VIENNA Russian President Vladimir Putin played a crucial role in helping OPEC rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia set aside differences to forge the cartel"s first deal with non-OPEC Russia in 15 years.
Interventions ahead of Wednesday"s OPEC meeting came at key moments from Putin, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran"s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, OPEC and non-OPEC sources said.
Putins role as intermediary between Riyadh and Tehran was pivotal, testament to the rising influence of Russia in the Middle East since its military intervention in the Syrian civil war just over a year ago.
It started when Putin met Saudi Prince Mohammed in September on the sidelines of a G20 gathering in China.
The two agreed to cooperate to help world oil markets clear a glut that had more than halved oil prices since 2014, pummeling Russian and Saudi government revenues. Oil prices are up 10 pct this week topping $53 a barrel.
The financial pain made a deal possible despite the huge political differences between Russia and Saudi over the civil war in Syria.
"Putin wants the deal. Full stop. Russian companies will have to cut production," said a Russian energy source briefed on the discussions.
In September, OPEC agreed in principle at a meeting in Algiers to reduce output for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.
But the individual country commitments required to finalize a deal at Wednesday"s Vienna meeting still required much diplomacy.
Recent OPEC meetings have failed because of arguments between de facto leader Saudi Arabia and third-largest producer Iran. Tehran has long argued OPEC should not prevent it restoring output lost during years of Western sanctions.
Proxy wars in Syria and Yemen have exacerbated decades of tensions between the Saudi Sunni kingdom and the Iranian Shi"ite Islamic republic.
BRINKMANSHIP
Heading into the meeting, the signs were not good. Oil markets went into reverse. Saudi Prince Mohammed had repeatedly demanded Iran participate in supply cuts. Saudi and Iranian OPEC negotiators had argued in circles in the run-up to the meeting.
And, then, just a few days beforehand, Riyadh appeared back away from a deal, threatening to boost production if Iran failed to contribute cuts.
But Putin established that the Saudis would shoulder the lion"s share of cuts, as long as Riyadh wasn"t seen to be making too large a concession to Iran. A deal was possible if Iran didn"t celebrate victory over the Saudis.
A phone call between Putin and Iranian President Rouhani smoothed the way. After the call, Rouhani and oil minister Bijan Zanganeh went to their supreme leader for approval, a source close to the Ayatollah said.
"During the meeting, the leader Khamenei underlined the importance of sticking to Iran"s red line, which was not yielding to political pressures and not to accept any cut in Vienna," the source said.
"Zanganeh thoroughly explained his strategy ... and got the leader"s approval. Also it was agreed that political lobbying was important, especially with Mr. Putin, and again the Leader approved it," said the source.
On Wednesday, the Saudis agreed to cut production heavily, taking "a big hit" in the words of energy minister Khalid al-Falih - while Iran was allowed to slightly boost output.
Iran"s Zanganeh kept a low profile during the meeting, OPEC delegates said. Zanganeh had already agreed the deal the night before, with Algeria helping mediate, and he was careful not to make a fuss about it.
After the meeting, the usually combative Zanganeh avoided any comment that might be read as claiming victory over Riyadh.
"We were firm," he told state television. "The call between Rouhani and Putin played a major role ... After the call, Russia backed the cut."
IRAQ LAST-MINUTE HITCH
But OPEC would not be OPEC without a last-minute quarrel threatening to derail the deal. Iraq became a problem.
As ministerial talks got underway, OPEC"s second-largest producer insisted it could not afford to cut output, given the cost of its war against Islamic State.
But, facing pressure from the rest of OPEC to contribute a cut, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi picked up the phone in front of his peers to call his prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.
"Abadi said: "Get the deal done". And that was it," one OPEC source said.
(additional reporting Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar; editing by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Richard Mably)
Sherri Papini, the California mom who mysteriously vanished in early November before being found allegedly beaten but alive along a rural road on Thanksgiving Day, is offering new details about the two Hispanic women who allegedly abducted her.
During a series of interviews this week with investigators, Papini told them that one of the women had long curly hair, thin eyebrows and pierced ears. The other woman, who was older, had straight black hair with gray and thick eyebrows. Both of the women allegedly spoke in Spanish the majority of the time.
There is a lot still unknown about her assailants, said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. Bosenko said Papinis alleged abductors had sometimes covered her face and had concealed their faces as well during her three-week ordeal.
Sherry did her best in providing the descriptions but was not able to provide a detailed description because of the assailants covering their faces, Bosenko said.
