A town council has increased its portion of the council tax bill by nearly 70%

A man has been arrested on suspicion of fraud believed to be linked to a nearly 70% council tax precept rise. In February, Cambourne Town Council agreed to increase its council tax precept to £1,493,098, which was a 68% increase from the previous financial year.

The rise left a number of Cambourne residents angry, with one resident branding it as “ridiculous”. The town council admitted that “restricted funds, including S106 monies, were previously used for revenue expenditure when they should not have been”, a spokesperson previously told CambridgeshireLive.

A 63-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of fraud in connection with the precept rise. A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “On Wednesday (April 15), a 63-year-old man from St Ives was arrested on suspicion of fraud by abuse of position. He has been bailed until July 15.”

A Cambourne Town Council spokesperson said: “As there is an active criminal investigation, the Council is not able to comment on specific matters. We are complying fully with all legal obligations and will provide further information when it is lawful and appropriate to do so.”

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in from across the county? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in.

Millions of Amazon Kindle devices are going to stop working within weeks in what one book-lover has called a ‘nightmare’.

The tech giant informed Kindle lovers in an email last week stating that Amazon Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released during or before 2012 will no longer be supported from May 20.

This means that anyone using the affected devices, which rely on online services, will no longer be able to download new e-books, effectively ‘bricking’ the devices.

Which Amazon Kindles are becoming unusable?

Experts estimate this move, which comes after Amazon dropped support for its Fire TV Blaster, will impact around two million devices, but which?

• Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
• Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010)
• Kindle Keyboard (2010)
• Kindle 4 (2011)
• Kindle Touch (2011)
• Kindle 5 (2012)
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
• Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
• Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

What can I no longer do on these Kindles?

Amazon says that users will still be able to flip through already downloaded ebooks and their Kindle Library will remain accessible on the smartphone app and the Kindle website.

But it warned that deregistering or performing a factory reset on the older Kindles will make them unusable, and users will no longer be able to reregister it or use the device in any way.

On Kindle Fire devices, users will no longer be able to purchase or download content. All other services will remain operational.

In its recently updated support page, Amazon also confirmed that the gadget’s ‘Send to Kindle’ feature will no longer work, and users will be forced to use a USB cable to transfer any documents to e-readers.

Amazon should have already emailed you if you own one of these bricks-to-be, but you can use this page to find out which model you have.

To soften the blow, Amazon is offering longtime users a promotional code for 20% of some Kindle devices, as well as book credits if they purchase a new device before June 20.

Tech expert Paolo Pescatore says that as much as Amazon’s decision is ‘frustrating’ for users, stopping support for older models makes sense from a security perspective.

‘The challenge is that these devices were built for a different era and are not equipped to run newer, more data-hungry services and features,’ he tells Metro.

‘On top of that, supporting ageing hardware becomes harder as older chipsets, components and software stacks lose broader industry support.’

Ugo Vallauri, co-director of the Restart Project, which teaches people how to refurbish their old tech, says Amazon will brick two million devices.

Vallauri tells Metro that while this will only impact 3% of users, it’s the latest example of ‘software obsolescence’, leading to 624 tons of e-waste.

‘We’ve seen it all before,’ he says. ‘Manufacturers of all kinds of products.

‘Amazon claims that new models provide better performance when deciding to stop supporting products they’ve already sold to consumers. However, that’s hardly a good reason for soft-bricking millions of still functioning devices.’

‘By offering a discount to buy a new device, Amazon is implicitly inviting people to upgrade and recycle their existing, functioning device.’

‘I made the intentional choice not to trust Amazon’

Book-lovers have criticised the move. Among them is Daria Ershova, a PR worker in Belgrade, Serbia, who has owned a Kindle since 2017. Her mum, meanwhile, has been reading books on the device for 13 years.

‘What frustrates me most is the logic of it,’ Daria, 24, tells Metro.

‘If a device works perfectly fine, cutting off its access to new content is a bad business decision.

‘And it’s one that punishes exactly the kind of customer Amazon should want to keep: people who’ve been in their ecosystem for a decade.’

Some social media users fear that the move was to force more people to use updated Kindle models that display adverts.

