It is a familiar four-word sentence that bus users across Greater Manchester have heard for 20 years. A sentence that cost ‘hundreds of thousands’ of bus passengers dearly or frustratingly delayed the start of their days.

It was said by bus drivers apologising to older and disabled people they were ‘too early’ to use their bus passes, as government restrictions prevented free travel before 9.30am, so passengers needed to buy a cut-priced ticket instead.

Two trials in Greater Manchester have since shown the early-morning ban actually slowed the network down, creating a second rush hour just after 9.30am, when a ‘crash’ of passholders could finally get onboard. That meant the ‘9.30am rule’ mainly forced disabled and old people to pay for tickets or compelling them to start their days late, pushing appointments and meetings back to mid-morning.

But those days are behind Greater Manchester, after Andy Burnham scrapped the 9.30am rule on Sunday (March 1).

“Permanent freedom from the 9.30am rule means that older and disabled people can get out and about without any restriction – to hospital appointments, to work or to care for their grandkids,” the mayor said on Friday (February 27).

“We’re really proud to be doing this and we can do it because we put our buses back under public control. The people are in charge again and that’s why we’re making this change – to benefit the people of Greater Manchester.”

Removing the rule now spreads demand more evenly, with an August pilot finding 100,000 elderly and disabled people using their passes earlier every day. A similar trial in November, the busiest month for bus use, found 120,000 made the same move.

The ban was first introduced in 2006, when old people’s bus passes were rolled out, as a compromise between the government and bus firms following a row about the loss of revenue. Officials estimate the move will cost the Bee Network £5m annually.

For passholders, it’s ‘life-changing’, according to Nakib Narat, co-chair of the Greater Manchester Older People’s Equality Panel. He said: “It’s a life-changing move and it’s not just a win for older and disabled people – it’s a massive boost for the Greater Manchester economy and a genuine lifeline during the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’re not just passengers. We’re active contributors to the economy. By allowing people to travel when they actually need to, we’re putting an end to that notorious 9.30am bus crash and the frustration of being one of the ‘Twirlies’.”

The mayor’s move means passengers using a concessionary pass issued by Transport for Greater Manchester under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme can use their pass on any bus in Greater Manchester, Bee Network or not, at any time.

“It is frustrating and upsetting to be dealing with another instance of tragedy abuse.”

Rangers have released a statement after Celtic supporters were seen mocking the Ibrox disaster during Sunday’s Old Firm match and police launched a probe.

Some Hoops fans were filmed making the sick gestures during the 2-2 draw against their bitter rivals. One twisted fan was videoed holding up his phone with the number 66 on the screen – the number of Rangers fans who lost their lives in the 1971 stairway crush.

Another supporter in front of him was spotted making a diving gesture with his hands, which is used as another vile way of mocking the tragedy. Meanwhile, a fan nearby was seen making a gun gesture with his hands.

As police confirmed they were investigating the incidents, the Ibrox side have condemned “another instance of tragedy abuse”.

A spokesperson for Rangers said: “It is frustrating and upsetting to be dealing with another instance of tragedy abuse. After a similar event last season, an individual was prosecuted, highlighting there are serious consequences for such actions. The club will fully support the authorities in any investigation into this matter.”

The sick scenes come after a Celtic fan was prosecuted for mocking the Ibrox disaster at another Old Firm clash. Action was taken against Darren Malloch in October after he mocked the tragedy in May last year.

The 34-year-old was banned from football games for 14 months and fined £520 after pleading guilty to conducting himself in a disorderly manner. The Celtic fan also lost his job when the clip went viral.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of this incident and enquiries are ongoing.”

The Scottish Premiership clash saw two goals from Youssef Chermiti give the Light Blues a 2-0 lead over their rivals at half time.

Celtic dominated the second half, though, as they found a way back with a goal from Kieran Tierney. Reo Hatate then equalised late on after needing three attempts to beat Jack Butland with a stoppage time penalty.

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A taxi driver has been arrested in a Costa holiday resort after allegedly attacking an Irish tourist for burping in his cab.

The 65-year-old victim was rushed to the hospital with serious head and face wounds after he was ‘punched to the ground’ in the alleged assault in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol.

He was taken to a health centre in Las Lagunas before being transferred to the hospital in Marbella.

The 51-year-old cab driver is said to have ordered the unnamed holidaymaker out of his taxi for burping inside the vehicle.

The Irish tourist reportedly hit his head on the curb after being knocked to the ground when the driver punched him in the street once he and a friend he was with left the cab.

The second holidaymaker was unharmed in the incident, which happened near a hotel on the seafront promenade.

It was not immediately clear this morning if the assault victim, said to have been under the influence of alcohol, remained in hospital and what his current condition is.

The arrest was made at the scene by officers from a National Police rapid response unit who were mobilised along with paramedics, thought to have been alerted by concerned witnesses.

The taxi driver, held on suspicion of a crime of wounding, has not been named.

