Forbes - Internal tensions 😕

Stuck in the middle

Russian brothers Igor and Dmitri Bukhman built a combined fortune of $16 billion from mobile gaming company Playrix.

But with 3,000 staff now split across the frontlines of conflict between Russia and Ukraine, tensions have erupted.

My colleague Iain Martin reveals the internal battles facing this multi-billion dollar startup. With emergency evacuations, knee-jerk donations and heated exchanges between employees across internal company chats, this is a crash course in crisis management.

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5 things we learned

A cyberattack has reportedly taken down Ukraine’s biggest internet provider. Acknowledged by the Ukrainian government, the operator lost 87% of its pre-war capacity. The country has reportedly suffered 60 different cyberattacks.

Renewable power can ‘cripple Putin’. Five separate reports came to the same conclusion: renewable energy is a critical part of cutting dependency on foreign imports, while also hitting climate targets. The U.N. secretary-general described the world’s addiction to fossil fuels as ‘“mutually assured destruction”.

Lost track of the Zoom Meeting? There’s an A.I. for that. Find yourself mentally checking out after back-to-back video calls? Popular transcription tool Otter AI will now minute the meeting and create a bullet-pointed summary without you having to lift a finger. Sign me up.

Elon Musk says he ‘supposedly’ has Covid again. The internet’s favorite attention seeker continued to question the accuracy of tests, after having a ‘moderate’ case. Tesla’s factory in Shanghai was reportedly closed for four days this week, due to local Covid-19 restrictions.

There’s a new luxury side to Tenerife. The biggest of the Canary Islands has had a bad rep for package holidays, picture menus and pubs, until now. Take a fresh look at the island with five Michelin star restaurants, ‘forgotten villages’, and luxury hotels.

The good

The art market has surpassed pre-pandemic levels with $65 billion in sales. Art Basel and UBS’s latest report showed a strong recovery in both public auctions and online sales. Picasso’s Femma Assise près d’une Fenêtre was the most expensive painting sold at auction last year, reaching $103.4 million.

The bad

Will Smith's popularity plunged 30% after Oscars slap. A recent poll found only half of Americans viewed Smith favorably, down from 80% in January 2020.

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Do this

Transcendent Infinity Mirror Rooms. After two years of delays due to Covid, ‘One With Eternity’ by Yayoi Kusama is finally being displayed in the Hirshhorn Museum, featuring 5 of her most exceptional and immersive works. Washington D.C., Apr 01–Nov 27, free to visit.

Watch

Beat the airfare price hilkes. Higher fuel costs, pilot shortages and surging demand are leading to airfare hikes this summer. Here are some ways you can mitigate the price trend and find a good deal. Forbes, available to watch worldwide.

Listen

One of the world’s largest carbon sinks is under threat. The peat swamp forest of the Central Congo Basin Peatlands is at risk of environmental destruction. Economist Vera Songwe explains why we must protect this vital resource at all costs. TED, free to listen worldwide.

Read

Happy Mind, Happy Life. We often our happiness is commensurate with our success. GP and best-selling author Dr Rangan Chatterjee unpicks this flawed understanding and presents a healthier approach to achieving a happy life. Penguin, from $13.00.

Taste

Whisky, with a splash of bitcoin. Global restaurant group Chotto Matte is bridging the gap between digital cryptocurrencies and the physical world by releasing a cocktail that can only be purchased with bitcoin.

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