New Kindle models display ads for books and sponsored screensavers on the home page and lock screen, which can be removed for a fee.

Amazon’s announcement has left people who own e-readers not produced by the American corporation worried that their devices could be next.

One social media user told Metro that he bought an e-device by the Canadian company Kobo for this very reason.

‘I am a bit worried that I’ll eventually need to replace my Kobo and would rather refurbish it,’ he says.

‘I’d be more worried if I had a Kindle but I made the intentional choice not to trust Amazon.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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England’s Lionesses are no strangers to making history.

The past decade has been rich in landmark moments; a first tournament medal, a first major trophy, and a first title defence – on foreign soil to boot.

When Sarina Wiegman’s side play Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday (17:30 BST) they will reach another milestone – the 500th fixture for England’s senior women’s team.

The game is important for securing qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, with England keen to win more silverware in the famous white shirt.

But regardless of the result, the match will be etched in history as a reminder of how far the English women’s game has come.

In 1921, the Football Association (FA) banned women’s football, considering the game “most unsuitable for females”, external.

The decision consigned women’s football to park pitches and small venues for half a century before the decision was overturned in 1971.

To mark 500 not out, BBC Sport takes a look at 11 defining moments in the history of England’s women.

“But, in saying that, watching him, his energy, his intensity of how he pressed and ran for the team and defended, they are all really, really good signs in terms of his fitness. And if he stays in that place, his quality will take over and he’ll be massive for us between now and the end of the season.”

Bitcoin has long been promised to function as money. In practice, it rarely does.

While 99% of transactions are still speculative trading, for as long as bitcoin has been a thing it has been used to skirt governments’ economic controls. Cryptocurrencies are particularly attractive for countries facing sanctions.

The Iranian government is considering charging oil tankers for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency. The reports have excited the bitcoin community with crypto markets jumping slightly in response. “Once the email arrives and Iran completes its assessment, vessels are given a few seconds to pay in bitcoin, ensuring they can’t be traced or confiscated due to sanctions”, an Iranian government spokesperson told the Financial Times.

$2 million per ship – in crypto

According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has accepted payments from ship operators since March, charging up to US$2 million per vessel to transit the strait. Payment can be made not only in bitcoin but also in Chinese yuan or the dollar-pegged “stablecoin” tether.

For shipping companies, the details remain unclear. But many ships are unlikely to set sail without assurances of safe passage from the IRGC.

The US has taken a hard line. President Donald Trump has accused Iran of extortion and stated that the US would hunt down and intercept any ships in international waters that paid the Iranian tolls.

The stalemate is likely to tighten an already narrow choke point. The war has reduced the passage of tankers to a trickle.

Practical problems

Our research has examined how individuals and governments facing sanctions use cryptocurrencies as a way to buy and sell oil, raise hard currency and sidestep economic embargoes. Iran is no stranger to crypto shenanigans. Around 4.5% of all bitcoin mining takes place there, allowing the country to purchase imports and bypass US sanctions.

Yet implementing a bitcoin-based toll system without US approval is not straightforward. Shipping companies will struggle to buy enough cryptocurrency from exchanges without alerting US regulators.

As the US has defined the IRGC a terrorist organisation, any exchanges doing business with Iran risk being added to sanctions lists. Two UK-registered crypto exchanges have found themselves in such a predicament this year.

Even if shipping companies had ready access to millions of dollars-worth of crypto, bitcoin is not truly anonymous. All transactions are logged in a transparent ledger, known as a blockchain, and can be traced with ease in real time.

The transit fee has been reported as the equivalent of US$1 per barrel of oil. US enforcement agencies need only check how much oil a ship is carrying and the time the vessel sailed the strait to guess whether or not a toll was paid.

Who wins from crypto crises

Iran’s plan is seemingly a challenge to the dominance of the US dollar in global oil markets. Accepting payment in yuan, in particular, could subvert the so-called “petrodollar” system. One strategist at Deutsche Bank says the conflict could see “the beginnings of the ‘petroyuan’”.

