Bridgewater Associates cut 7% of staff, or about 90 people.The hedge fund, which manages $172 billion, is known for its radical transparency and high turnover.The company last laid off people in 2023 to cut costs and free up resourcesBridgewater Associates cut 7% of its staff on Monday in an effort to stay lean, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.The layoffs bring headcount back to where it was in 2023 for the world's largest hedge fund, the person said. It's unclear which divisions were impacted by the cuts.Bloomberg first reported the layoffs, including that 90 people were affected. Four of the firm's funds posted double-digit returns last year, Bloomberg said.The Connecticut-based company last laid off people in 2023 to cut costs and free up resources.Last year, Bridgewater's high-profile hires included macro traders Jerome Saragoussi and Ben Melkman, and Ziad Hindo, a veteran investor with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. The company is still hiring the firm lists three open jobs for its Shanghai office.Ray Dalio founded the firm in 1975 and relinquished his voting rights in 2022. Nir Bar Dea, who started as a management associate in 2015, is now CEO.The hedge fund had about $172 billion under management as of November, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.Bridgewater is known for its culture of radical transparency and pushing employees.Dalio instituted a real-time rating system in which employees used iPads to score each other. One former intern told BI last year that she loved the process.Dalio said in a 2019 interview that about 30% of new employees leave the firm within 18 months.

The deadly Azerbaijani plane crash on Christmas Day is souring Russia's attempt to keep Baku close.Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly said Russia shot down the plane, and is demanding answers.Putin apologized, but Aliyev is still pressuring Russia and says it must take responsibility.Azerbaijan's president has repeatedly accused Russia of covering up the cause of a plane crash that killed 38 passengers on Christmas Day, publicly criticizing Moscow again on Monday."The initial investigation and its results have been reported to me, but I can say with full certainty that the blame for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this disaster lies with representatives of the Russian Federation," Ilham Aliyev said in remarks to state news agency Azertac."And we demand justice, we demand punishment of the guilty, we demand full transparency and human behavior," said Aliyev, who spoke just after meeting families of the crash victims.His comments mark a sudden and rapidly deepening point of tension between Azerbaijan and Russia as the latter has tried to maintain ties since the outbreak of full war in Ukraine. While Baku and Moscow are not close allies in the traditional sense, Russia supplies arms to Azerbaijan and has sought to be the main mediator for its bitter conflict with Armenia.Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited Aliyev in August for two days, and the pair were photographed chatting in their work shirts on sofas in Aliyev's home, alongside the First Lady of Azerbaijan.The tone in their relations has shifted dramatically since the crash.Aliyev has repeatedly said that preliminary investigations showed the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was shot down by Russian air defense systems, saying it was "riddled with holes" and affected by electronic warfare. The plane was flying to the Chechen city of Grozny and made its emergency landing in Kazakhstan."If timely measures had been taken to close the Russian airspace near the city of Grozny, if all the rules of ground services had been observed, as well as proper coordination between the armed forces of the Russian Federation and civilian services, this tragedy would not have happened," Aliyev said on Monday.Notably, Aliyev chose to speak in Russian instead of Azerbaijani, which he said was to honor the flight's two deceased pilots, who spoke Russian.The Azerbaijani president said that Baku wasn't alleging Russia shot down the plane intentionally but accused Russian officials of not investigating the crash properly."The cover-up of this incident by Russian state agencies and the focus on absurd theories causes surprise, regret, and rightful indignation," he said.Russia's federal transport agency had initially said the Azerbaijani Airlines flight was struck by birds, then blamed Ukrainian drones and fog for forcing the plane out of Grozny airspace.The US, on the other hand, has said that it had seen "early indications" that the Azerbaijani Airlines flight was possibly "brought down by Russian air defense systems."Meanwhile, Putin's press office issued an apology on December 28 without taking responsibility for the crash."Vladimir Putin offered his apologies that the tragic incident had occurred in Russia's airspace and once again conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the plane crash victims and wished those injured the quickest recovery," its statement said.But Aliyev is refusing to lighten the pressure on Russia, saying that Putin's apology was "not enough" and that Moscow "must acknowledge its guilt" and punish those responsible.He added on Monday that investigators were uncovering inconsistencies in Russia's airspace regulations that he said pointed to "serious criminal issues here."The now-widening rift between Moscow and Baku comes as Azerbaijan has sought to reduce Russian influence on regional matters, especially when dealing with its archrival, Armenia.For example, Russia had stationed peacekeepers in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh until September 2023, when Azerbaijan seized the area and flushed out Moscow's forces. Some pro-Kremlin commentators in Russia have also said that Azerbaijani volunteers are appearing among Ukraine's ranks.But Russia has responded relatively tamely, as it seeks more ex-Soviet allies to deal with its increasing isolation from Western sanctions and the war in Ukraine."I would like to note from the start that our relationship is developing in a positive way," Putin said in October when hosting Aliyev in Moscow, referencing Russian investments in the Azerbaijani economy.Per Azertac, Aliyev responded and said that "the dynamics of our bilateral relations have been quite noticeable."