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Papini, he said, was cooperative and courageous during the intense interviews with investigators. Police also showed Papini video surveillance footage of SUVs seen in the area around the time of her abduction, but none of the vehicles were a match, said Bosenko.
Papini was allegedly kidnapped while out for a jog on Nov. 2. She was found around 4:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in Yolo County about 150 miles south of her Redding home, where she was last seen.
Papinis husband, Keith, described the horrific condition she was in the first time he saw her after her release by her captors.
My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed. Her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of her repeated beatings. The bridge of her nose broken, Keith Papini wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. She has been branded and I could feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers.
He added that Papini weighed only 87 lbs. and her long, blonde hair had been chopped off. He wrote that Sherri had been thrown from a vehicle with a chain around her waist which was also attached to her wrists and a bag over her head.
On Wednesday, Bosenko confirmed that Papini was branded but would not provide any details about what the brand looked like or where it was placed on her body.
Bosenko told PEOPLE that the motive behind the alleged kidnapping is still unclear.
We dont know what the motive or the reason for the abduction was, he says. We dont know if this was a targeted abduction or a random abduction or [if] she was the specific target. We dont have the reason as of yet of why she was abducted. We dont have details on where she was being held during this period of time.
Password with Natalie Portman, Neil Diamond and J.J. Abrams
Neil Diamond will embark on his 50 Year Anniversary World Tour in 2017, beginning with 39 concerts in North American arenas.
Diamond, whose first hit single "Solitary Man" was released in 1966, kicks off the U.S. leg of his world tour on April 7th in Fresno, California. Tickets for the 50 Year Anniversary World Tour go on sale December 9th via Live Nation.
"Neil Diamond is more than just a music icon. His singular artistry and talent has left an indelible mark on American culture and has helped shape the sound of popular music for five decades," Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement.
After the massive tour announcement andhis upcoming seasonal LP Acoustic Christmas, Diamond appeared on The Tonight Show Wednesday to serve as Jimmy Fallon"s partner in a Password showdown against Natalie Portman and J.J. Abrams. Watch the clip below.
Neil Diamond Tour Dates
April 7 - Fresno, CA @ SaveMart CenterApril 9 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home ArenaApril 12 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade CenterApril 14 - Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink CenterApril 16 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy CenterApril 19 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone ArenaApril 21 - Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! CenterApril 23 - Tampa, FL @ Amalie ArenaApril 26 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BB&T CenterApril 28 - Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum CenterApril 30 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips ArenaMay 2 - New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King CenterMay 21 - Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo ArenaMay 24 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy CenterMay 26 - Indianapolis, IN @ Banker"s Life FieldhouseMay 28 - Chicago, IL @ United CenterMay 30 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans ArenaJune 2 - Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn HillsJune 4 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross ArenaJune 7 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada CentreJune 9 - Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms ArenaJune 11 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun ArenaJune 15 & 17 - New York, NY @ Madison Square GardenJune 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo CenterJune 22 - Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the ArtsJuly 14 - Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank ArenaJuly 16 - Houston, TX @ Toyota CenterJuly 18 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines CenterJuly 21 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi CenterJuly 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers ArenaJuly 26 - Seattle, WA @ Key ArenaJuly 28 - Portland, OR @ Moda CenterJuly 30 - San Jose, CA @ SAP CenterAugust 2 - Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 CenterAugust 4 - Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort ArenaAugust 8 - San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino CenterAugust 10 & 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
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Cheryl - Call My Name Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole attend the Fayre of St James"s hosted by Quintessentially Foundation and the Crown Estate in aid of Cheryl"s Trust in support of the Prince"s Trust on Nov. 29, 2016, in London. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Baby on board! Cheryl Cole is pregnant. The English singer, 33, debuted her bump while out with boyfriend Liam Payne on Tuesday, November 29. Cole put her pregnant belly on display in a formfitting olive dress as she headed to the St. James Christmas Carol Concert in London with the One Direction crooner, 23.
PHOTOS: Cutest Celebrity Baby Announcements Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole arrive at the Fayre of St James"s Church on Nov. 29, 2016, in London. Mark Robert Milan/GC Images
Their outing comes after the former Girls Aloud singer sparked pregnancy rumors when she stepped out with a slight bump last month. Cole and Payne have yet to officially confirm the pregnancy.