But China and Iran aren’t the only potential beneficiaries. Some of the biggest commercial proponents of bitcoin are US oil firms, like Exxon and ConocoPhillips. Both have been recognised by the World Bank for their “innovations”: using residual gas from oil wells to power their bitcoin mining machines. Both benefit enormously from a high global oil price and spiking crypto markets. By spurring demand for bitcoin, the crypto industry – centred in the US – will also win big.

In times of war, stocks in weapons companies have always been a safe investment. It looks like cryptocurrencies could be joining them. In a forthcoming book I have written with colleagues, Crypto Crises: how digital currencies accelerate global instability, we explain how cryptocurrencies are reproducing and intensifying geopolitical crises, transforming them into new opportunities for states and corporations to extract profits.

Donald Trump and his family seem to recognise this, and have gone all in on crypto. As well as launching their own cryptocurrencies “meme-coins” and crypto businesses, the president recently bet US$1 billion chasing the bitcoin boom from his own pro-crypto reform policies.

Trump himself initially suggested that the US and Iran might levy the Hormuz toll fees as a “joint venture”, declaring that US involvement would be “a beautiful thing”.

Together, these moves point to a broader shift. Bitcoin remains difficult to use on the high street, while its transparent ledger makes it a terrible choice for criminals. Instead, its real use lies elsewhere.

Crypto use is often a symptom of desperation, not innovation. It is being touted during economic blockades or other moments of geopolitical tension, when conventional financial systems are restricted or have broken down. In these circumstances, it can become a makeshift opportunity for survival, or a tool for making quick profits from instability.

Oil prices dropped back to where they were in the early days of the Iran war, and US stocks raced to another record Friday after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is open again for commercial tankers carrying crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

The S&P 500 leaped 1.2 per cent to an all-time high and closed out a third straight week of big gains, its longest streak since Halloween. A freer flow of oil could take pressure off prices not only for gasoline but also for groceries and all kinds of other products that get moved by vehicles. It could even ultimately help people pay less on credit-card interest and mortgage bills.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged as many as 1,100 points before paring its gain to 868, or 1.8 per cent. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5 per cent.

The US stock market has jumped more than 12 per cent since hitting a bottom in late March on hopes the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy despite their war. Friday’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which may only be temporary, is the clearest signal yet for optimism, and president Donald Trump said late Thursday that the war “should be ending pretty soon”.

The price for a barrel of benchmark US crude plunged immediately after Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, posted on X that passage for all commercial vessels through the strait “is declared completely open” as a ceasefire appears to be holding in Lebanon. He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, and the price for U.S. oil dropped 9.4 per cent to settle at $82.59 per barrel.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 9.1 per cent to settle at $90.38 per barrel. To be sure, it remains above its $70 price from before the war, indicating some caution is still embedded in financial markets.

US stocks are heading toward the end of a third straight week of big gains.

Several times since the war began, optimism on Wall Street has quickly deteriorated into doubt about a possible end to the fighting. That in turn has caused vicious and sudden swings of prices for everything from stocks to bonds to oil.

Minutes after the Iranian foreign minister’s announcement of the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening, Mr Trump said on his social media network that the US navy’s blockade of Iranian ports remains “in full force” until both sides reach a deal on the war. He, though, also suggested that “should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated” and emphasized it by using all capital letters.

Companies with big fuel bills soared to some of Wall Street’s biggest gains following the easing of oil prices.

United Airlines flew 7.1 per cent higher, and Southwest Airlines climbed 5.1 per cent. A day earlier, the head of the International Energy Agency had said that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supplies.

Operators of cruise ships, which guzzle fuel, also steamed higher. Royal Caribbean Group gained 7.3 per cent and Carnival rose 7 per cent.

Housing and auto-related companies likewise got some relief from the drop in oil prices.

With less threat of high inflation hurting the economy, a sustained drop in oil prices could convince the Federal Reserve to resume its cuts to interest rates to help the economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.24 per cent from 4.32 per cent late Thursday, and lower yields can bring down rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses.

Builders FirstSource, a supplier of windows and other products, rose 5.5 per cent, and homebuilder PulteGroup gained 5 per cent on hopes that lower mortgage rates will spur more people to buy houses. Carvana climbed 7 per cent because lower loan rates can get more customers into new autos.

