In northwestern Syria, families make a living scouring through dangerous dumps for treasures they can sell. The job could make them sick — or even kill them — but in a country that's suffering a major economic crisis, it's often the only choice they have.

• Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince is reportedly open to having "tough conversations" about Vision 2030.
• MBS might be ready to discuss which projects should proceed first, the Financial Times reported.
• Saudi has been deflecting suggestions that some of its megaprojects are facing financial issues.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may finally be ready to have some "tough conversations" about his ambitious Vision 2030 project.

The de-facto Saudi leader is open to discussing which projects should progress and which could wait, the Financial Times reported, citing a person familiar with the thinking at the Public Investment Fund — the sovereign wealth fund.

Amine Mati, head of the IMF's mission for Saudi Arabia, told the FT that Saudi authorities were "recalibrating" to assess whether some spending should be delayed.

Representatives for Neom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The comments come after the kingdom has tried to deflect reports that some of its Vision 2030 projects are facing financial strain.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the financial realities of the country's Neom project, which could cost as much as $1.5 trillion, have started to cause alarm within the Saudi government.

Meanwhile, Saudi has started borrowing to help fund some Vision 2030 megaprojects including Neom, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The kingdom's also been battling reports that plans for Neom, the ambitious desert city, have been scaled back.

In an apparent attempt to refute some of these claims, the Saudi economy minister, Faisal Al Ibrahim, recently said all Neom projects were continuing at the planned scale.

"These projects will be delivered to their scale and in a manner that in terms of priorities suits the needs of the projects, the returns of these projects, and the economic impact," he told the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh last month.

Vision 2030 aims to transform Saudi Arabia economically and politically by reducing its dependence on oil revenues and pivoting toward tech.

Neom has emerged as the plan's flashy centerpiece. Saudi officials tout the project as "the world's most ambitious."

The resort island of Sindalah, the first region of Neom, is due to open later this year.

• A 10-foot-wide, one-bedroom home was built in Washington, DC, on what used to be a driveway.
• Zoning law changes forced tight measurements for the 0.02-acre property, requiring many iterations.
• The home is listed for $581,903 and is attracting investors who may use it as a rental property.

A developer in Washington, DC, had a small canvas — about the width of a driveway — to build a modern home that's on the market for $581,903.

Now, there's a 10-foot-wide, one-bedroom home on what used to be a driveway.

According to the listing agent, Jennifer Young of Keller Williams Chantilly Ventures, the zoning laws changed shortly after the developer purchased the 0.02-acre property, so they had to scrap the idea of building a home or tighten their floor plan.

"It literally came down to sometimes a centimeter of getting the exact measurements right to both comply with DC zoning and build a really nice home that was functional," Young told Business Insider.

Nady Samnang, the contractor tasked with figuring out how to build a home on a driveway in between two alleys, told the Washington Post that the design went through many forms and took nearly seven months to get approved by the city permit office.

"I wanted to quit so many times," he told the Washington Post.

While the price has fluctuated since being listed for $799,900 in July 2023, according to Zillow, it's garnered interest from many across the country.

"It's one of the most-viewed homes on Zillow that I've ever seen in my career," Young said. "We do have quite a bit of looky-loos, but we have a lot of first-time buyers looking and investors — people that want to Airbnb it or rent it to college kids."

Nady Samnang and his brother Dean purchased the 700-square-foot lot at the beginning of 2021 with plans to build a four-story home.

According to Zillow, they purchased the lot for $200,000.

Originally, they were going to build a four-story house, double the width, but DC zoning restrictions changed shortly after he bought the land.

"They changed zoning right after he bought it so they were kind of screwed and they either were going to scrap a deal or try to build a tiny home," Young said.

Construction was difficult with such a narrow space, and the materials had to be brought in by hand.

"All the materials had to be brought in by hand versus pulling a truck up to the site because it is a very condensed area," Young said. "There's a road, but big work trucks can't come through and it's a very tight space to work in."

