Mark S. Cogan

#Trump invites #MAGA to Mar-a-Lago: “You could even come to Mar-a-Lago...The problem is that for $5,000 the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert. I'm not even sure you could buy that...” www.youtube.com/shorts/NWyWi...

Holding back tears, Myanmar’s UN Ambassador delivered an emotional message at the UN: "We cannot afford to lose any more heroes or innocent civilians." Showing a scarf wiith the names of those killed since the 2021 coup, he called on the world to act. www.youtube.com/shorts/fXO2x...

At a campaign stop in the state of Mississippi, U.S President Donald #Trump joked about renaming the #AtlanticOcean the ‘American Ocean’. He said the U.S needs an ocean and a river to match the Lake and Gulf he has already rebranded. www.youtube.com/shorts/nXi8t...

Two days before #Israel’s general election, Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu posted an #AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud exploding over #TelAviv to highlight an "existential threat" from #Iran. www.youtube.com/shorts/WctRP...

#China's Communist Party (CCP) began a four-day meeting in #Beijing, setting the stage for significant leadership changes. The 20th Central Committee’s fifth plenum prioritizes anti-#corruption efforts, official oversight, and Party discipline. youtube.com/shorts/dh6nt...

Ahead of a pivotal #election in #Israel, thousands protested in against Benjamin #Netanyahu. Organized by the October Council, the demonstration demanded an independent commission of inquiry into the security failures, which Netanyahu refuses. www.youtube.com/shorts/etRM2...

#NorthKorea's #KimJongUn made a visit to the Chinese city of #Dandong, meeting with #China’s Wang Huning. The trip commemorated the anniversary of Chinese troops entering the Korean War. It also underscored efforts by both countries to strengthen their bilateral ties. youtube.com/shorts/OB0CD...

#Iran's state TV broadcast footage of an underground #drone factory. Iran has claimed production tripled despite #US airstrikes. The tour debuted the stealth #Arash3 drone, though analysts note the facility relies on components smuggled from #China. www.youtube.com/shorts/jZajE...

#NorthKorea has opened the New Yalu River Bridge to #China, following a new road to #Russia. #KimJongun is leveraging ties with both #Beijing and #Moscow for economic and military gains, while China and Russia increasingly bypass international #sanctions. www.youtube.com/shorts/wKrgi...

The International Criminal Court was awarded the 2026 #SakharovPrize for Freedom of Thought. Amid unprecedented sanctions, the Court emphasized that international #justice, #ruleoflaw, and global cooperation are essential for lasting #peace. www.youtube.com/shorts/I1n7M...

Tensions rise as #NorthKorea threatens to reactivate border #loudspeakers and warns of new measures, while #Seoul alerts the @UN to 1953 armistice violations. Experts note North Korea is moving to cement a "two hostile states" stance. www.youtube.com/shorts/kALO7...

In this clip, Dr. Yoichiro Sato of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University details #China's intensification of bullying in the #SouthChinaSea, seen in harassment of U.S, Vietnamese, and Filipino vessels, reflecting its Wolf Warrior #diplomacy. Watch the FULL interview at: youtube.com/watch?v=q84m...

New on the #AsiaPoliticalReview: Dr. Yoichiro Sato from Ritsumeikan University examines how maritime activity is reshaping security in the #SouthChinaSea, the blurred roles of #China’s Coast Guard and PLA, tensions with the #Philippines, and #Japan’s security assistance. youtu.be/q84mBX25Hdw

U.S President Donald #Trump stated at a South Carolina rally that the U.S could end its conflict with #Iran soon, aiming for a lasting outcome and ensuring Tehran never gets a #nuclearweapon. #energy #gasprices #iranwar youtube.com/shorts/TnQcT...

Social media rumors recently claimed #NorthKorea leader #KimJongUn had died from a #brainhemorrhage, a theory pushed without evidence by a U.S.-based Chinese dissident. However, North Korean state media soon released photos showing Kim alive and well on October 19. www.youtube.com/shorts/mBGP2...

