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The Schreiber family, presiding over a nationwide commercial portfolio via the Midos Group, is at the center of a growing controversy involving two distinct business models: aggressive tax avoidance and the profiteering from the UK's housing crisis. The Dual Nature of the Schreiber Business Empire The investigation reveals a complex web of family-owned entities that appear to operate on opposite ends of the social spectrum. On one side, the Midos Group is accused of exploiting a controversial tax scheme to avoid business rates on empty commercial properties. On the other, a similarly named but ostensibly separate entity, Midos Management Co, is profiting from the UK's chronic shortage of social housing by arranging temporary accommodation for homeless residents. Midos Group: Accused of using the 'faith room' scheme to avoid rates on empty units. Midos Management Co: Collecting fees for arranging temporary accommodation for councils. Key Figures: David Schreiber (Midos Group) and Elizabeth Endzweig (Midos Management Co). Financial Impact of the 'Faith Room' Tax Loophole The core of the tax avoidance allegations centers on a provision that exempts property owners from paying business rates if the space is made available for religious worship. The 'faith room' scheme, marketed by Verity, allegedly involves minimal activity—such as placing a notice and a staff member reading scripture—to create the appearance of worship. Total Savings: Landlords have saved at least £18m through this scheme. Specific Case: Dover District Council is suing for £1.7m of unpaid tax. Properties Involved: Discovery Park in Kent and a disused pub in Clapham, London. Profiting from the Homelessness Crisis While the family allegedly avoids taxes on empty buildings, they are simultaneously capitalizing on the housing emergency. Midos Management Co acts as an intermediary, matching councils with private landlords to house homeless residents. Despite claims of separation, evidence suggests significant overlap between the two entities. Revenue Collected: At least £43m collected on behalf of landlords since 2019. Client Base: Lambeth council and at least four other councils. Directorship Overlap: Elizabeth Endzweig, daughter of David Schreiber, is a co-director of multiple companies sharing the same address as Midos Group. The Future of UK Property Tax Compliance The revelations highlight a growing tension between private profit and public service obligations. With MPs and councils increasingly scrutinizing these arrangements, the 'faith room' exemption is likely to face tighter regulatory oversight. The case sets a precedent for how closely connected family businesses can be without violating anti-avoidance rules, potentially leading to stricter audits of corporate structures in the property sector.

Sky announced it will exit its 24‑hour Arabic news joint venture with the United Arab Emirates, Sky News Arabia, following intense criticism over the channel’s coverage of the Sudan war and accusations of genocide denial. Under a new commercial agreement, Sky will give up all strategic and operational control but will continue to license the Sky News brand to the outlet. Strategic Withdrawal and New Licensing Arrangement The exit sees Sky handing over full ownership to IMI, the investment vehicle controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al‑Nahyan, UAE vice‑president and Manchester City owner. In a statement, David Rhodes, executive chairman of Sky News Group, said the partnership had built a significant regional presence and that the timing was right for a change. IMI will now steer the platform’s future, while Sky secures a multi‑year brand‑licensing deal that lets the channel retain the Sky News Arabia name. Timeline of Sky News Arabia’s Decade‑Long Presence 2010: Channel launched in Abu Dhabi as a rival to Al‑Jazeera and BBC Arabic. 2012: Joint venture began broadcasting across the Middle East and North Africa. November 2025: Sudanese government banned the channel after a report claimed stability in El Fasher. February 2026: UN fact‑finding mission identified “hallmarks of genocide” in the RSF siege of El Fasher. May 2026: Sky announces exit and new licensing deal. Reputational and Regional Implications of the Sudan Coverage Controversy Internal Sky executives grew uneasy about the editorial line taken by Sky News Arabia, which was accused of whitewashing atrocities committed by the UAE‑backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Specific concerns included a report that downplayed the humanitarian crisis and the fact that the channel’s reporter in El Fasher was married to a senior RSF official. The controversy prompted Sudan to ban the channel and heightened scrutiny of the venture’s credibility across the Arab world. Future Outlook for Sky’s Middle‑East Footprint Nakhle ElHage, chief transformation officer at IMI, said the next phase will focus on building the platform into the leading multi‑media news destination for the Arab world. For Sky, the move mirrors a similar decision in Australia, where a licensing agreement for the Sky News brand is ending and the channel will rebrand as News24. The brand‑licensing arrangement allows Sky to maintain a presence without direct editorial responsibility, while IMI gains full control to shape content and investment strategy.

