Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government (Haaretz) before his mandate to do so expired yesterday, prolonging an unprecedented period of political gridlock and potentially ending his tenure as Israel’s longest-serving leader.

President Reuven Rivlin is consulting with leaders of other parties and could give a rival lawmaker a chance to form a coalition or allow the Knesset to choose its own leader. Yair Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, is seen as a front-runner (TOI) for a new mandate. Naftali Bennett, who leads the right-wing Yamina party, is also in the running. If those options fail, the country will be forced to hold its fifth election (AP) in a little over two years. Netanyahu, who is on trial for charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, will stay on as caretaker prime minister.

The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea met for the first time (Kyodo) in more than a year today in London in an effort to improve relations soured by the countries’ wartime history and Japan’s decision to release treated radioactive water into the sea. South Korea said the countries agreed to a “future-oriented” approach (Yonhap) to their relationship. 

China/India: India’s telecommunications ministry will not allow China’s Huawei and ZTE (BBC) to carry out 5G trials in the country. Several countries, including the United States, have moved to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks due to security concerns. 

CFR’s David Sacks explains how the United States should respond to Huawei. 

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he will meet virtually, not in person, with diplomats at the Group of Seven (G7) ministerial gathering in London today because he was possibly exposed to COVID-19 (AP). India is not a member of the G7 but was invited as a guest.

Kyrgyzstan: President Sadyr Japarov signed into law (RFE/RL) constitutional amendments that were approved in a referendum last month. The amendments reduce the size of parliament and allow the president to appoint judges and law enforcement heads. Opponents criticized the move as a power grab.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman spoke by phone (Al Jazeera) for the second time in less than a month as Turkey seeks to improve relations damaged after Saudi assassins in Istanbul murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. An unofficial Saudi boycott of Turkish goods has caused a steep drop-off in trade between the countries.

President Muhammadu Buhari, under fire for Nigeria’s growing insecurity, accused unspecified former political leaders of plotting to overthrow him (Guardian). In a statement, the military said it has no plans to seize power and that it will defend democracy. 

Eritrea/Sudan: Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki is in Khartoum (Al Jazeera) for two days of talks with Sudanese officials. His visit comes amid a border dispute between Ethiopia, a close ally of Eritrea, and Sudan that has strained relations.

The European Commission said Chinese sanctions on European Union officials have led it to scale back efforts (Politico) to ratify an investment agreement reached last year between China and the EU. A legal review of the deal is still underway. China imposed the penalties after the EU sanctioned Chinese officials for the repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. 

France: The National Assembly approved a climate bill (WSJ) backed by President Emmanuel Macron that opponents have criticized as insufficient for meeting the country’s emissions targets. Among other provisions, the bill would ban most short-haul flights when train travel is an option. The bill will be reconciled with a Senate version before it becomes law.

Former Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta told a panel investigating President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic that Bolsonaro tried to have guidance for the antimalarial drug chloroquine changed by decree (MercoPress) so it could be used on COVID-19 patients, despite a lack of evidence about its efficacy. Mandetta said Bolsonaro’s advisors opposed the health ministry’s recommendations. 

Argentina: The Supreme Court ruled in favor (Buenos Aires Times) of the city government of Buenos Aires in its dispute with the national government over school reopenings. President Alberto Fernandez ordered schools to stop in-person classes in April due to a wave of COVID-19 cases, but the court said the power to make that decision lies with local governments.

An independent board set up by Facebook is expected to announce a decision (NPR) today on the company’s suspension of former President Donald Trump that was imposed after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump, who is banned by both Facebook and Twitter, yesterday launched a blog-like platform (Guardian) on his website.

This In Brief looks at how countries regulate social media.

Nearly twenty million more people faced food crises (Reuters) last year compared to 2019 due to violence, extreme weather, and the pandemic, according to a report by the Global Network Against Food Crises, a group set up by the EU and United Nations in 2016. According to the report, at least 155 million people faced acute food insecurity, the highest level in five years.

This photo essay examines rising food insecurity.