Even with a width of six feet at it’s most-narrow point, there are still a number of amenities that you would find in any modern home.

It even has a fenced patio big enough for an intimate seating area.

Bringing materials in was not the only challenge. Samnang also had to get creative when finding space for basics inside.

Samnang told the Washington Post that the powder room under the stairs was an "extreme challenge" due to DC code requiring toilets and sinks to be at least 15 inches apart. He had to opt for a skinny sink to fit.

Lucky for the future buyer, the skinny home comes fully furnished.

No need to haul in a bed upstairs or search for a couch that fits — those items come with the home.

"They just went pretty modern and they chose all the right finishes that are popular now," Young said. "They had to do something that made it as luxury and contemporary and high-end as they could within these restrictions."

It first hit the market at $799,900, according to Zillow, making it $1,333 per square foot.

It's 45 feet long and 10 feet across at its widest point.

The price has since been dropped to as low as $581,903 in April.

"It's definitely hard to price," Young said. "There's not one single comparable because everything around it is condos — and it's not comparable to condos.

The Zillow listing has nearly 50,000 views and over 900 saves — numbers that Young say are rare for the area.

"It's probably the most-viewed DC listing in years right now," Young said.

Investors have taken an interest in using the house as a rental unit for students or as an Airbnb.

There are no condo or HOA fees, according to Young, which could be enticing to someone renting it out.

People are drawn to the spectacle, Young said, but there are plenty of interested buyers as well.

"It's a very popular building," she said. "I think half the people are looky-loos, and half are very interested."

• The father of a $1.35 billion lottery winner has turned against him in a bitter lawsuit.
• The winner is suing the mother of his child, saying she broke an NDA and told family members.
• But the man's father said he was the one who told him.

A lawsuit brought by a $1.35 billion lottery winner against the mother of his child has taken a new twist, with the winner's own father siding with the defendant.

Last November, the plaintiff, known only as "John Doe," filed for damages against the mother of his child, claiming that she broke a non-disclosure agreement by revealing details of his win.

Doe, a resident of Maine, hit the headlines in January 2023 after becoming one of the biggest-ever winners of a US lottery.

The win, which Doe accepted as a lump-sum payment, amounted to about $500 million after taxes.

Doe has sought to maintain his anonymity, but claims that the woman — named pseudonymously as "Sarah Smith" — told his father, leading to several other family members finding out.

Doe's lawsuit seeks $100,000 in damages for each alleged breach of the NDA.

But according to the claims of a new filing on Friday by Smith's lawyer, seen by Business Insider and first reported by The Daily Beast, it was Doe himself who told his father about the win.

On Friday, Doe's lawyers filed a motion for sanctions against Smith, saying that she has made a number of false claims about him regarding their past relationship and an ongoing custody battle.

This, it said, was an attempt to make a "straightforward breach of contract action" into a "sensationalized" story for the "court of public opinion."

In response, Smith's lawyers point out that Doe's own motion said that he'd "made the mistake" of telling his father.

This, Smith's lawyers said, "knocks the struts out from under his complaint."

Details from the new declarations outline bitter rifts between Doe and his family. They also illustrate the strains that a massive influx of money can put on family relations.

In one declaration filed on Friday, Doe's father said his son not only told him about the money, but that he promised to spend lavishly on his parents "even though I didn't ask him for anything."

Doe denies telling his dad any details beyond the fact of his having won.

According to the father, Doe promised to buy his childhood home for him, build him a garage so he could pursue his hobby of fixing up cars, and set up a $1,000,000 trust fund for him and his stepmom.

But after he questioned some of the details, Doe became angry, he said.

Doe also insisted that his father and stepmom cut off all contact with Smith, something they were unwilling to do, according to the declaration.

"I told him that 'you are not the son I knew.' He got angry, calling me a 'dictator' and an 'asshole,''" the father said. "I have not heard from my son since, and he has not done any of the things he promised."