A strong start to the earnings reporting season for big U.S. companies has also helped support the U.S. stock market, and more financial companies joined the list delivering bigger profits for the start of 2026 than analysts expected.

State Street rose 2.5 per cent, and Fifth Third Bancorp added 1.7 per cent after both reported better results for the latest quarter than expected.

They helped offset a 9.7 per cent slide for Netflix, which fell even though it delivered a better profit than expected. It did not raise its forecast for revenue growth for the full year, which analysts said may have disappointed some investors.

It also said Reed Hastings, cofounder and chairman of the streaming company, will step down from its board of directors in June when his term expires.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 84.78 points to 7,126.06. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 868.71 to 49,447.43, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 365.78 to 24,468.48.

In stock markets abroad, stock indexes leaped in Europe following Iran’s announcement about the Strait of Hormuz. France’s CAC 40 jumped 2 per cent, and Germany’s DAX returned 2.3 per cent.

In Asia, where trading finished for the day before the announcement, indexes were weaker. Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.8 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9 per cent for two of the bigger losses.

The UK’s biggest grocer described the move as “one of the most revolutionary retailing improvements in decades” which would give customers access to a host of information about products via their smartphones.

QR codes will be applied to the packaging of 13 lines of Tesco’s own-brand sausages including Tesco Pork Sausages, Tesco Pork Chipolatas, Tesco British Pork Sausage Meat as well as British Cumberland Sausages and British Lincolnshire Sausages.

The codes can be used to provide additional product information to customers such as nutritional content, with shoppers being able to use them to access recipes and competitions.

(Image: PA Wire)

Tesco said adopting the new codes would give it better information about products in stores, helping it to order more accurately and improve efficiency, reducing unnecessary waste.

In the event of product recalls, QR codes will allow retailers to identify specific batches instead of removing all items, avoiding throwing products away unnecessarily and improving availability.

Retailers will also be able to block the sale of affected items at the till and contact customers who may have purchased them.

It is part of a wider industry shift led by GS1, the global body responsible for barcode standards, which has set a target for retailers and manufacturers to be ready to accept QR codes.

Tesco development and change director Peter Draper said: “For customers, this is a tiny and almost invisible change at the checkout, but for the retail industry it’s a significant step forward.

“Moving to QR codes will help us reduce food waste, improve stock control and unlock new digital benefits for our customers.

(Image: PA Wire)

“Customers will continue to shop and pay in exactly the same way, but they’ll have the option to access far richer information about the products they buy simply by using their smartphones.

“Over time, this opens up exciting possibilities, such as personalised digital tools to help customers manage the food they buy and reduce waste at home.”

Anne Godfrey, chief executive of GS1 UK, added: “Tesco moving to QR codes powered by GS1 across an entire range marks a significant step forward for UK retail.

“It shows how the next generation of barcodes can support a more connected, transparent future. We hope this progress encourages others to follow Tesco’s lead so that consumers and businesses alike can benefit from richer, more trusted product information.”

The 2026 World Snooker Championship gets underway this weekend as 32 of the planet’s finest cueists battle it out for the famous old trophy.

Zhao Xintong became China’s first world champion a year ago and he returns as the favourite to conquer the Crucible again.

No one has ever defended their first world title at the Sheffield theatre, with the Crucible curse lingering on, but many fancy Zhao to be the man to break it.

He is taking on a strong field as he tries to do that, with eight other former champions returning to South Yorkshire this year.

There are also four debutants, who will be excitedly skipping through the doors of the Crucible this month, with two young English stars among them in Liam Pullen and Stan Moody.

Here are all 32 players who will play at the Crucible ranked by their current form. How long form lasts is up for debate, but this has been judged on the last four events: the Players Championship, Welsh Open, World Open and Tour Championship.

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You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro.

In my new newsletter, The Table, I’ll be analysing the biggest talking points, breaking down frames and crowning the week’s winners and losers every Monday.

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The 16 qualifiers have the advantage of already playing in the World Championship, so their wins in qualifying are also taken into account.