The Escalating Conflict in Southern Lebanon Israel has ordered the forced displacement of all residents living south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon as it expands its invasion of the country before a possible assault on the city of Nabatieh. Displacement Orders and Military Advances In a post on the social media platform X on Sunday, Israeli military Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee instructed residents to move immediately north of the Zahrani River, warning that anyone who remained in the area risked being killed. Israel had issued more than 10 displacement orders in the previous 24 hours as it expanded its offensive against Hezbollah. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River on Friday for the first time since 2006. The Strategic Significance of Beaufort Castle Israel seized Beaufort Castle, which sits atop a strategic hill near Nabatieh, Lebanon's fifth largest city. The Israeli military previously captured the 12th-century fortress in 1982 and maintained control of it until withdrawing from Lebanon 18 years later. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the capture as a significant tactical victory. The Impact on Nabatieh and the Region Israel has been encircling Nabatieh, a city that is key to southern Lebanon's economy and a cultural hub for the region. Nabatieh is viewed by many Lebanese as a symbol of resistance due to its historic role on the front line of Israeli assaults. The Humanitarian Crisis and Peace Talks Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has denounced Israel's invasion of the country, accusing its southern neighbour of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy" and imposing "collective punishment" on residents of southern Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon are currently engaged in peace talks facilitated by the United States, but the negotiations are expected to resume next week.

Syrian National Commission for Missing Persons (NCMP) announced on 31 May 2026 that the children of dentist and former chess champion Rania al‑Abbasi are “likely deceased,” concluding a decade‑long search for the family who vanished in March 2013.NCMP Confirms Likely Death of Rania al‑Abbasi’s Children After Decade‑Long DisappearanceThe commission said its conclusion is based on “multiple verification and analysis procedures” carried out with national authorities. Hassan al‑Abbasi, the sister’s brother, posted a video confirming the deaths after viewing recordings linked to the 2013 Tadamon massacre, where the children were allegedly accused of financing terrorism.Scale of Forced Disappearances Under the Assad Regime300,000 people may have gone missing over decades of al‑Assad family rule, according to NCMP data.Tens of thousands were detained or disappeared during the civil war that began in 2011.The Tadamon massacre, tied to Amjad Youssef, resulted in at least 41 documented killings.These figures illustrate the breadth of the humanitarian crisis and the challenges facing investigators.Implications for Syria’s Transitional Justice and Reconciliation EffortsThe confirmation of the children’s deaths adds a personal dimension to the broader missing‑persons issue, which has become a symbol of the suffering endured by detainees’ families. It strengthens calls for transparent trials, such as the recent prosecution of former Assad‑era officials, and pressures the new government to deliver “just punishment” for perpetrators like Amjad Youssef.Future Outlook for Accountability and Missing Persons InvestigationsWhile the NCMP says efforts to locate remains are ongoing, the case sets a precedent for using video evidence and coordinated forensic analysis. International observers expect increased scrutiny of Syrian courts and potential cooperation with UN mechanisms to address the estimated 300,000 missing cases. Continued revelations may accelerate reforms in the country’s legal and investigative frameworks.

The Government's Response to the Youth Employment CrisisA former chief executive of Marks & Spencer has been appointed as a government jobs adviser in its latest attempt to tackle the growing youth unemployment crisis. Marc Bolland, who oversaw the retail chain from 2010 to 2016, will lead a summit of business leaders, amid warnings that the country risks a "lost generation" without urgent intervention.The Scale of the Youth Unemployment ChallengeAbout 1 million people aged 16 to 24 – about one in eight – are not in education, employment or training. An interim report published by the former health secretary Alan Milburn warned that this cohort – known as Neets – could increase to 1.25 million by the 2030s without radical action. The proportion of Neets in the UK is significantly higher than in many other developed countries. In the Netherlands, about 5% of 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education or work, while it is about 12.5% in Britain.Bolland's Role and StrategyIn light of Milburn's findings, Bolland has been appointed as lead non-executive director at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Downing Street said. Bolland, who also led supermarket Morrisons, is understood to have been chosen for the role thanks to his existing involvement with the DWP via his charity Movement to Work. The government said a collaboration with Movement to Work had already helped more than 200,000 unemployed young people find jobs.Economic Impact of Youth UnemploymentThe economic cost of the crisis is estimated to be about £125bn. Milburn's report found that six in 10 young people have never had a job, compared with four in 10 in 2005. He said that an increasing number of young people were being ruled as unfit to work due to health conditions including anxiety, depression and neurodevelopmental conditions. However, it is estimated that for every £25 the government spends on benefits for young people, it devotes just £1 to helping them find work.Focus on Vulnerable GroupsA central part of Bolland's role will be to work with charities supporting disabled young people to ensure they have access to training and employment opportunities. Almost half of those who claim a health or disability benefit before the age of 24 are still unemployed or not in education a decade later.Future Outlook and CollaborationThe government said Bolland would work with "leading chief executives across sectors" to "create clear routes into work and tackle the longstanding challenge of youth unemployment." It added that he would also advise the work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, on how the government should respond to Milburn's findings. McFadden said that Bolland's appointment sent a "clear signal" that the government was "serious about tackling that challenge" of youth unemployment. Bolland said he was "honoured and passionate" about working with the government, adding: "I know that working hand in hand with business to support young people gives them the best possible chance of success."

