Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
World gathers in full at U.N. after turbulent pandemic years
Russian President Vladimir Putin won't be there. But his invasion of Ukraine is expected to be a center-stage issue when more than 100 world leaders gather this month in New York for the biggest United Nations gathering since COVID-19 swept the globe in early 2020. Published September 10, 2022
‘Trump of the tropics’ in tough battle for second term in Brazil
Tension in South America's biggest country is once again on a knife-edge ahead of Brazil's Oct. 2 presidential election, with the political cage match between maverick populist President Jair Bolsonaro and former President and leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drawing comparisons to the bitter partisan divisions and chaotic aftermath of the 2020 presidential campaign in the United States. Published September 7, 2022
U.S. and South Korean forces wrap up biggest joint exercises in years
U.S. and South Korean military forces on Thursday concluded their most substantial "live-fire" joint exercises in years -- major drills featuring howitzer rounds slammed into a mountainside, swooping A-10 attack aircraft and Apache helicopters that Washington and Seoul had scaled back over the past half-decade for a range of reasons. Published September 1, 2022
Former Trump adviser Bolton says Biden’s concessions to Iran would border on treason
Former National Security Adviser John R. Bolton says President Biden could be making a "treasonous" deal with Iran if his administration offers guarantees that future U.S. presidents would be constrained from exiting a renewed nuclear accord with the Islamic republic. Published August 17, 2022
China, North Korea will ‘continuously test’ resolve of U.S.-South Korea alliance, ex-commander warns
North Korea and China will "continuously test the resolve" of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to the former commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, who described the 69-year-old partnership in remarks over the weekend as the "textbook" example of the vital role long-standing alliances play in maintaining America's strength as a global power. Published August 16, 2022
Pompeo says China’s Xi senses ‘weakness’ emanating from White House
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: The U.S. should give Taiwan "every tool" it needs to block a Chinese takeover, according to former Secretary of State and potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate Mike Pompeo, who says an "absence of resolve" in President Biden's foreign policy has invited aggression from adversaries around the world. Published August 14, 2022
U.S. says Bolton murder plot not enough to call off talks for new nuclear deal with Iran
The State Department on Thursday stood behind the effort to strike a new pact with Tehran to limit the country's nuclear weapons program, with a top diplomatic spokesperson telling reporters that Washington is prepared to "immediately" implement an agreement if Iran drops several of its demands. Published August 11, 2022
Unification Church pushes back against ‘abusive’ media reports in wake of Shinzo Abe assassination
The Unification Church spoke out Wednesday against what it called "biased news coverage" in Japan in the wake of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination, asserting that "abusive" reporting over the past month has included "hate speech" and "encourages religious discrimination." Published August 10, 2022
In the great Asian headcount, India about to steal a title from China
The Chinese government has been muted in its response to the United Nations' recent declaration that India -- Beijing's primary economic and military rival in the Indo-Pacific -- is on pace to surpass China next year as the world's most populous nation, a title that China has held for centuries. Published August 8, 2022
U.S. proposes swap Russian arms dealer to free Griner, Whelan in Moscow
The Biden administration has formally asked Moscow to make a deal aimed at bringing home WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom are imprisoned in Russia on dubious charges. Published July 27, 2022
Hungarian diplomat pushes talks for swift end to Russia-Ukraine war
Hungary's top diplomat is calling for immediate talks to end the war in Ukraine, asserting that "all wars end up in negotiations" and that the world should be focused on how to achieve peace by quickly bringing about a cessation of the nearly five-month-old conflict. Published July 22, 2022
Iranian dissidents rally this weekend in Albania as Washington-Tehran tensions surge
The world's biggest exiled Iranian dissident movement will hold its annual rally this weekend to call for regime change in Iran and to push the U.S. and Western nations to adopt a firmer policy rather than seek negotiations and diplomacy with Tehran. Published July 20, 2022
Biden comes up empty-handed in Saudi Arabia, but marshals region against Iran
President Biden's ended an arduous four-day visit to the Middle East over the weekend without a major success to appease his liberal base, which has criticized him for pandering to oil-rich autocrats and walking back a campaign pledge to make a pariah of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Published July 17, 2022
Iran lashes out at Biden, accuses him of stoking tensions
Iran's hardline Islamist government on Sunday accused President Biden of stoking "Iranophobia" and provoking regional tensions on his Middle East tour that wrapped up over the weekend after visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel. Published July 17, 2022
Iran-Russia alliance grows as Biden heads to Mideast amid rising threats
President Biden's Mideast trip risks getting upstaged by Vladimir Putin, who is headed to the region directly after Mr. Biden for meetings in Iran -- a move the Kremlin announced a day after the Biden administration accused Tehran of supplying drones to aid Russia's war in Ukraine. Published July 12, 2022
New twists in Japan assassination probe; Unification Church distances itself from Abe’s killing
Throngs of mourners streamed through a temple in Tokyo to pay respects to Japan's slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, as the widening investigation into his assassination at a campaign rally on Friday brought forth new questions about what may have motivated the accused killer. Published July 11, 2022
Delicate mission: Biden heads to Mideast, Saudi Arabia as global energy prices soar
As President Biden heads out on his first trip to the Middle East, officials say he plans to celebrate the Abraham Accords while also honoring the Saudis with a personal visit. Published July 10, 2022
China lashes out against ‘Asian version of NATO’
The decision by NATO leaders for the first time to highlight the global security threat posed by China has triggered outrage in Beijing, where the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday accused the Western military alliance of pushing a narrative that "distorts the truth" and "promotes confrontation" between the West and China. Published June 30, 2022
Signs of breakthrough in South Korea-Japan tensions on sidelines of NATO summit
Diplomatic friction between South Korea and Japan that threatens to undermine a strategic partnership with the U.S. appears to be easing after years of intense bickering between the two key American allies in Northeast Asia. Published June 29, 2022
Philippines’ Marcos set to toe careful line between U.S. and China
A presidential transfer of power this week in the Philippines could either enhance or undermine U.S. efforts to unify Asian democracies against China's expanding economic power and increasingly aggressive military activity. Published June 28, 2022