Smith's lawyers accused Doe of pursuing her through a baseless, costly, and intimidatory court battle because she would not agree to get back together with him.

Meanwhile, Doe says Smith had been an abusive partner and that she was now using baseless allegations about him to pressure him to withdraw the lawsuit.

The filings also point to a flurry of accusations between Smith and Doe over custody of their daughter.

Smith's lawyers wrote that she believes the lawsuit was brought against her "to use Plaintiff's limitless resources to bully and intimidate her to make concessions in the ongoing family matter concerning their daughter."

Both of the parties' lawyers declined to comment on the record when approached by Business Insider.

It's not the first time that families have been shattered by a massive lottery win.

In 2012, the British winner of more than $180 million severed ties with her family after they became, in her words, "demanding and greedy."

And in 2018, an Australian lottery winner started legal proceedings against his daughter, saying she had bullied him into sharing the winnings.

• Emirates reported record profits of $4.7 billion for the last fiscal year, marking a 60% increase.
• Eligible staff will receive a bonus worth 20 weeks of salary, local outlet The National reported.
• The CEO said it leverages "Dubai's unique advantages," highlighting its role in the emerging global city.

Emirates announced on Monday record profits of 17.2 billion dirhams ($4.7 billion) for the last financial year.

It marks a 63% increase on the previous year's profits at the Dubai-based airline.

And it's not just executives who can celebrate the news. UAE based outlet The National reported that eligible staff will be paid a bonus worth 20 weeks of their salary, to be included in this month's payroll.

It's not clear exactly who is eligible for the bonus, but last year, more than 50,000 Emirates staff received an extra 24 weeks of pay, per The National.

However, the hefty bonus isn't quite as much as the extra eight months' worth that Singapore Airlines paid out last year — citing a union agreement and pay cuts during the pandemic.

In a press release, Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: "We are reaping the benefit of years of non-stop investments in our products and services, in building strong partnerships, and in the capabilities of our talented people."

He also said the airline had capitalized on "Dubai's unique advantages." The city is known as a popular tourist destination and a business hub, with no personal income tax for individuals.

Emirates' business class offerings are frequently praised by experts. It was ranked number three in the world by Skytrax in 2023, behind Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

The record profits also highlight how Dubai is emerging as an important global city and a powerhouse in the Middle East.

Emirates' announcement came less than a week after Al Maktoum criticized Boeing over delivery delays, telling the planemaker: "Get your act together."

The manufacturer has slowed down to ensure safety in the wake of January's Alaska Airlines blowout. But Al Maktoum was eager for Boeing to speed up to meet deadlines, suggesting Emirates is committed to plans for growth.

• A jury awarded sisters $18 million in damages from an insurance company after their home was flooded.
• The sisters sued American Reliable after being offered just $5,000 for repairs.
• According to their attorney, the house was unliveable, with the heating system destroyed.

The home of two California sisters was badly flooded during a February 2019 rainstorm but when they filed a claim with their insurance company, American Reliable, they were offered just $5,000 for repairs.

Last month, a jury awarded the pair $18 million, after they took the company to court.

According to a ruling in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, Jennifer Garnier and Angela Toft were awarded $6 million for pain and suffering and $12 million in punitive damages in a verdict reached by a jury on April 18, following a six-week trial.

The lawsuit said that the sisters' home in Pinon Hills was damaged during a large rainstorm on February 15, 2019, rendering it unliveable, as detailed in various news reports.

In a statement posted on Instagram, their attorney, Michael Hernandez of HHJ Trial Attorneys, said the damages caused electrical faults and destroyed the heating system.

Small cracks had started to form throughout, the defendants also claimed in the lawsuit.

The Los Angeles Times, citing Hernandez, reported that the sisters estimated they needed more than $100,000 to fix the damage.

However, according to the ruling, an insurance adjuster offered just $5,000 for repairs, not including payouts for alternative living arrangements and personal property.