The Viral Image That Wasn't RealIt was an arresting image and an irresistible story. A group of tough Thai police officers – five men and one woman – all wearing elaborate festival-style dresses, surrounding a drug dealer they had caught while undercover. The image, released by local police, was so compelling that it found its way on to the front page of the UK's Daily Star, as well as in picture stories in the Telegraph, the Sun and the New York Post.The Sun wrote: "The burly crew of five men and one woman slipped into skin tight sequins and feathers for the covert mission in Thailand." The Daily Star wrote: "The team of five blokes and one woman shared a snap of themselves in frilly dresses with the nicked suspect on Facebook."There was just one problem: while the arrest was real, the image was an AI-generated fake.The Digital Deception Behind the Sparkly DressesThe real image, which has now been posted on the Facebook page of Tha Luang police station in Thailand, shows the five male police officers in their regular clothes. The woman dressed as a dancer is not in the original at all.The administrator in charge of the station's Facebook account, which released the AI-generated image, had been trying to create "a friendlier image" for the police, intending to show "a cute and humorous side". This attempt at humanizing law enforcement through digital manipulation inadvertently created a false narrative that spread internationally.The Media Verification Challenge in the AI EraThe absurdity of the image may have rung alarm bells with some readers. However, the fact that the faked image came from a seemingly official source has highlighted the difficulties media outlets face in verifying images.There are no foolproof ways to check whether an image is real without a direct relationship with the person who took the picture. It is becoming a time-consuming and precarious task for those overseeing the images used by large outlets, and AI verification tools are not reliable enough.Industry Implications for News OrganizationsThe problem is made even more difficult as the use of AI-generated imagery has crept into seemingly official sources. As a result, editors are braced for the reality that it is unlikely that all AI images will be spotted before publication.Media outlets and other organisations are also facing the opposite problem – with viewers wrongly suspecting that some genuine images have been generated with AI. This creates a credibility crisis where authentic content is increasingly questioned while manipulated content gains acceptance.The Future of Visual AuthenticationAs AI technology continues to advance, the line between real and fabricated content will become increasingly blurred. News organizations will need to invest in more sophisticated verification methods and potentially develop new standards for image authentication.The incident in Thailand serves as an early warning of the challenges ahead in maintaining journalistic integrity in an era where digital content can be convincingly altered with minimal technical skill. The media industry may need to adopt new protocols for image verification and be more transparent about the sources of their visual content.

