ve been documenting all week.
Once concentrated in Myanmar’s lawless border zones, these criminal hubs have spread across Southeast Asia, defrauding victims worldwide of tens of billions. Yet banks and social-media giants remain complicitly silent, failing to protect the vulnerable.

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.

Meanwhile, Belgium may already be paying the price for blocking efforts to unfreeze billions in Russian assets that could strengthen Ukraine’s defence.

And finally, as World Briefing hits the road — next stop Qatar, then Africa for the G20 Summit — I make a heartfelt call for reader support to keep this independent reporting and commentary alive.

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