32. Ding Junhui

The Chinese legend comes in as the 16th seed but he only just clung on to his guaranteed spot at the Crucible after a very quiet time.

He didn’t qualify for the 16-man Players Championship or 12-man Tour Championship, didn’t enter the Welsh and lost his first round at the World Open. Last time he won a match was December 4 against Scott Donaldson at the UK Championship.

31. Si Jiahui

Another top 16 player who was vying for bottom place on this list is Si Jiahui, who also hasn’t won a match over the last four tournaments, losing his openers at the Welsh and the World Open.

The 23-year-old has won matches a bit more recently than Ding, though, at the Championship League, World Grand Prix and German Masters this year.

30. Ali Carter

The Captain has been forced out of some events this season, due to ill health and off-table issues, so his form has been tricky to judge.

He had disappointing Welsh and World Open campaigns, but showed something in qualifying to beat Julien Leclercq and Anthony McGill.

29. He Guoqiang

There will be plenty of attention on debutant He Guoqiang when he takes on Ronnie O’Sullivan in his opener on Tuesday and he was impressive in qualifying to book his first Crucible trip.

Wins over Jack Lisowski and Long Zehuang got him through the qualifiers, but his only other victory of late was a 5-4 win over Iran’s Amir Sarkosh in the World Open.

28. Lei Peifan

Another player with little form behind them coming into the qualifiers, Lei Peifan made light work of Jordan Brown and Ryan Day to get to the Crucible.

However, he had just a win over Polish teenager Michal Szubarczyk in the four events leading up to Sheffield.

27. Matthew Stevens

The 48-year-old is back at the Crucible for the first time in four years after beating Peter Lines and Stuart Bingham in qualifying, the latter an impressive win against the odds.

He had not done a lot before Sheffield, losing early in the Welsh and World Opens and being a long way from reaching the limited field events.

26. Fan Zhengyi

It has been a poor season for Fan Zhengyi, but could end well after three good wins in the qualifiers over Lan Yuhao, Jimmy Robertson and Ben Mertens.

He looked really strong at the English Institute of Sport after a lean spell which saw just one win in the Welsh over the last two months.

25. Dave Gilbert

The Angry Farmer won just one match at the Welsh and World Opens, but didn’t lose in Yushan, he withdrew before his meeting with Matt Selt.

The two-time Crucible semi-finalist beat Irish pair Leone Crowley and Aaron Hill in qualifying.

24. Pang Junxu

We haven’t seen a lot of Pang of late, winning once at the Welsh ahead of the World Championship qualifiers.

He did well to reach the Crucible with narrow wins over Welsh duo Dylan Emery and Jackson Page.

23. Liam Highfield

The 35-year-old won four matches in qualifying and did so impressively, beating Oliver Brown 10-4, Wang Yuchen 10-4, Stephen Maguire 10-5 and Oliver Lines 10-2.

He also won a couple of games in the Welsh before losing to John Higgins, which is clearly no disgrace.

22. Antoni Kowalski

The Polish Crucible debutant won matches at the Welsh and the World Open, then needed to win three in qualifying for Sheffield to keep hold of his professional status.

He did just that, thrashing Connor Benzey, before impressive wins over Joe O’Connor and Jamie Jones.

21. Jak Jones

The 2024 Crucible finalist made short work of a tough qualifying section, beating Marco Fu and Luca Brecel.

He won a couple of matches in Wales before narrowly losing to Neil Robertson and pulled out of the World Open due to illness after winning his qualifier.

20. Kyren Wilson

Winning the Masters and Shanghai Masters means Kyren Wilson has had a very profitable season, but he has been disappointing in ranking events, meaning he didn’t make the Players or Tour.

One win in the Welsh and three in the World Open were a couple more underwhelming returns.

19. Stan Moody

The 19-year-old won two matches at both the Welsh and World Open, including a brilliant win over John Higgins in Yushan.

Two victories at the English Institute of Sport took him to the Crucible, matches won despite suffering with tonsilitis and making a trip to hospital between the wins.

18. Liam Pullen

Arguably the star of the qualifiers, Liam Pullen won four matches to book a Crucible debut, beating Alfie Burden, Amir Sarkosh and then two Thai stars in Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Noppon Saengkham.