U.S. President Donald #Trump snapped at White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg, branding him a "sick person" during a press gathering in the Oval Office. www.youtube.com/shorts/v35ji...

#China’s #economy grew 4.5% year-on-year in Q3, outperforming expectations and bringing January–September growth to 4.6%, aligning with #Beijing's annual target. www.youtube.com/shorts/w7Zhu...

#Japan has launched its historic Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission to collect rock samples from #Phobos, the largest moon of #Mars, and return them to Earth by 2031. www.youtube.com/shorts/knbAc...

Skepticism over #Tesla’s Roadster demo wiped $20 billion from #ElonMusk’s net worth, signaling a shift toward technology. This strategy cedes #Asia’s mass-market EV territory to #BYD and #Geely. www.youtube.com/shorts/z5kLE...

The #Philippines summoned the Chinese Ambassador over "provocative" remarks that #China could "easily win" a confrontation. Despite lawmakers demanding Ambassador Jing be declared persona non grata, #Marcos has preferred diplomatic dialogue. youtube.com/shorts/eSy_C...

In this short clip from an interview with Dr. Annette Skovsted Hansen of Aarhus University, the Japan historian and #ODA expert discusses how #Japan's foreign aid has evolved over time. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Boh...

New on the #AsiaPoliticalReview: Dr. Annette Skovsted Hansen of @aarhusuniint.bsky.social explains how #Japan and the #EU have competed and collaborated in #foreignaid, and how Japan’s networks and planning shape development across #Africa. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Boh...

In this short clip from an interview with Dr. Annette Skovsted Hansen of @au.dk, the #ODA expert discusses #Japan's foreign aid strategy in an era of uncertainty. How can Japan and the #EU take on a greater role—and where? Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Boh...

New on the #AsiaPoliticalReview: Dr. Annette Skovsted Hansen of @aarhusuniint.bsky.social explains how #Japan and the #EU have competed and collaborated in #foreignaid, and how Japan’s networks and planning shape development across #Africa. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Boh...

📖 Stockholm Paper: From Silk Cage to Silk Noose-II: The Bay of Bengal Nexus: China’s Corridor Statecraft from BCIM (CMBC) to the Indochina Peninsula, edited by Jagannath Panda and Tristan Eng www.isdp.eu/publication/... @markscogan.bsky.social

A second angle: Mount Kanlaon in the #Philippines erupts, sending ash high into the sky #volcano youtube.com/shorts/Fid7h...

Nobel Peace Prize laureate #NaviPillay visited the International Criminal Court (#ICC) in #TheHague to meet with staff. Pillay, who previously served as an ICC judge from 2003-2008, commended the court’s practitioners for their courage in fighting #impunity. youtube.com/shorts/wneXq...

At a rally over the weekend, #Trump suggested the #Atlantic or #PacificOcean could be renamed in his honor. “Before I get out, I think we should have an ocean,” Trump exclaimed. “We call it ‘Trump Ocean’ or ‘Ocean of the Americas,’ something like that.” youtu.be/TxY3q878vow

The #volcano eruption of Mt. #Kanlaon in the #Philippines sent a column of ash into the air, reaching around 6 km in height. youtube.com/shorts/sGAP-...

Authorities in #India locked down parts of New Delhi and detained over 2,000 #protesters, along with the founder of the youth-led "Cockroach" movement. #Protests were sparked by voter list revisions that critics argue unfairly favor PM #Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. youtu.be/CzMXiiNZ_tA

The International Criminal Court strongly rejected #US sanctions on the institution, calling them an assault on the rule of law. #ICC President Tomoko Akane affirmed the court will not be deterred from pursuing justice. www.youtube.com/shorts/VChOX...

