This is the world in brief from The Economist.

Our top stories. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, and America's highest-ranking Jewish politician,

called on Israel to hold fresh elections.

Mr. Schumer said that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu,

Israel's prime minister,

tolerates too many civilian deaths in Gaza

and no longer fits the needs of Israel.

He added that the country cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.

President Joe Biden is also exasperated with Mr. Netanyahu,

who he recently said was hurting Israel more than helping it,

but has not called for Israel's leader to be replaced.

Joe Biden said he opposed a proposed takeover of US steel by Nippon Steel.

In December, Japan's biggest steelmaker agreed to buy the American company in a deal worth

nearly 15 billion dollars.

But the agreement met fierce criticism

from unions and politicians, partly on national security grounds.

Donald Trump, Mr. Biden's rival in the presidential election, said he would block it instantaneously.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary General, rebuked the Alliance's members for

quote not providing Ukraine with enough ammunition, end quote.

But speaking at the presentation of NATO's annual report, Mr Stoltenberg also noted that

two-thirds of member states would now meet the Alliance's defense spending

target of 2% of GDP this year. Roughly a third of members were thought to meet the

...