There were also three good wins at the Welsh over Ken Doherty, Rob Milkins and Chris Wakelin.

17. Xiao Guodong

The first on this list to qualify for the Players Championship, but Xiao lost his opener in Telford.

He won once at the Welsh and twice at the World Open, but it has been a pretty lean spell after a World Grand Prix semi-final in February.

16. Mark Selby

A brilliant mid-season purple patch has turned a little less purple of late due to early losses in the Players Championship, Welsh Open and Tour Championship, while Selby pulled out of Yushan.

That leaves him with two match wins in his last four tournaments, which is a dip after winning the UK Championship and Champion of Champions earlier in the campaign.

15. Mark Williams

An opening win at the Players Championship over Barry Hawkins was a good one, but there hasn’t been loads else to shout about of late for Williams.

It has been a good season, hence qualifying for the Tour Championship, but he lost his opener there to John Higgins. A couple of wins each at the Welsh and World Open.

14. Chris Wakelin

Deep runs have not been coming of late for Wakelin, but he won his opening matches at both the Players Championship and Tour Championship, which takes some doing. Just being in those events is impressive enough.

He withdrew from Yushan and lost early in Wales, but beating Xiao Guodong in Telford and Wu Yize in Manchester were good wins.

13. Gary Wilson

A run to the quarter-finals of the World Open was an encouraging sign for Gary Wilson ahead of Sheffield, beating world champ Zhao Xintong in the last 16.

Two wins in qualifying got him to the Crucible and gives him the chance to end an up-and-down season well.

12. Hossein Vafaei

Another World Open quarter-finalist, Vafaei beat both Mark Williams and Zhang Anda in Yushan.

His only defeats in the last two months have come to Neil Robertson and Judd Trump. The Iranian looked excellent in qualifying, heavily beating Michal Szubarczyk and Gao Yang.

11. Zhou Yuelong

It has been a good season for Zhou, including a quarter-final run at the Welsh Open and last 16 at the World Open, although he lost 6-0 to Judd Trump in his Players Championship opener.

The Jumping Dragon breezed through qualifying, beating Robbie McGuigan 10-3 and Michael Holt 10-4.

10. Zhang Anda

Last 16 runs at the Welsh and World Open were both solid results, while Zhang also reached the Players Championship but lost early to Shaun Murphy.

He looked superb in qualifying, especially with five centuries in his 10-3 win over Zak Surety.

9. Shaun Murphy

Murphy’s last outing was a 10-9 defeat to Judd Trump at the Tour Championship, having also been in the quarter-finals of the Players.

The Welsh Open campaign ended thanks to an absurdly good performance from Chang Bingyu, while he was beaten by an on-song Ronnie O’Sullivan in Yushan.

8. Neil Robertson

A Welsh Open quarter-final and Tour Championship semi-final look encouraging for Robertson.

He lost early in Telford to John Higgins and didn’t play in Yushan.

7. Mark Allen

It has been a strange season for the Pistol but he will have been buoyed by runs to the Players Championship semis and World Open quarters of late.

Victories over Mark Selby, Wu Yize, Zhou Yuelong and Jack Lisowski were in those runs, but an early defeat to David Grace at the Welsh was an example of his inconsistency.

6. Wu Yize

Semi-finals of the Welsh and World Open for Wu Yize were both very good efforts, only losing a decider to Ronnie O’Sullivan in Yushan and 6-4 to Barry Hawkins in Llandudno.

He was poor in both his Players and Tour Championship opening losses, especially in a concerning collapse against Wakelin in Manchester.

5. Ronnie O’Sullivan

The Rocket has crept high up this list considering he only played in one of the counting events, but he looked immense on his run to the final of the World Open, making a record break of 153 along the way, only a losing to an inspired Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Away from the main tour he also won the Snooker 900 John Virgo Trophy this month, which counts for little but will have done his confidence no harm.

4. Barry Hawkins

One of only two players on this list to have won one of the four most recent tournaments, seen as World Open champ Thepchaiya Un-Nooh did not qualify.

