UK Unemployment Hits Five-Year High, While Other Global Issues Emerge
London, UK - February 18, 2026 - The UK's unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in nearly five years, reaching 5.2% at the end of 2025, according to official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This rise, up from 5.1% in the previous three months, is particularly concerning for young people, with unemployment among those aged 16 to 24 soaring to 16.1%, the highest in over a decade. While wages continue to rise faster than prices, the growth rate is slowing, and many businesses have slowed hiring.
The increase in unemployment comes as the UK government's policy of freezing tax thresholds, extended in its Autumn Budget, is set to impact taxpayers. This policy, which will remain in place until 2031, could lead to individuals paying more tax on rising salaries. According to BBC data journalists, wages have been rising faster than prices for the last two-and-a-half years, the longest stretch since the 2008 financial crisis.
In other news, Royal Mail is facing scrutiny over allegations of prioritizing parcel deliveries over letters. The Business and Trade Committee of MPs has given the company two weeks to respond to claims, reported by the BBC, that this prioritization is causing delays across the postal network. Hundreds of people contacted the BBC to report that parcels were being prioritized while letters were being stored for batch delivery. Royal Mail stated it would respond to the MPs in detail and understood the frustration of delayed mail.
Elsewhere, in Mexico, the number of disappearances has surged by 200% over the past decade. More than 130,000 people are considered missing or disappeared, as drug cartels continue to expand their operations.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers have forced 15 Palestinian families to dismantle their homes and leave the northern Jordan Valley, according to a local official. Mahdi Daraghmeh, head of the al-Malih Village Council, told the Wafa news agency that the families began dismantling their homes amid intensifying assaults by settlers.
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