In an interview with TASS news agency, Lipton confirmed October’s IMF forecast that predicts global growth of 3.8 percent by 2021, with the Russian economy to grow significantly slower at 1.5 percent.

According to Lipton, Russia should implement some policy changes, reforms and structural changes that will increase the capacity of the economy to catch up with global growth rates.

The eighth annual Gaidar Forum takes place from January 12 to 14, 2017 in the Russian capital. This year, it focuses on the analysis of the current economic situation and economic growth prospects in Russia and will cover financial and social policy issues, business climate and priorities for regional development in the country.

Besides the IMF, represented by Lipton, the World Bank’s Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller and Deputy Chief Economist for the World Bank Group Ana Revenga will present their report: "Russian Federation systematic country diagnostic: pathway to inclusive growth."

Members of the Russian government will also take part in the forum. They include Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the newly-appointed Economy Development Minister Maksim Oreshkin, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and the Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina.

Aleksey Kudrin, Chairman of the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR), and Minister of Finance for Russia (2000-2011) will make the keynote speech.

The agreement came in a meeting between Japanese Minister for Economic Cooperation with Russia Hiroshige Seko and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Russia on Thursday.

Governments and companies of the 2 nations signed 80 agreement documents based on an economic cooperation plan presented by Tokyo.

The work schedule will focus on energy deals, including gas and nuclear power.

Ahead of the meeting, Seko met Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. Seko expressed his intention to attend one of Russia's biggest international trade fairs, to be held in the central city of Ekaterinburg in July.

Seko told reporters that he will do his best to increase cooperation in economic and various other areas to build a genuine partnership with Russia.

The online retailer said on Thursday that the new recruits will be full-time workers and directly employed by the company.

Amazon said that if its plan goes smoothly, its US-based workforce will exceed 280,000, making the company one of the largest employers in the country.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says innovation has created hundreds of thousands of American jobs. He notes that the new jobs are not just in Silicon Valley but also in fulfillment centers and other Amazon facilities throughout the country.

During the election campaign, Trump criticized IT firms such as Amazon and Apple for not producing enough US jobs.

In an apparent response to Trump's stance, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced plans to increase investment and employment in the US.

The fire broke out at Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation's Oita Works in western Japan on January 5th. It heavily damaged electrical equipment at the mainstay factory producing steel plates for ships and other uses. The firm says it doesn't know when it can restart production.

Its factories in Chiba and Aichi Prefectures have already increased their production of plates to address the situation. But it has become increasingly difficult to make up for the loss.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal has asked 2 other Japanese firms, JFE Steel and Kobe Steel, to produce plates on its behalf.

The firm has not commented on the quantity it has asked others to produce.

Its Oita Works shipped 2.4 million tons of steel plates last year, equivalent to one-fourth of all domestic production.

Based on the WHO studies in 2009, over seven thousand deaths occur annually in Mongolia; 10% of them are associated with air pollution. However, the number of deaths increased to 20% in 2014. Currently the coldest winter in a decade has led to the increase in the burning of cheap fuel in the capital's 'ger district' shanty towns, which has resulted in more intense pollution.

When asked if "the age of Apple is over” by The New York Times, Thiel answered: "Confirm. We know what a smartphone looks like and does. It’s not the fault of Tim Cook, but it’s not an area where there will be any more innovation."

In October, Apple reported its first annual revenue decline in 15 years, as for the first time iPhone sales slumped. In the three months ending September 24, the Cupertino, California company said its revenue dropped about nine percent year on year.

Apple’s annual sales fell to $216 billion in the 2016 fiscal year ending September 30, down from a record $234 billion the year before.

The company’s sales in China, once a catalyst for growth, declined 30 percent year on year as the tech company faces competition from local producers like Xiaomi and Huawei that make more affordable smartphones with a similar set of functions.

Some analysts say the the world may have reached “peak Apple,” as nearly everyone who wants and can afford an iPhone and other products already has one.

The iPhone was first launched in June 2007, transforming the telecoms industry. However, Apple is facing increased competition from smartphones running on Google’s Android, and other gadgets.

Thiel co-founded PayPal in 1999 and became Facebook's first outside investor after acquiring a 10.2 percent stake for $500,000 in 2004.