According to court documents reviewed by the Times, the plaintiffs argued that American Reliable delayed their home inspection.

The Times also reported that American Reliable admitted to an oversight in October 2023 and offered the sisters $140,000.

However, Garnier and Toft decided to proceed with the trial, which ultimately resulted in a jury finding in their favor.

"We argued that when you knowingly put a family in an uninhabitable home, you can't come back later and say you are not responsible for the consequences," Hernandez said in the Instagram post.

According to the ruling, the company claimed to Garnier and Toft that it only learned about the full extent of the home's damage while deliberating evidence for the trial.

The Times reported that Garnier and Toft were awarded $3 million each for emotional damages, $2 million in punitive damages from American Reliable, and $10 million in punitive damages from Global Indemnity, American Reliable's parent company.

Global Indemnity and American Reliable did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment. Hernandez directed BI to the write-up of the ruling.

Last year, Business Insider reported that insurance companies are finding new ways to make money, often at their clients' expense.

The feature, written by Jathan Sadowski, a senior research fellow at Monash University, highlighted how algorithmic systems are being crafted to optimize insurance companies' profits, leveraging AI's opacity to give them plausible deniability.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024: This article has been updated with additional details from the ruling.

• Russian troops appear to be creating a "buffer zone" in northeast Ukraine, military experts said.
• The goal is likely to stop Ukraine from carrying out cross-border raids on Russian towns, they said.
• Earlier this year, the Kremlin pledged to do everything it could to protect Belgorod.

Russian forces appear to be creating a "buffer zone" instead of pursuing deeper offensives in northeast Ukraine, likely in a bid to stop Ukraine from raiding Russian towns, military experts said.

The Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment on Monday that Russian forces are making swift but limited advances and are destroying bridges over critical waterways in the Kharkiv area.

Russian troops took out bridges over the Vovcha River on Sunday and targeted bridges and logistics lines in the city of Vovchansk itself on Monday, leaving only two operable bridges in the region, the ISW said, quoting geolocated footage shared by Russian war bloggers.

Russian forces also launched an offensive using an unspecified number of tanks against Vovchansk on Sunday night and into Monday, the ISW reported.

According to the think tank, Russia's military presence in the area suggests that its forces are looking to make quick advances but do not seem to be trying to make inroads on the southern side of the Vovcha, deeper into northern Kharkiv.

Instead, the evidence points to Russian forces prioritizing trying to establish a "buffer zone" in the border area rather than advancing deeper into Kharkiv Oblast or toward Kharkiv City, it said.

In January, the Kremlin pledged to do everything it could to protect the Russian region of Belgorod after it suffered a series of cross-border raids, some of which Ukraine claimed.

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he didn't rule out the idea of establishing a demilitarized "sanitary zone" in Ukrainian-controlled areas in response to the raids.

While a buffer zone would protect the area, it would also bring Russian troops within artillery range of Kharkiv, which could be a major threat to Ukraine.

• Bumble ran an ad campaign that appeared to make fun of celibacy as an alternative to dating. 
• The billboards bore the message, "You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer."
• Bumble removed the ads and vowed to make donations to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Dating app Bumble is in hot water over an ad campaign that appeared to make fun of celibacy as an alternative to dating.

The campaign featured billboards that bore the message: "You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer." Others read: "Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun."

People on TikTok took issue with the messaging, labeling it "tone-deaf" and offensive — particularly to those who had chosen a celibate lifestyle as a result of trauma.

Some said the ads were misogynistic and were chastising women for not casually sleeping with men.

On Monday, Bumble apologized and said it was removing ads, labeling them "a mistake."

"Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating, and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite," it said.

The ad campaign came off the back of a brand redesign, which launched last month. Lauren Salaun, a TikToker with 200,000 followers, said Bumble's upcoming rebrand was a sign the company was in trouble.

