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Henry Meyer
For Henry Meyer's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 23, 2024
As Iran tensions ease, Israel turns sights back on Hamas and Rafah
The Israeli prime minister has pledged to "increase the military and diplomatic pressure” on Hamas, aiming to free hostages and declare victory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during the signing of the Rasht-Astara railway agreement in May 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024
New 'sanctions-proof' transport routes put Russia at heart of global trade
Shipping and rail networks via Iran and an Arctic sea passage could strengthen Moscow’s pivot toward China and India and away from Europe.
A vigil is held for Russian activist Alexei Navalny in Munich on Feb. 16.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
Prisoner swap deal for Alexei Navalny was in works when he died
The U.S. State Department said in early December it made a "new and significant” proposal to Russia, but Moscow had rejected the offer.
A Chinese J-10 jet fighter in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, in November 2014. Relations between Saudi Arabia and China have become closer in the energy industry and beyond. The two countries are working to expand cooperation in fields including aircraft, artificial intelligence and infrastructure.
WORLD
Feb 8, 2024
China grabs spotlight with major presence at Saudi weapons show
Exhibiting for the first time under a single brand, state companies displayed a range of weaponry, from drones to anti-aircraft and ballistic missiles.
A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in a photo released Nov. 20.
WORLD
Dec 23, 2023
U.S. says Red Sea patrol will be able to thwart Houthi attacks
The force will patrol "the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to respond to and assist as necessary commercial vessels,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
Israel's military operates in the Gaza Strip during a temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in this handout picture released on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 27, 2023
Pressure grows on Israel to prolong cease-fire in war with Hamas
The halt in fighting is "critically needed” for additional aid to get into the territory and for more captives to be freed, U.S. President Joe Biden said.
Israeli soldiers organize armored personnel  near the border with Lebanon on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 16, 2023
After Iran warning, Washington pushes to avert wider Israel war
The ramped-up moves come amid concerns that an invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces could prompt Iran to enter the conflict.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 14, 2023
As Iran emerges from isolation, Israel is feeling cornered
Jerusalem is issuing daily warnings and letting everyone know that it would not hesitate to act, even alone, if it felt enough of a threat from Iran.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 15, 2022
Russia pulls some troops back to base, but NATO remains cautious
Meanwhile, Russia's lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to appeal to Putin to recognize the separatist entities, potentially further complicating the conflict.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 4, 2022
Putin and Xi close ranks against the West on Ukraine and Taiwan
Putin and Xi said in a joint statement that China 'treats with understanding and supports” Russia's demand for binding security guarantees from the U.S. and NATO.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 4, 2022
U.S. catches Kremlin insider who may have secrets of 2016 hack
Extradited from Switzerland in December, Vladislav Klyushin has been accused of illegally making millions of dollars trading on hacked corporate-earnings information.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 11, 2021
Biden has bought time on Ukraine but Putin wants concessions
The Kremlin understands there's virtually no chance of NATO meeting the Russian president's demands. But just what Moscow might be willing to settle for remains unclear.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 26, 2021
Putin pushes confrontation with NATO as hard-liners prevail
The Russian president may not want to start a war, but he must show he's ready to fight to stop what he sees as an existential security threat.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 9, 2021
Russia moving more tanks near Ukraine border, intel firm says
Fighting has picked up at times in recent weeks between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 9, 2021
After hailing editor’s Nobel Prize, Kremlin extends media crackdown
Several media outlets have been branded 'foreign agents” under a Russian law that forces them to post the label on all news reports and meet strict financial disclosure rules.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 19, 2021
Putin’s boasts about COVID-19 situation in Russia are unraveling
Already among the pandemic's worst-hit countries, Russia is experiencing a resurgence of the deadly virus aided by the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta strain.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 17, 2021
Biden and Putin paper over splits as both claim summit victories
Putin got one thing he craved — legitimacy on the international stage. Biden argued he confronted Putin over cyberattacks and Russia's treatment of democracy activists.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 7, 2021
Putin’s once-scorned vaccine now favorite in pandemic fight
The Russian president may reap diplomatic dividends as the nation basks in arguably its biggest scientific breakthrough since the Soviet era.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 20, 2020
For some in Russia’s elite, Putin’s future is again a hot topic
The regular revival of speculation about the 68-year-old leader's future highlights how central Putin remains to the Russian state.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 20, 2020
U.S. hacking attack adds to Putin mystique, even if Russia faces pain
The storm over the cyberattack on U.S. government agencies only helps Putin's image at home as a strong leader unafraid to confront the former Cold War enemy.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores