The daily business briefing: December 1, 2016

OPEC approves production cuts, Netflix introduces video downloads, and more

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1. OPEC agrees to first output cut since 2008

OPEC agreed to its first production cut since 2008 on Wednesday, sending oil prices surging by more than 9 percent. The deal came after Saudi Arabia, the world's largest producer, agreed to what Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih described as "a big hit," shouldering the largest of the 1.2 million barrels a day in cuts. Iran had been resisting cuts, insisting it should be allowed to regain market share it lost under recently lifted Western sanctions. Under a compromise, Iran will be allowed to boost production slightly from its October level. Traders said the oil rally might quickly fizzle, as the cuts won't be enough to end a global glut.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.