She also criticized the campaign for "targeting women and not addressing men at all."

"Bumble is supposed to be a women-friendly dating app, and these ads are literally telling women how to date and what to do with their bodies," she said.

Cecilia Regina, a TikTok user, said women were tired of how they were being treated on dating apps. She referenced the "4B movement," which has recently found new popularity among women. It dates back to South Korea in 2018, with women turning away from modern beauty standards and men's expectations about their lifestyles and appearances.

"Decentering men is working," Regina said. "And all these companies that rely on using you as the product are scrambling, trying to get you back in. Dating sites used to be free because you're the product. They are selling you to men without your consent.".

Actor Julia Fox reposted the video and added a comment: "2.5 years celibate and never been happier."

Bumble's apology post recognized that celibacy was a lifestyle many women choose for various reasons, including asexuality, trauma, or harm.

"For years, Bumble has passionately stood up for women and marginalized communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice," the post said. "We didn't live up to these values with this campaign and we apologize for the harm it caused."

The post said that Bumble was making a donation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations that support marginalized communities, women, and people who have been abused.

"We will also be offering these partners this billboard space to display an ad of their choice for the duration of our reserved billboard time," the post continued.

Bumble has been in the news a lot recently. Cofounder Whitney Wolfe Herd stepped down as CEO at the end of 2023 and has since been vocal about the potential use of AI in the future of dating.

At the Bloomberg Technology Summit in March, for example, she floated the idea of "AI dating concierges" who would date each other on their human user's behalf.

Bumble has also axed its USP that women had to make the first move by enabling men to answer questions on a woman's profile first.

Bumble's rebrand seems to be in response to the fact it is struggling to attract new users. Shares in Bumble have dropped 45% since July 2023, AP reported, and the company laid off 30% of its workforce earlier this year.

Business Insider has reached out to Bumble for further comment.

• A livestream portal installed in Dublin and New York had to temporarily close after reports of inappropriate behavior.
• Some enjoyed the portal: they shared videos of themselves dancing and uniting with loved ones.
• But others used it to flash their naked body parts, show pornographic videos, and mock 9/11.

A large circular video portal opened up on May 8 in Dublin and New York City. It's part of a public art installation, and city officials across each side of the Atlantic hoped it would be a way to bring people together.

The two-way livestream lets passers-by peak into the corresponding city and interact with those 3,000 miles away. But days later, it was temporarily closed for technical changes to be made, as people began acting inappropriately.

Videos circulating on social media have shown people flashing their naked body parts, showing pornographic videos, and mocking 9/11.

The livestream was paused overnight on Monday to allow technical changes to be implemented to address inappropriate behavior and is now back up and running, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council told BI.

It was meant to connect the two cities

On opening day, people were encouraged to "interact with the sculpture and extend an Irish welcome and kindness to cities all over the world," the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, said in a press statement.

Videos of people waving to each other on either side of the portal were shared widely on social media — with one TikTok gaining over 23 million views.

Some used the installation to share positive moments. ABC News shared a video of two flight attendant sisters in each city uniting through the screen.

"We have seen families and friends unite, dancing moves being shared as well as new friendships being made. There was even a successful marriage proposal," Dublin City Council said in a statement.

But there were also videos that began to circulate online of some people engaging in "inappropriate behavior," the council added.

'Inappropriate behavior'

A number of drunken Dubliners were seen standing in front of the portal pretending to take cocaine, holding up their phones to show pornographic videos, and showing photos of the Twin Towers on 9/11, per Irish radio station RTÉ Radio 1.

One man was seen exposing his bare bottom in front of the portal in Dublin, as the crowd around him cheered, according to a TikTok video seen 1.7 million times.

OnlyFans creator Ava Louise said that she got the portal shut down in New York after flashing her breasts to the screen. "I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes," Louise said in a TikTok video.

It even prompted Elon Musk to weigh in: "Inevitable," he commented on a video compilation of bad behavior at the portal posted on X.

