While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 20, 2026
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A 2025 photo shows (from left) US President Donald Trump, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands.
PHOTO: REUTERS
US to shrink forces available to NATO during crisis
The Trump administration is planning to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the US would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Under a framework known as the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s member countries identify a pool of available forces that could be activated during a conflict or any other major crisis, such as a military attack on a NATO member.
While the precise composition of those wartime forces is a closely guarded secret, the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, said the sources, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.
US President Donald Trump has made clear he expects European countries to take over primary responsibility for the continent’s security from the US. The message to allies this week is a concrete sign of that policy being implemented.
Iran talks making ‘good progress’, says US V-P Vance
US Vice-President J.D. Vance said on May 19 that Iran talks are making good progress but Washington was “locked and loaded” to restart military operations if there is no deal.
Mr Vance’s comments came hours after President Donald Trump said he had come within an hour of ordering fresh strikes and gave Tehran “two or three days” to reach an agreement.
“A lot of good progress is being made, but we’re just going to keep on working at it, and eventually we’ll either hit a deal or we won’t,” Mr Vance told a briefing at the White House.
EU Parliament adopts higher tariffs on foreign steel
PHOTO: AFP
The European Parliament gave its final approval on May 19 to double tariffs on foreign steel in a bid to protect the EU’s beleaguered industry from cheap Chinese exports.
Lawmakers voted by 606 to 16 in favour of hiking levies on steel imports to 50 per cent and slashing the volume allowed in before tariffs apply by 47 per cent.
Under the new measures, which follow a proposal put forward by the European Commission in 2025, import tariff-free quotas will be reduced to 18.3 million tonnes a year – the total volume of steel the EU imported in 2013.
Norway reports Europe’s first case of bird flu in polar bear
PHOTO: RAHUL VERGHESE
Norwegian authorities on May 19 announced that avian influenza has been documented in a polar bear for the first time in Europe, in the Svalbard region in the Arctic.
The H5N5 variant of the virus was detected in samples taken from a male bear about one year old and a walrus found dead in mid-May on the icy archipelago, around 1,000km from the North Pole, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said.
“The results are part of a trend in which highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are increasingly being detected in mammals in Europe,” noted Dr Ragnhild Tonnessen, bird flu coordinator at the Veterinary Institute, quoted in a press release.
Arsenal crowned EPL champs for first time in 22 years
PHOTO: AFP
Arsenal ended their 22-year wait to win the Premier League title on May 19 when they were confirmed as champions following second-placed Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
Leaders for almost the entire season, Mikel Arteta’s side are now four points clear with one game remaining and their May 24 clash at Crystal Palace will now be a coronation.
Arsenal had beaten Burnley 1-0 on May 18, meaning City had to win on the south coast to extend the race to the final day.