The Hawk brilliantly won the Welsh Open, with victories over the likes of Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Wu Yize before Jack Lisowski in the final. He also beat Thepchaiya in his Manchester opener.

3. John Higgins

Just shy of his 51st birthday, Higgins has been remarkably consistent, with runs to the Players Championship final, along with Welsh and Tour Championship semis.

A 5-4 loss to Moody in Yushan was his only early exit of late.

2. Judd Trump

The world number one might be struggling to land silverware at the minute but he is consistently going deep.

Players Championship semi, World Open semi and Tour Championship final, while he did not enter the Welsh. It’s really good.

1. Zhao Xintong

The number one was always going to be this man, with Zhao winning both the Players Championship and Tour Championship of late, both in fine style, while he also landed the World Grand Prix in February.

The world champion beat the likes of Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, John Higgins (twice), Chris Wakelin and Judd Trump on his way to his two most recent successes.

He made the last 16 of the Welsh and World Open as well, in what has been a stunning spell for the Cyclone.

MORE: Mark Williams suggests even wilder naked forfeit if he wins World Snooker Championship

MORE: Shaun Murphy hits out at Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump for Crucible no-shows

MORE: Snooker’s Crucible romance stirs emotion in clinical sporting landscape

The Argos Home 30m 3 Arm Outdoor Washing Line has been described as ‘brilliant’ and ‘exactly what I needed’ by shoppers

With sunnier weather and longer evenings finally upon us, it brings welcome respite from damp laundry draped across radiators throughout the winter period. While unsightly, this practice can also harm properties, with the additional indoor moisture contributing to issues such as damp and condensation.

This explains why many feel relieved when temperatures climb to reasonable levels again, allowing clothes to be dried outside. However, let’s be honest, splashing out on a washing line represents a rather uninspiring, yet necessary expense.

Shoppers will be delighted to discover that a budget-friendly offer means securing one from Argos currently for under £1. The item concerned is the Argos Home 30m 3 Arm Outdoor Washing Line which normally retails at £16.

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Nevertheless, purchasing it through the money-saving platform TopCashback can reduce the cost to just pennies. New members who register here receive £15 cashback when spending £15 or above at a participating store.

This means that for fresh TopCashback members and new Argos shoppers the washing line will amount to 85p once cashback is factored in. For current Argos customers it will cost marginally more, 87p following cashback.

TopCashback

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Buy Now on TopCashback

New TopCashback users can get £15 cashback when they spend more than £15.

The price encompasses free click and collect, while standard delivery starts from £3.95. The Argos washing line incorporates an umbrella design and offers 30m of drying capacity, which the retailer claims can accommodate two washing loads.

Customer feedback has been largely favourable, with the 97 reviews achieving an average of 4.6 stars out of five, reports Wales Online. One commented: “Exactly what I needed to replace an old one. Great price too so really pleased. Quick and easy system to pay and collect.”

Another added: “All good so far. Very good price and easy enough to set up. Seems to be reasonably sturdy.”

A third remarked: “I bought this for my small garden after I just moved. Just what I needed.”

Meanwhile a fourth stated: “A brilliant product for an excellent price. Plenty of hanging space and I like that it came with a spike for fixing into the ground.”

While the majority of responses were complimentary, some limitations were highlighted, including one purchaser who awarded three stars, noting: “Relatively small and lightweight and probably needs additional spike. Adequate for small loads.” Another described it as ‘cheap and cheerful’.

Amazon offers numerous alternatives for outdoor clothes drying. For those seeking a more compact solution, the Minky Retractable Duo Reel Washing Line represents a dependable option. Priced at £19, it features two 15m lines that conveniently retract when not required.

Dunelm stocks various alternatives too, including the Rotary Outdoor Airer 4. That costs more at £48 (reduced from £60), but it provides 60m of drying capacity.

How to bag the washing line for less through TopCashback

• Sign up as a new member at TopCashback for free via this link.
• Search for Argos on the site, click through and buy the item normally.
• Get £15 cashback when you spend £15 or more on an item.
• The cashback will track to the TopCashback ‘Earnings page’ within seven days of purchase.