Hot Brits! Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole attend the Fayre of St. James"s Church on Nov. 29, 2016, in London. Mark Robert Milan/GC Images Justin Bieber, More Stars Parody Kanye Wests Famous Video: Watch! Liam Payne Confirms Relationship With Cheryl Fernandez-Versini One Directions Liam Payne Is Dating "X Factor" Judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
The pair began dating in February. The 1D singer met Cole while auditioning on the U.K.s The X Factor when he was 14 and she was a judge on the show. He and his bandmates later performed for Cole again on the reality competition show when he was 16 in 2010, before going on to win and find global fame with One Direction.
This will be the first child for Cole. The Girls Aloud songstress was previously married to pro soccer player Ashley Cole and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, who she recently divorced. This will also be the first child for Payne.
Their happy news follows Paynes bandmate Louis Tomlinsons baby news. Tomlinson welcomed a son with L.A.-based stylist Briana Jungwirth this past January.
PHOTOS: Celebrity Babies 2016 Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole attend the Fayre of St. James"s hosted by Quintessentially Foundation and the Crown Estate in aid of Cheryl"s Trust in support of the Prince"s Trust on Nov. 29, 2016, in London. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images
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Trump taps Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary; strikes deal with Carrier
Steven Mnuchin, a hedge fund manager and former Goldman Sachs executive, is President-elect Donald Trump"s choice for Treasury secretary, a source told USA TODAY. Here is what we know about the 53-year-old. USA TODAY NETWORK
Businessman Steven Mnuchin shown arriving at Trump Tower in New York City for meetings with President-elect Donald Trump on November 17, 2016.(Photo: EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ, AFP/Getty Images)
From buying a failed bank during the U.S. financial crisis to producing major movies and serving as national finance chairman for Donald Trump"s presidential campaign, Steven Mnuchin has a recordof winning risky bets.
Now the former Wall Streetbankeris poised for what could be his biggest challenge yet: Trump"s nominee for U.S. Treasury secretary.
Trump is expected to officially name Mnuchin, 53, as his choice for the nation"s top financialpolicy job as soon as Wednesday,a source close to Trump"s transition team told USA TODAY Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because officials were not authorized to speak publicly about selections.
To associates and friends who were surprised when he accepted Trump"s invitation to serve as lead campaign fundraiser after the New York presidential primary, Mnuchin offered a potentially prescient explanation.
Nobodys going to be like, Well, why did he do this? if I end up in the administration," he told Bloomberg Businessweek in August.
The news that Mnuchin is Trump"s pick came as reports swirled that Trump would nominate billionaire Wilbur Ross, also considered a risk taker, to serve as Commerce secretary.Ross, 79, made a career out of buying ailing companies in sometimes troubled sectors on the cheap, restructuring them and then selling them for billions of dollars.Ross, too, could be announced as early as Wednesday, the source close to the transition team said.
Trump has praised Mnuchin, who with the Republican National Committee helped raise tens of millions of dollars for the billionaire businessman"s winning campaign over Hillary Clinton. However, they weren"t always the best of friends.
In a 2008 lawsuit, Trump targeted one of Mnuchin"s companies in a lawsuit that alleged Deutsche Bank and other investors improperly balked at extendingmultimillion-dollar construction loans on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. The case was ultimately settled.
Mnuchin, a twice-married father of three, is a Yale College graduate who followed his father to renowned U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs. He started at the financial powerhouse in the 1980s and spent 17 years there, amassing a fortuneand becoming an executive vice presidentof the New York City-based companybefore his2003 departure.
His next stop was ESL International, the hedge fund founded by Edward Lampert, one of Mnuchin"s Yale roommates and another Goldman alumnus who is now the CEO and chairman of Sears Holdings. Lampert tapped him for a board seat on Sears Holdings-owned retail chainKmart in 2003. However, Mnuchin left soon afterward to become chief executive of SFM Capital Managment, a fund backed byinternational financier and investor George Soros.
Mnuchin"s SFM tenurewas similarlybrief. In 2004, he co-founded private hedge fund Dune Capital Management with Daniel Neidich, another former Goldman executive. The fund invested in equities andreal estate including some Trump projects.
Additionally, the fund invested in the U.S. movie industry. Starting in 2006, Mnuchin reacheda three-year deal in which an entity called Dune Entertainment agreed toinvest $500 million in a string of 20th Century Fox movies, according to multiple media reports.
The transaction launched a deeper Mnuchin diveintoentertainment investments and co-producing that ultimately included the Hollywood blockbuster success Avatar, The X-Men franchise, American Sniper, Gravity and The Lego Movie. Those films scored box office wins. Yetother movies that involved Mnuchin, such as Our Brand is Crisis, a fictional account of American campaign strategists involved in a Bolivian election, flopped.