He is thought to have been released on bail over the incident after appearing before an investigating judge, while the criminal probe initiated following his arrest continues.

In November last year, police arrested another driver in Fuengirola after he allegedly dragged a tourist along the road who was trying to stop hfrom im driving off with his suitcase following an argument over the fare.

The holidaymaker, whose nationality was not disclosed at the time, was taken to the same hospital as the Irish assault victim.

The victim suffered head injuries when the driver accelerated, and he fell to the ground as he lost his grip on a door handle he was holding onto.

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Iran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years before he was killed in the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment.

It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.

The supreme leader has the final say on all major decisions, including war, peace and the country’s disputed nuclear program.

In the meantime, a provisional governing council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi is guiding the country through its biggest crisis in decades. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a new supreme leader would be chosen early this week.

The supreme leader is appointed by an 88-member panel called the Assembly of Experts, who by law are supposed to quickly name a successor. The panel consists of Shiite clerics who are popularly elected after their candidacies are approved by the Guardian Council, Iran’s constitutional watchdog.

Rouhani, a relative moderate, was president of Iran from 2013 to 2021 and reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped during his first term. Rouhani served on the Assembly of Experts until 2024, when he said he was disqualified from running for reelection. Rouhani criticized it as an infringement on Iranians’ political participation.

Hassan Khomeini

Khomeini is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also seen as a relative moderate, but has never held government office. He currently works at his grandfather’s mausoleum in Tehran.

Ayatollah Mohammed Mehdi Mirbagheri

Mirbagheri is a senior cleric popular with hard-liners who serves on the Assembly of Experts.

He was close to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a fellow hard-liner who wrote that Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce “special weapons,” a veiled reference to nuclear arms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirbagheri denounced the closure of schools as a “conspiracy.”

He is currently the head of the Islamic Cultural Center in Qom, the main center for Islamic teaching in Iran.

If you struggle to sleep and constantly flip your pillow because you’re too hot, you might consider trying one of the best cooling pillows available to aid your slumber. They’re designed to stop you overheating in bed, ranging from those that rely on the material of the fillings to regulate your body temperature to cooling gel pillows, which are cold to the touch.

“Some pillows, especially ones filled with feather down or solid memory foam, can trap heat, meaning the sleeper may overheat during the night,” says Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert for And So To Bed. “Some people can be especially sensitive to overheating at night, such as those experiencing menopausal hot flashes or an overactive thyroid. Cooling pillows or pillow covers may help you regulate your temperature during the night, potentially helping you sleep better.”

Solutions range from a £10 chilled insert from JML to a £150 cooling memory foam pillow from Tempur. I’ve tried them all and you can read my reviews below, followed by answers to some frequently asked questions. First, here are five of our top buys:

The best cooling pillows: At a glance

UConn heads into the postseason undefeated and still the unanimous No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25.

The Huskies, who have won 47 consecutive games, are 31-0 this season after routing St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. It’s the 11th time they’ve headed to the conference tournament undefeated.

They received all 31 first-place votes in Monday’s poll from a national media panel.

The top nine teams remained unchanged this week with UCLA, South Carolina and Texas following the Huskies. Vanderbilt and LSU were next followed by Oklahoma, Michigan and Iowa.

TCU replaced Louisville in the top 10 after the Cardinals lost at Notre Dame on Sunday.

North Carolina made the biggest jump, moving up five spots after knocking off Duke on Sunday. The Tar Heels have won four straight.

In and out

Fairfield entered the poll at No. 25 for the second time in three seasons. The Stags are 25-4 this season and tied with Quinnipiac atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings. They were ranked for three weeks in March at the end of the 2023-24 season. Alabama, which has dropped five of its last six games, fell out of the rankings.

Conference supremacy

The SEC has the most teams in the Top 25 with eight. The Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has three and the Ivy League, MAAC and Big East each have one.

Games of the week

The Power Four conferences tournaments begin with numerous potential Top 25 matchups in the Big Ten and SEC. If seedings hold, No. 5 Vanderbilt will face fourth-ranked Texas in the semifinals with a potential one-seed in the NCAA Tournament on the line. Texas was fourth and Vanderbilt fifth in the NCAA Top 16 reveal on Sunday.

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At least 31 people were reported dead in Lebanon on Monday after Israel carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets. It came after the group fired rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa. An Iranian missile hit people sheltering in a city in Israel the day before, killing nine, emergency services said.

The pyjamas come in a cute floral print perfect for the spring.

With the new season starting, you might be looking for some new pieces to freshen up your wardrobe for spring. If you are spending a relaxing weekend at home, you could treat yourself to a pair of pyjamas to feel extra comfortable.

Tesco’s clothing brand has just launched the new F&F Pointelle Floral Print Pyjama Bottoms in Cream, which are a “comfy choice” for a cosy weekend. The trousers can be paired with either the F&F Pointelle Floral Print Button Up Pyjama Top in Cream or the F&F Pointelle Ribbed Floral Print Pyjama T-Shirt in Cream.

