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Box office smash “Barbie” helped Warner Bros Discovery top core quarterly profit estimates but the effects of two Hollywood strikes and a weak advertising market could hamper earnings into next year, company executives said on Wednesday.

The dour outlook sent the company’s shares tumbling over 14%.

Although Hollywood’s film and television writers ratified a new three-year contract in September, ending their 148-day work stoppage, members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union have been on strike since July, roiling the industry’s 2024 film slate and depriving media companies of new content to sell.

Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels on a call with investors said there’s a “real risk” that the financial hit from the strike will linger into 2024.

“It is becoming increasingly clear now that much like 2023, 2024 will have its share of complexity, particularly as it relates to the possibility of continued sluggish advertising trends,” Wiedenfels said. “We don’t see when this is going to turn.”

Chief Executive David Zaslav said the company saw its lightest original content slate in years and had to delay some releases, leading to a drop in third-quarter streaming subscriber numbers.

Wiedenfels said that for full-year 2023 there will likely be a few hundred million dollars of a negative impact on EBITDA due to strike impacts, and several hundred million dollars of positive cash flow as a result of not being able to spend on production.

“The extreme success of the Barbie movie may be a one-off for them that won’t be repeated for at least a few years,” said Michael Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital.

The media company, forged by the union of WarnerMedia and Discovery, posted third-quarter adjusted core earnings of $2.97 billion, above estimates of $2.92 billion, according to LSEG data. Overall revenue of $9.98 billion was in line with estimates.

The company reported free cash flow of $2.06 billion, compared with $1.72 billion in the prior quarter. This surpassed expectations for $1.74 billion, according to Visible Alpha.

The company posted a net loss of $417 million, narrowing from a $2.3 billion net loss from a year-ago period.

“The market is not thrilled with the fact that even with the unparalleled blockbuster success of Barbie, they still found a way to lose $417 million in the quarter. Not ideal,” Great Hill Capital Chairman Thomas Hayes said.

Advertising revenue at its networks segment declined 12% to $1.71 billion as global conflicts and inflation created an uncertain climate for marketers.

The company’s streaming unit posted an adjusted core profit of $111 million, compared with a loss of $634 million a year ago. Global average revenue per user in the segment rose 6%.

Warner Bros Discovery had 95.1 million global direct-to-consumer customers at the end of the quarter, down from 95.8 million in the previous quarter.

In May, it launched its Max streaming service — combining HBO Max’s scripted entertainment with Discovery’s reality shows.

The company lost 17 cents per share, larger than estimates for a loss of 6 cents.

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Politics

The BBC’s billion dollar question

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The BBC's billion dollar question

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈

With US President Donald Trump threatening to sue the BBC, how likely is the broadcaster to pay out? And how have those across the political spectrum been reacting?

And with 15 days until Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s budget, Matthew McGregor – the chief executive of campaign group 38 Degrees and a former digital strategist for both Labour and Barack Obama – takes issue with Sam’s take from yesterday and sends in a voice note.

And Sam and Anne discuss the latest twist in the Your Party saga, and it’s all about money.

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World

At least 12 killed after suicide bombing in Pakistan

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At least 12 killed after suicide bombing in Pakistan

At least 12 people have been killed in a suicide bombing outside the gates of a court in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, the country’s interior minister has said.

At least 27 other people were also wounded after the bomber detonated his explosives next to a police car.

Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker tried to “enter the court premises but, failing to do so, targeted a police vehicle”.

Mr Naqvi added that authorities are “looking into all aspects” of the attack.

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Pic: Reuters

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Pic: AP

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but authorities have recently struggled with a resurgent Pakistani Taliban.

The explosion, which was heard from miles away, occurred at a busy time of day when the area outside the court is typically crowded with hundreds of visitors attending hearings.

More than a dozen badly wounded people were screaming for help as ambulances rushed to the scene.

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“People started running in all directions,” said Mohammad Afzal, who claimed he was at the court when he heard the blast.

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Pic: Reuters

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Pic: AP

Pakistani security forces earlier said they foiled an attempt by militants to take cadets hostage at an army-run college overnight, when a suicide car bomber and five other attackers targeted the facility in a northwestern province.

The authorities blamed the Pakistani Taliban, which is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, but the group denied involvement in that attack on Monday evening.

The assault began when a bomber attempted to storm the cadet college in Wana, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.

The area had, until recent years, served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda and other foreign militants.

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At least eight killed in New Delhi car explosion
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According to local police chief Alamgir Mahsud, two of the militants were quickly killed by troops while three others managed to enter the compound before being cornered in an administrative block.

The army’s commandos were among the forces conducting a clearance operation, and an intermittent exchange of fire went on into Tuesday, Mr Mahsud said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced both attacks and said those responsible must be brought to justice swiftly.

“We will ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and held accountable,” he said.

Mr Sharif described attacks on unarmed civilians as “reprehensible”, adding: “We will not allow the blood of innocent Pakistanis to go to waste.”

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UK

Police release update on Bob Vylan Glastonbury investigation

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Police release update on Bob Vylan Glastonbury investigation

Police say they have interviewed a man over comments made during punk-rap duo Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury.

A man in his mid-30s attended a voluntary interview with officers on Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The outspoken punk duo sparked controversy with their performance at Glastonbury in June, when frontman Bobby Vylan led a chant of “death, death to the IDF” on stage.

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Pic: PA

Police said they had consulted the Crown Prosecution Service and received legal advice on the investigation in October.

“It has been important for us to have a full understanding of any legal precedents, which is a complex process, and therefore over the past couple of months we have been seeking early legal advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS),” the force said in a statement.

“Following a review of the advice, a voluntary police interview was arranged to help us progress our enquiries… The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation.

“Voluntary police interviews are commonly used in investigations where an individual agrees to attend and an arrest is not considered necessary, for example on the grounds of public safety or for the preservation of evidence. Attendees are interviewed under caution and have the same legal rights as anybody who is arrested.”

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Pageant organiser accused of calling contestant a ‘dumbhead’

Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury was live-streamed by the BBC as part of its coverage of the festival, leading to fierce criticism of the corporation.

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has since found the broadcast breached editorial standards related to harm and offence.

However, the unit’s findings cleared the corporation of breaching its guidelines relating to material that is likely to encourage or incite crime.

Following the performance, the BBC issued an apology to viewers, especially the Jewish community, and promised to take action to “ensure proper accountability”.

It also said it would no longer live broadcast “high risk” performances.

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