In 2013, Mnuchin,filmmaker Brett Ratner and Australian businessman James Packer joined in anentity called RatPac-Dune Entertainment that agreed to $300 million in co-financing for as many as 75 films by Warner Bros. Pictures, according to the movie company andmediareports.
The following year, Mnuchin partnered with Ryan Kavanaugh and an investment group to buy debt and an equity stake in Kavanaugh"s Relativity Media. He also took a seat on the Relativity board of directors, becoming the company"s non-executive chairman.
"Steven has been a trusted adviser for years, and I personally recruited him to join our board," Kavanaugh said in a statement at the time. "He brings an unrivaled perspective on the ever-increasing value of content in Hollywood and Wall Street."
The move also ended up snarlingMnuchin in controversy.
Five years before taking the Relativity post, heled an investor group thatbought California-based IndyMac Bank, which had collapsed in a more than $7 billion implosion during the financial crisis. The investor group, which paid the FDIC roughly $1.55 billion to take the bank off the FDIC"s hands, was backed by Soros, hedge fund managerJohn Paulson, computer manufacturerMichael Dell, private equity investorChristopher Flowersand others.
IndyMac became OneWest Bank, with Mnuchin as its chairman. The deal drew criticismbecause it was finalizedbefore FDIC Chair Sheila Bair managed to institute a change that would requireprivate equity buyers like the Mnuchin-led group to maintain a10% leverage ratio at newly-resurrected banks and hold the investments for at least three years.
Bair, now the president of Washington College, declined to comment for this story.However, recounting the IndyMac collapse and sale in Bull By the Horns, her 2012 book about her FDIC tenure, Bair characterized the regulator as boxed in.
"The reality is that those who are brave enough to buy distressed companies in a down market whether banks or any other type of company expect to make a return commensurate with the risks they are taking," wrote Bair."The FDIC, as seller, had no good options."
File photo taken in 2009 shows a New York City building bearing the logo of the CIT Group.(Photo: Seth Wenig, AP)
New criticism and lawsuits came after Relativity Media sought federal bankruptcy court protection in July 2015. By then, Mnuchin had left the movie company"s board. And he was weeks away from selling OneWest Bank to CIT Group ata price that produceda hefty profit for himand fellow investors$3.4 billion in cash and stock, more than doublingtheirinvestment.
One of Relativity Media"s creditors, RKA Film Financing, took a cynical view of Mnuchin"s dual involvement with the movie company and the bank which was also owed millionsby Relativity.
In a 2016 New York Supreme Court lawsuit, RKA said Relativity"s collapse "amounted to a classic Ponzi scheme," and labeled its CEO Kavanaugh "a con man."
Mnuchin had held "a unique position," the lawsuit alleged, "affording him knowledge of both Relativity"s precarious financial position and the ability to ensure certain creditors namely OneWest Bank were able to siphon away funds that had been commingled" with RKA"s investments.
The lawsuit also charged that OneWest swept approximately $50 million from Relativity"s bank accounts before the collapse.
A bankruptcy court declaration by Timothy Coleman, a Blackstone expert who worked with Relativity on restructuring plans, said the OneWest transfers "further strained" the movie company"s "already problematic liquidity situation," and also forced postponement of some film projects.
The movies included Masterminds, which featuresZach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and other actors in a comedy based on an actual bank robbery. The film ultimately opened on Sept. 30 this year.
A Mnuchin court filing called his inclusion in RKA"s lawsuit"not just baseless, but sanctionable." He moved to throw out the case, as did Kavanaugh.Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Ramos dismissed the lawsuit in an October decision that left the door open for the complaint to be updatedand refiled.
Benjamin Naftalis, an attorney for RKA, said the company "plans to file an amended complaint that will continue to include Mr. Mnuchin."
Though Mnuchin is best known publicly for his business dealings, he and his family also became known as some of the thousands ofinvestors caught up in the aftermath of Bernard Madoff"s notoriousPonzi scheme.
More than $3 million that Mnuchin and his brotherinherited from their deceased mother"s estate represented fictitious profits from Madoff"s estimated $20 billionscam, court-appointed trustee Irving Picard alleged in a 2010 bankruptcy court filing. But a court decision said the family"s withdrawals, and similar Madoff payouts to otherinvestors,had occurred more than two years before the scheme collapsed.
As a result, the moneycould not legally be recovered to help repay the disgraced financier"s less fortunate customers, the court ruled.