The Portals Organization, which made the installation, said in a statement that their goal is to allow people to interact freely with one another across cultures but encourages everyone using the portal to be respectful.

However, the portal has left some social media users with a little less faith in these types of public installations involving new technologies.

'The NYC to Dublin portal is HELL," read one post on X. "Who thought a portal connecting Dublin to New York would be a good idea," read another post.

• A Vegas restaurant hosted a free "Bluey" event. Both kids and their parents were left disappointed and angry.
• The titular character was played by a member of staff "in Bluey pajamas."
• The event led to a barrage of criticism online. "False advertising at its finest," one person wrote.

A restaurant in Las Vegas hosted what parents described as an "extremely disappointing" "Bluey" meet-and-greet event which left kids upset and their parents angry.

"Thanks for ruining my 3 year olds day!" one person wrote on Facebook.

The restaurant, Dirt Dog, promised screenings of the Australian kids TV series, face painting, games, giveaways, and snacks, as well as the opportunity to "meet Bluey & friends."

But when parents took their kids to the free event at the hot-dog restaurant on Saturday, they weren't impressed with what they saw.

In social-media posts, visitors described having to line up in the sun because the event was flooded with "Bluey" fans, only to discover that the titular character was being played by a man in a onesie which one Facebook user called a "Temu Bluey costume."

"Bluey is a guy in Bluey pajamas," one person wrote. "It's not an actual character costume." Another person said that the man in the outfit didn't wear the hood and sat in the restaurant "with no emotion."

"When I saw him I just ignored him. I was mad," a child who attended the event told FOX5 Vegas. Her mom told the network that kids were "distraught" and some were crying.

Many people pointed out that the costume more closely resembled Bandit, Bluey's dad.

"We are truly sorry this event wasn't the expected experience," Dirt Dog wrote in a social-media post. It said that it was "overwhelmed" with the turnout and would improve its operations "so we can ensure nothing like this will happen in the future."

Social-media users said that the restaurant was too small to host so many guests, leading to long lines that one Instagram user said "wrapped around the building."

Facebook users said that the only face paint on offer was whiskers and pawprints. One said that it looked "like a 2 year old did it."

Taj Wilder, who works at Dirt Dog, told FOX5 Vegas the restaurant had expected "maybe 50, 60 people coming out." If staff had expected such a big turnout, they would have had better controls in place, she said. Staff dressed as Bluey and painted visitors' faces, she added.

Some Facebook users said that they didn't see any of the promised games and activities, while another user said they were actually just board games at some of the tables. The screens playing "Bluey" episodes, meanwhile, had no volume, and some TVs were playing sports instead, some of the users said.

The event led to a barrage of criticism on social media.

"This was horrible and a waste of time," one person wrote on Facebook. "You pissed off a community of parents … My daughter was super disappointed."

"Long lines for nothing," someone wrote. "Kids were super upset and so are the parents."

"This was a joke," another person wrote. "I can't even tell you how many little children were upset. Why would you do that to kids??!"

"This event was EXTREMELY disappointing," someone else wrote. "False advertising at its finest."

Some people said they wouldn't return to the restaurant after their experience at the Bluey event.

"I would rather eat a hot dog at Sams Club, Costco or 7/11 rather than give them my money ever again!" one Facebook user wrote.

But not everyone was disappointed. Some commenters on Facebook and Instagram said they were grateful to the restaurant for putting on the free event.

"Bluey," which has spanned three series so far, has been a phenomenal success for Australian producers Ludo Studio, appealing to kids and their parents alike. Richard Haigh, managing director of Brand Finance, told Bloomberg that the franchise could be worth up to an estimated $2 billion and could go on to rival "Peppa Pig."

In February, a Willy Wonka-themed "Chocolate Experience" in Glasgow went viral after paying guests said it featured barely any of the freebies they were promised and a made-up character called The Unknown left some children crying.