The Partial Internet Restoration Reveals Public AngerThe partial lifting of internet restrictions in Iran has revealed a rising tide of anger about food price inflation as ordinary Iranians decry annual price increases of 308% for vegetable oil, 190% for chicken, and 170% for rice. Iranian authorities began restoring the connection to the global internet that was severed on the first day of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on 28 February, as it had been during mass protests in January.Connectivity Remains Limited Despite Partial RestorationConnectivity remained patchy on Wednesday, with mobile internet still largely disconnected and many sites remaining restricted. But even the partial restoration was enough to reveal an outpouring of anger over price inflation and food shortages. "Everything is so expensive. It has become a disaster," wrote one user on social media. "You leave the market with a broken heart after spending all your savings. It is unbearable. We have no patience left to lead a normal life."Government Response and Blame-ShiftingPresident Masoud Pezeshkian, who has been given some credit for lifting the internet restrictions, blamed the US for Iran's economic woes, saying Washington "had moved to economic warfare after failing to bring the government down." In a lengthy statement, the ministry of intelligence revealed its concerns that internet freedom could be used for "cognitive warfare", warning that Iran's adversaries aimed to "incite protesters and drag them on to the streets."Hyperinflation Data Reveals Economic CrisisThe government announced the launch of a "resistance economy committee" to crack down on price gouging and address surging shortages, but hyperinflation is now endemic in Iran owing to trade sanctions, exchange rate pressure, and moves taken to reduce subsidies given to traders in January. Data from the International Monetary Fund showed food inflation had risen to between 140% and 200%, pushing overall inflation to 70%. Support for continuing internet restrictions was put at just 9% in a survey published on Wednesday.Government Propaganda and Public ResponseIn an attempt to forestall support for Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, government backers tried to flood the internet with claims directed at "youngsters returning to the internet" that Pahlavi had openly applauded the attacks mounted by Israel and the US. Others expressed simple relief that they could now talk to the wider world. The human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi wrote: "Three bloody months have passed, but not for those who lost a loved one or had their home destroyed. In this period our voices found no echo except on some internal platforms and to the best of our ability we spoke and wrote in defence of the rights of the voiceless."Future Outlook: Digital Rights and Economic InstabilityThe prominent rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was sentenced to death in 2024 for supporting protests in 2022 but was later released, said being connected to the internet was "not a favour to us – it is our right. And without filters as well. Like free elections, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of parties, and many other freedoms, these are our rights and not favours," he wrote on X. With public sentiment increasingly turning against the government and economic conditions worsening, Iran faces a precarious future balancing between maintaining control and addressing growing public discontent.

The Struggle of Young First-Time Buyers The boss of Britain’s largest housebuilder has said it is the most challenging time to be a first-time buyer since the financial crisis, as the dream of home ownership moves increasingly out of reach for many young people. The Challenges Facing First-Time Buyers A combination of rising interest rates, higher levels of student debt and the squeeze on wages is making it “challenging, very, very difficult” for young people to get on the housing ladder, according to David Thomas, the departing chief executive of Barratt Redrow. Rising interest rates are increasing the cost of borrowing Higher levels of student debt are reducing available earnings for mortgage purposes Wage stagnation is limiting the ability to save for deposits The Impact on the Housing Market As a result, Thomas said the average age of a first-time buyer was increasing, which was among the factors leading “towards generational inequalities”. Zoopla reported that there are 6% fewer first-time buyers in the market than a year ago. The Call for Government Action Thomas is calling on the government to put in place a package focused on first-time buyers, adding that Barratt Redrow and other housebuilders have said they would be happy to contribute to such a package. The Future of Home Ownership “There are very big implications for the country if people are not getting on to the housing ladder and are going to rent on a permanent basis. Home ownership, in terms of the building of the homes, in terms of people owning their own homes, has big benefits for the country,” he said.

The Need for Air Conditioning in the UK British homeowners are rapidly acquiring air conditioners as the climate crisis superheats our summers. An estimated 4m homes have an air conditioner, double the figure from three years ago. Can Air Conditioning Be Green? Because air-conditioning units use more energy than other cooling devices, this results in more carbon emissions. Using a portable unit for an average of eight hours a day during the summer would result in about 4.87kg of CO2 emissions, roughly equivalent to driving 18 miles. Options for Greener Air Conditioning One approach could be running it only when there is a high level of renewable energy on the grid – for example during the sunniest part of the day. You may choose to pre-cool rooms before the evening peak in electricity demand. Or you could power the air conditioner with a home battery that charges up during renewable energy surpluses, helping you make the most of renewables without owning them yourself. Types of Air Conditioning It’s important to note that not all air conditioners are alike. Portable versions were relatively inefficient. If you invest in built-in air conditioning, make sure you get the right size unit for the room you’ll be cooling. A wall-mounted unit powerful enough (12,000 BTU) to cool the average British bedroom costs about £750, plus £1,150 for installation. Alternative Cooling Methods Air conditioners work using the same principle as heat pumps – they move heat from one place to another with the help of a refrigerant fluid. But the devices generally referred to as “air-to-air heat pumps” are reversible and can provide heating as well as cooling. Homeowners who switched from oil or gas heating to an electric-powered air-to-air heat pump, and used it for winter heating and summer cooling, were decarbonising their homes.