Russian manufacturing may grow significantly this year if industries maintain the current rate of increase, President Vladimir Putin predicted on Thursday. During a meeting with business executives, Putin said that production rose in the first two quarters of this year, and if the trend continues, growth will be 12% in annual terms.

Member states will be urged to curb their energy use, according to a draft seen by Reuters The EU will urge member countries to scale back their demand for gas in order to prepare for potential Russian supply cuts, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a draft of the proposal.

Swedish audio streaming company Spotify has announced plans for a round of layoffs that is expected to impact around 6% of its global workforce of some 10,000 employees. The company has thus become the latest in a slew of tech firms announcing job cuts aimed at cutting costs.