The pyjama bottoms come in a “cute ditsy floral print” ideal for the spring and have lettuce edging, which “adds a pretty twist”. The trousers are currently being sold for £16 with the long sleeve top costing £14 and the t-shirt costing £10.

The pyjamas were posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page. The post was captioned: “Fresh week, fresh PJs , is there anything better? Shop 25% off our nightwear in store & online now.”

If you want to get the pyjama trousers and match it with the top or t-shirt, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its items. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.

Boden has some other options if you are looking for some new pyjamas. There are these Brushed Cotton Pyjama Trousers that can be worn with the matching Brushed Cotton Pyjama Shirt or you could wear it with the Jersey Henley Pyjama Vest if you need something lighter.

New Look also has some pyjama sets available you could pick up for the spring. There is this Light Blue Crinkled Cotton Shirt and Shorts Pyjama Set that you can also get in white or this Off White Fluffy Relaxed Hoodie that reviews say is “gorgeous”.

Duke is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the second straight week, extending its all-time record with the program’s 149th appearance in the top spot.

The Blue Devils received 55 of 59 first-place votes in Monday’s poll following lopsided wins over Notre Dame and then- No. 11 Virginia last week.

No. 2 Arizona received four first-place votes after clinching a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with Saturday’s 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Michigan, UConn and Florida rounded out the top five.

Duke (27-2) has been dominant defensively since losing to rival North Carolina on Feb. 7, holding its last six opponents to an average of 57 points per game.

The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win. Duke then turned its showdown with Virginia into another rout, crushing the Cavaliers 77-51 on Saturday to clinch the top seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Rising and falling

No. 10 Texas Tech had the biggest jump of the week, climbing six places with wins over Cincinnati and at Iowa State last week.

No. 8 Michigan State moved up five places following its 76-74 win over Purdue on Thursday and Sunday’s 13-point win over Indiana.

No. 19 Miami (Ohio), Division I’s only remaining undefeated team, climbed two spots for its highest ranking since reaching No. 12 in 1952-53.

No. 15 Purdue had the biggest drop of the week, losing seven places following losses to Michigan State and Ohio State.

No. 12 Gonzaga lost three places following its 70-59 loss to rival Saint Mary’s.

In and out

Saint Mary’s win over Gonzaga not only earned the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season, it moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 21.

No. 22 Miami is ranked for the first time since 2023 following wins over Florida State and Boston College.

BYU dropped out of the poll from No. 19 with three losses in four games since sharpshooting guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Louisville’s losses to North Carolina and Clemson last week knocked the Cardinals out of the poll from No. 25.

Conference watch

The Big 12 is tied with the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences for most ranked teams at five following BYU’s departure. The ACC is next with four teams, followed by the Big East and West Coast conferences with two each. The Mid-American Conference and Atlantic 10 each have one ranked team.

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Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply, and Palestinians are reported to be “frantically buying groceries” after Israel closed all crossings into the strip following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Locals have been rushing to markets to buy food, just months after facing painful food scarcity due to an Israeli blockade last year, which led to famine in some areas, according to Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

“All the people rushed to markets, and they all wanted to shop and hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City during the war.

Israeli government agency COGAT said the conflict with Iran meant new “security adjustments” necessitated the closures, which would last “until further notice”.

The Rafah crossing, on the Palestinian territory’s southern border with Egypt, was only reopened at the beginning of February this year to allow a small number of Palestinians to cross for the first time in months, including patients requiring urgent medical attention.

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Since Israel’s devastating offensive on the territory, almost all of its 2 million residents have been displaced, and it is now almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid – which the border crossing closures have now suspended.

According to local reports, shelves have been emptied and key supplies, including sugar, flour, cooking oil and yeast, are in high demand, sending the price of essential goods soaring.

Residents have said they are fearful of further neglect and deprivation, while the UN had already warned in February that aid missions continue to face obstacles in their attempts to deliver essential support, including food and medicines to Gaza.

In the statement, Israel’s COGAT officials claimed the territory had sufficient food to last “an extended period”.

They said: “Several necessary security adjustments have been implemented, including the closure of the crossings into the Gaza Strip, among them the Rafah Crossing, until further notice. The rotation of humanitarian personnel is postponed at this stage.

“It should be emphasised that the closure of the crossings will have no impact on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

“The substantial quantities of food that have entered since the beginning of the ceasefire amount to four times the nutritional needs of the population, according to the UN methodology. Therefore, the existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period.”

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One resident told Al Jazeera: “I lived through famine like everyone else. The worst days were when I had to buy a sack of flour for more than 1,000 shekels [£241]. I don’t want to relive that experience.”

He added: “Goods run out quickly, and the conditions we live in may spoil whatever we store. All we need is for someone to reassure us that the closure of the crossings will not last.”

As well as food, Gaza is wholly dependent on trucks for fuel brought in from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say.

“I expect we have maybe a couple of days’ running time,” said Karuna Herrmann, the Jerusalem director of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which manages fuel distribution in Gaza.