Mark Zuckerberg wore a Greubel Forsey "Hand Made 1" in a Facebook video he posted on Tuesday.The Meta CEO was announcing the end of the company's fact-checking partnerships in the US.Zuckerberg has also worn watches from other Swiss brands like De Bethune and Patek Philippe.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sported a new luxury timepiece while announcing the end of his company's fact-checking partnerships in the US on Tuesday.Zuckerberg's watch, a Greubel Forsey "Hand Made 1," costs over $900,000 and is assembled entirely by hand. Greubel Forsey said on its website that it only makes two to three models of the "Hand Made 1" every year."Hey, everyone. I want to talk about something important today because it's time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram," Zuckerberg said while wearing the "Hand Made 1" on his left wrist, per a video he posted on Facebook.When asked about the video, Greubel Forsey CEO Michel Nydegger told Bloomberg that Zuckerberg's choice of timepiece showed a "true appreciation for the most traditional approach to fine watchmaking today."According to Greubel Forsey's website, the "Hand Made 1" has 281 parts, most of which are made in-house by the watchmaker.Meta and Greubel Forsey did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.This isn't the first time Zuckerberg has publicly demonstrated his interest in luxury timepieces.In September, Zuckerberg wore a rose gold De Bethune DB 25 Starry Varius during an interview with the business podcast, "Acquired." The watch costs about $90,000, per listings by watch retailers The 1916 Company and The Hour Glass.Zuckerberg was also seen wearing the Patek Philippe Grand Complications In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P-001 when he posted a selfie of himself with his wife, Priscilla Chan. The watch costs $141,400, according to Patek Philippe's website.Zuckerberg has expressed some interest in timepieces to other business leaders. At Anant Ambani's pre-wedding party in March, he showed his admiration for Ambani's Richard Mille watch."You know, I never really wanted to get a watch. But after seeing that, I was like, watches are cool," Zuckerberg told Ambani, per a video circulated on social media.Joseph Rosenfeld, an image consultant based in New York, told BI in September that Zuckerberg's "love for premium watches and subtle luxury" suggests a shift in the Meta CEO's style and identity."He's stepping into a role where his appearance reflects his position as a tech innovator," Rosenfeld said.Zuckerberg's penchant for expensive watches appears to be one facet of a wider image transformation.For one, the Meta chief has ditched his gray t-shirts and hoodies, opting for shearling brown jackets and gold chains instead.But watches aside, what Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday will have far-reaching ramifications on Meta's approach toward content moderation.Meta said it is replacing its fact-checking partners with a crowdsourced moderation tool like the community notes used by X, formerly Twitter."We've seen this approach work on X where they empower their community to decide when posts are potentially misleading and need more context, and people across a diverse range of perspectives decide what sort of context is helpful for other users to see," Meta's chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan wrote in a blog post."We think this could be a better way of achieving our original intention of providing people with information about what they're seeing and one that's less prone to bias," Kaplan added.

Hibi Hitoawa Brewery / Hidenori Tsuboi ArchitectsSave this picture! Daisuke ShimaBreweryOsaka, JapanArchitects: Hidenori Tsuboi ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:260 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Daisuke ShimaMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Beneath the elevated tracks of JR Fukushima Station in Osaka lies "Hibi-Hitoawa Brewery". The surrounding area is filled with numerous eateries, and the underpass, named Fukumaru Street 57, comes alive with the outdoor seating set up by these establishments. As part of their new business venture, the JR West Group launched a craft beer business in 2022, planning the opening of a brewery with an adjoining taproom.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Driven by the client's desire to create products and opportunities that offer a sense of escapism through craft beer, the brewery aims to contribute to the vibrancy of the town and foster coexistence with the local community. The wide faade that faces the street, is designed to embody the brewery's approach to the town. It plans to establish a counter directly facing the street, boldly opening up to the community.Save this picture!Save this picture!In light of the various conditions and constraints of construction, including the fact that it is under an overpass, efforts were made to organize and arrange the design and layout with minimal intervention. The design elements include the colorful designs depicted on the craft beer cans and bottles, which are considered part of the composition. Accordingly, subtle touches of color are added to various parts of the interior to complement these designs.Save this picture!Save this picture!In the layout, spaces, and gaps were intentionally left to create an open and inviting atmosphere, encouraging patrons to enjoy themselves freely and lively, much like an Irish pub, rather than just sitting quietly to drink beer. The wide-open faade allows the bustle of the interior to spill out into the street, while also welcoming the vibrancy of the street into the brewery, seamlessly connecting it with the community. This design aims to make the brewery a pioneering presence on the new Fukumaru Street.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Osaka, JapanLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 08, 2025Cite: "Hibi Hitoawa Brewery / Hidenori Tsuboi Architects" 08 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025396/hibi-hitoawa-brewery-hidenori-tsuboi-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/119542584 .In this episodes of the top down shooter series, I am going to show you how to implement orthographic projection for the camera. I will explain the difference and why we need orthographic/isometric projection for a top down game and how to change camera component parameters through code to have orthographic projection for the top down shooter. CodeLikeMe Top Down shooter series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou4pEFizUOVzcM5roBFYa1oN CodeLikeMe Third-Person shooter series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou4HL7SAyIQoCqJRJ5QeQAl8 // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue5 #indiegamedev

Nature, Published online: 08 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04195-3Forecasts of viral variation could improve vaccine and antiviral treatments ahead of time.

There are several abandoned buildings and warehouses in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl that players can enter and loot high-quality weapons and gear. While some areas are easily accessible, you'll have to find a keycard, a code, or a key to access others. There's an abandoned facility called Lishchyna located in the Red Forest region where players can enter to receive a weapon, a blueprint, and other resources as a reward.

With the Monopoly GO board being transformed into a winter wonderland, Scopely is releasing more festive collectibles, like the Moose Token, to continue this winter-themed celebration. There have also been a ton of exciting events this season and Scopely is continuing the streak with an action-packed Snow Racers event. The best part is that this racers event comes with a limited-edition token for players to grab: a Snow Mobile Token. Read on to learn how you can get your hands on this unique token.