Michael Vaughan was one of a group of players to be given yearlong contracts by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Michael Vaughan was one of a group of players to be given yearlong contracts by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Vaughan given ECB contract



LONDON // The former England Test captain Michael Vaughan was among 12 players awarded yearlong contracts today by the England and Wales Cricket Board, while the 15-man squad for the lucrative, winner-take-all Stanford Super Series was also announced. Vaughan had been struggling for runs when he resigned as captain on Aug 3 after the third Test defeat that guaranteed South Africa's first series win in England since 1965. He was replaced by Kevin Pietersen, who led England to victory in the final Test of a series and to a 4-0 win over South Africa in the subsequent one-day series.

Ryan Sidebottom was added to the 14 players in the one-day squad. England will play the Stanford Superstars on Nov 1 in a Twenty20 match in Antigua that will net the winning team US$20 million (Dh73.4m) in prize money. *AP

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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On sale: Now

The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk


Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
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Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Founder: Ayman Badawi

Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software

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Funders: friends

How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 

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