Memphis Depay, right, celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Club Brugge in the Uefa Champions League Qualifying Play-Off first leg at Old Trafford on September 18.  Jason Cairnduff / Action Images via Reuters
Memphis Depay, right, celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Club Brugge in the Uefa Champions League Qualifying Play-Off first leg at Old Trafford on September 18. Jason Cairnduff / ActionShow more

Manchester United forecasts big jump in profit after Champions League return



English Premier League club Manchester United said it expected annual profit to jump by as much as 46 per cent, boosted by a return to Champions League football this season, after reporting an expected fall in 2014-15 earnings.

Having failed to qualify for last season’s Champions League, Europe’s top club competition, after a shock seventh place finish in 2013/14, United’s income has suffered.

The club said on Thursday that its core earnings for the year to June 30 fell 7.8 per cent to £119.9 million (Dh683.7m), as expected.

Lower matchday and broadcast sales pushed revenue down 8.8 per cent, though the club’s corporate appeal continued to increase, with commercial income up 4 per cent in the year.

Gross debt rose 20.2 per cent to £411 million.

United, owned by the American Glazer family, improved to a fourth place league finish in 2014/15 and after spending heavily on new players over the summer have since qualified for this campaign’s Champions League group stage.

The club said it expected 2016 adjusted core earnings to be between £165 and £175m. It also announced it had approved the payment of a regular quarterly cash dividend and would pay $0.045 per share for the first quarter of 2016.

“Our record revenue and (core earnings) guidance for 2016 reflects the underlying strength of our business and our confidence in its continued growth,” United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement.

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Boulder shooting victims

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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

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The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

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Changing visa rules

For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.

Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.

It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.

The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.

The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.

The past winners

2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

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Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
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