On the 50th anniversary of the #Thammasat Massacre, I explain why the October 6 violence runs parallel to that of the 2004 #TakBai incident, as cultures of impunity remain intact. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP2Z... #6ตุลา #50ปี6ตุลา #6ตุลา2519 #เหตุการณ์6ตุลา

In this clip from an interview with @reaproy.bsky.social, a human rights expert, discusses the impact that #Trump's cuts to foreign aid, such as the cutting of #USAID has had on human rights and refugee protection in Southeast Asia. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

In this interview clip, @reaproy.bsky.social, a human rights expert, details the beginnings of the “Swap Mart” of transnational repression in #Thailand, which originated out of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister, Prawit Wongsuwon. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

South African jurist #NaviPillay made a joke at President Donald #Trump's expense after learning she had received the 2026 #NobelPeacePrize, noting "If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump." youtube.com/shorts/nHlYH...

In this interview clip, @reaproy.bsky.social, a human rights expert, details the beginnings of the “Swap Mart” of transnational repression in #Thailand, which originated out of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister, Prawit Wongsuwon. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

In this clip from an interview with @reaproy.bsky.social, a human rights expert, discusses the impact that #Trump's cuts to foreign aid, such as the cutting of #USAID has had on human rights and refugee protection in Southeast Asia. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

In the latest episode of the #AsiaPoliticalReview, #humanrights activist @reaproy.bsky.social breaks down how #transnationalrepression threatens dissidents and rights defenders across #SoutheastAsia and #Vietnam's emerging leadership in cross-border abductions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

And on the topic of transnational #repression, @hrw.org just published a new dispatch on the disappearance (or possible abduction) of a young #Lao activist in Samut Sakhon, #Thailand. Thanks to @calebquinley.bsky.social for bringing this to my attention! www.hrw.org/news/2026/10...

In the latest episode of the #AsiaPoliticalReview, #humanrights activist @reaproy.bsky.social breaks down how #transnationalrepression threatens dissidents and rights defenders across #SoutheastAsia and #Vietnam's emerging leadership in cross-border abductions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_U...

More hardship for the people of #Afghanistan. CNN has a story on "water bankruptcy". It's doubly sad that we've stopped talking about #climatechange. The severe consequences of #water scarcity will be felt in Central Asia and beyond. edition.cnn.com/2026/10/06/c...

On the 50th anniversary of the #Thammasat Massacre, I explain why the October 6 violence runs parallel to that of the 2004 #TakBai incident, as cultures of impunity remain intact. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP2Z... #6ตุลา #50ปี6ตุลา #6ตุลา2519 #เหตุการณ์6ตุลา

In this short clip, Dr. David Streckfuss, a #Thailand scholar talks about why everyday is #October6, where as long as cultures of impunity exist, truth, justice, reconciliation, and healing might fall short. Watch the FULL interview at: youtube.com/watch?v=yP2Z... #6ตุลา #6ตุลา2519

In a very special edition of the #AsiaPoliticalReview, Dr. David Streckfuss discusses the importance of the #Thammasat University Massacre on its 50th Anniversary and a new Isaan Record documentary, presented by Thai PBS. #50ปี6ตุลา #6ตุลา #6ตุลา2519 youtu.be/yP2Z-EaHF6c

My man looks like a human built by an old AI and then sold cheaply on Temu

In this full-length #AsiaPoliticalReview interview with Pravit Rojanaphruk, a columnist with #KhaosodEnglish based in #Bangkok, we discuss political corruption—evidenced in Prime Minister #Anutin's handout of 1,000 baht notes—and recent anti-#Israel sentiment. youtu.be/6QT3mcl2gVQ

Prices for 3,100+ #food items in #Japan are set to increase due to rising costs driven by the #Iran conflict and a weaker #yen. The price hikes affect #beverages, seasonings, and processed foods, pushing the total past 20,000 items for the second consecutive year. youtube.com/shorts/4-Ho3...

#SouthKorea has urged #Pyongyang to return to talks following a tense incident in the #DMZ. The call for #dialogue comes just a day after Seoul’s #military demanded an apology from #NorthKorea over a severe explosion inside the buffer zone. youtube.com/shorts/_aWHp...

In this clip from a recent interview with Dr. Christopher Ankersen of New York University, he suggests that we can look at #geopolitics as a kind of #technology, as it is invented or constructed as a way of solving problems. Watch the FULL interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfL6...