Although Mnuchin so far has emerged relatively unscathed from several court challenges, a new federal complaint filed after Trump"s win potentially could become a factor in Senate confirmation hearings for the Treasury post.
OneWest was criticized bysome housing advocates over a wave of foreclosures filed amidthe financial crisis.
Additionally, the bank, its successor, CIT Bank, and CIT Group were targeted this month with a new federal complaint that alleged they engaged in redlining and other discrimination against minorities. Two groups that advocate for fair housing and equal access to credit filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Our analysis of OneWest suggests the bank has no significant branch presence in communities of color, and not surprisingly, its home loans to borrowers and communities of color are low in absolute terms, low compared to its peer banks, and low when compared to what one would expect given the size of theAsian-American, African-American and Latino populations in California," said Kevin Stein, a deputy director forthe California Reinvestment Coalition, one of the groups that filed the complaint.
In response, CIT Group said it is"committed to fair lending and works hard to meet the credit needs of all communities and neighborhoods we serve."
Mnuchin did not respond to USA TODAY interview requests submitted to a company spokesman. However, Trump"s presidential transition staff provided a statement in which former OneWest chief executive Joseph Otting said the bank "remained committed to fair lending and meeting the credit needs of all borrowers in its communities, including those in distress."
Steinsaid the allegations submitted to HUD should be examined during Mnuchin"s expected confirmation hearings.
"It was not our intent in filing the case. But it should be considered," said Stein. "The American people would want a Treasury secretary who understands the lives of ordinary people and how they interact with major financial institutions."
Contributing: Ray Locker and Paul Davidson
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kevin McCoy on Twitter: @kmccoynyc
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John Jay - Advertencia - Prod. By Nelly "El Arma Secreta" (Official Video)
Vinnie Hinostroza remembers playing hockey against good friend and (now) teammate Ryan Hartman, starting when they were seven years old.
He was one of the toughest kids in the area to play against, Hinostroza said. You never wanted to play against him, even when there wasnt checking.
So basically, Hartman has always played this energy-driven, sandpaper game. It just so happens that his game is a lot like former Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaws. So when Shaw was traded, the inevitable questions arose. Who was going to take Shaws place in the lineup? Who was going to bring Shaws agitation? Who was going to bring Shaws net-front presence? It was all about someone being the next Shaw.
While Hartman has replaced Shaw in some aspects, he is not, nor was he ever, trying to be Shaw. And so far this season Hartmans been playing his game pretty well and creating his own identity with the Blackhawks.
So maybe its time for us to give Hartman credit for being a good player in his own right, and not a guy trying to be another guy.
Andrew came into the league and built his own path and became the player he is by his own play and his own game, Hartman said. Im just looking to do the same thing.
Hartman has given a boost to the Blackhawks, and hes currently on a line with Marian Hossa and Hinostroza. He was especially good on the Blackhawks Circus Trip, during which he had three goals in seven games including the game winner against Anaheim on Friday. Hes been agitating. Hes been aggressive. So far hes also done all that while staying on the right side of the discipline line.In 19 games this season, Hartman has just two penalty minutes.
[SHOP:Gear up, Blackhawks fans!]
Hinostroza said Hartmans succeeding with his own game.
Thats always been his identity. Hes not trying to be someone else, Hinostroza said. So its important he sticks to that and people will really start seeing how he plays. Hopefully he can keep it up.
Much like several other rookies, Hartman is taking advantage of an opportunity. Another offseason purge and another tight salary-cap situation opened the door for some of the Blackhawks prospects. Hartman is especially noticeable against the Blackhawks more physical opponents.
I think hes always had a little edge to his game that he needs to bring every shift, coach Joel Quenneville said. You notice him. Hes abrasive in the puck area, he goes to the hard areas, comes up with loose pucks and can make a play in tight areas, which is his game. Physicality you look at our lineup, guys who can enhance our team physically in any way, we dont mind that. He brings that element that we appreciate.
Hes also brought offense, good for a team that needs more secondary scoring. So whats been working for him?
Its a mix of a lot. Finding chemistry with line mates, with other players, a little bit of puck-luck too. Pucks have come onto my stick in good areas at times. Weve been getting some wins, too, which helps, Hartman said. Its a good thing Ive been able to score. Thereve been a few posts and other chances, a couple of open nets I shouldve scored on, too. But hopefully I can continue helping out on the scoresheet.
Hartman is here because the Blackhawks had players to replace, including Shaw. But he should be known for his own game, for his own contributions.
Im just coming along game by game, Hartman said. [Im] playing the way Ive always played and just trying to build a career from there.
