UK Unemployment Hits Five-Year High; US Strikes Drug Boats, Iran Talks Progress
LONDON - February 17, 2026 - Unemployment in the United Kingdom reached its highest level in nearly five years, while the United States military conducted strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats, and Iran and the US made progress in nuclear talks, according to multiple reports released Tuesday.
The UK's unemployment rate climbed to 5.2% in the three months leading up to December, up from 5.1% the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Young people were particularly affected, with unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 rising to 16.1%, the highest in over a decade, according to BBC Business. While wages continued to rise faster than prices, the growth rate slowed. Many businesses have slowed hiring, citing measures in recent budgets.
Simultaneously, US forces struck three alleged drug smuggling boats in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of 11 people, according to Sky News. US Southern Command stated that intelligence confirmed the vessels were "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations." Two vessels were hit in the eastern Pacific, each carrying four people, while a third boat in the Caribbean Sea, carrying three people, was also struck.
In Geneva, Switzerland, Iran and the United States held fresh talks on Tehran's nuclear capabilities, reaching an understanding on "guiding principles," according to Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, as reported by Sky News. Araghchi stated that while a full agreement may not be imminent, "the path has started." Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, described the talks as "constructive" and noted "good progress."
In other news, a Syrian government official acknowledged widespread escapes from the ISIS-linked al Hol camp in northeastern Syria, according to Sky News. The camp, which housed tens of thousands of women and children linked to ISIS, was largely emptied after the Syrian government took control in January.
In Libya, migrants face dire conditions, including torture, rape, and forced labor, according to a UN Human Rights Office report released Tuesday, as reported by Al Jazeera. Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees are reportedly being abducted and held until ransoms are paid.
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