Some of the UK's biggest banks are raising mortgage rates as expectations of when the Bank of England will cut interest rates are pushed back.

Barclays, HSBC and NatWest are all increasing some costs on fixed-rate mortgage deals from Tuesday.

Mortgage rates have risen over the past few weeks as views have changed on when the Bank might cut borrowing costs.

The Bank is now not expected to cut its benchmark rate as early or as often as previously thought.

The announcement from Barclays, which is lifting rates for the second time in the space of seven days, will see a 0.1% increase across a range of its mortgage products.

NatWest said it would raise some of its two and five-year "switcher" deals for existing customers by 0.1%.

HSBC added it was increasing some of its rates on Tuesday, but did not give details of the increases.

Building societies are also raising fees on some products. Leeds Building Society said it was increasing the fixed rate on selected products by up to 0.2% for both new and existing customers.

According to financial information service Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.82%, while the average five-year fixed rate is 5.40%.

A south London pub named in the title of a track on Taylor Swift's new album has described the reaction as "crazy".

The Black Dog in Vauxhall has been swamped after fans realised it was the subject of a song on her 11th album.

Event manager Lily Bottomley described the Swifties' reaction as "amazing" and "overwhelmingly positive".

The Black Dog is the 17th track on The Tortured Poets Department, which last week broke Spotify's record for the most-streamed album in a single day.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Bottomley revealed that Swift had previously come to the pub herself and said the venue was now offering Swift-themed burgers and cocktails.

She said: "We're just loving it, it's been so fun. All of the attention has been pretty overwhelming but we can't be happier."

The lyrics "And so I watch as you walk - into some bar called The Black Dog - and pierce new holes in my heart" appear in the first verse of the song.

The 34-year-old, who has four Album of the Year Grammy awards, sings of spotting an ex - who had forgotten to turn off his location-sharing - going into the venue.

Chelsea could be without top scorer Cole Palmer, they visit Premier League leaders Arsenal tonight

Happy St George's Day

Happy St George's Day

Frankie Laine - Rawhide (Theme song)

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has extended his contract with the club until 2027.

Villa were 16th in the Premier League and fighting relegation when the Spaniard took over from Steven Gerrard in November 2022.

In a remarkable turnaround, Emery, now 52, guided Villa to a seventh-place finish to qualify for the Europa Conference League, the club's first participation in European football since 2010–11.

This season, they sit fourth in the Premier League with Champions League qualification in their sights. They are six points clear of Tottenham, who have two games in hand.

Emery said he and his backroom staff "share the vision of the owners" and have "the right structure to develop this football club".

“We must maintain the hard-working spirit, clever decisions and co-ordination with the ownership that we have found during this time," he added.

"We will work to get better and better. And we will demand from each other. Ambition already is, and must always be, the motto of this project.”

Villa have triggered an option to extend Emery’s deal in this instance and will sit down with the manager in the summer to discuss a long-term contract, BBC Sport understands.

Emery’s position could be significantly strengthened if he delivers the Europa Conference League trophy and Champions League football.

The situation as it stands should mean Villa can see off any potential interest from Bayern Munich, and possibly other European clubs, to keep their manager in Birmingham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQQArCghJV8

Thank you Saint George for slaying the dragon!

Saint George (died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades. He is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims as a martyr of monotheistic faith.

In hagiography, as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military saints, he is immortalized in the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. His feast day, Saint George's Day, is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. Historically, the countries of England, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, as well as Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, and Moscow in Russia, have claimed George as their patron saint, as have several other regions, cities, universities, professions, and organizations. The Church of Saint George in Lod (Lydda), Israel, contains a sarcophagus traditionally believed to contain St. George's remains.

Saint George

1912

At dawn on 25 April 1915, Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Ottoman Turkey. The Gallipoli campaign was the land-based element of a strategy intended to allow Allied ships to pass through the Dardanelles, capture Constantinople (now Istanbul) and ultimately knock Ottoman Turkey out of the war.

Australia’s and New Zealand’s defence forces are once again coming together at Gallipoli – this time to ensure New Zealand’s military band can play on.

The band’s luggage was among thousands of bags lost during last week’s Dubai floods, with embassy staff only able to retrieve one instrument and a handful of dress uniforms ahead of the 25 April dawn service in Turkey.

The NZDF contingent of 40 was preparing to “play a reduced role in the Anzac Day commemorations” with the loss of the dress uniforms a particular hindrance.

Under defence force protocol, members must be wearing their dress uniform to take part in official commemorations.

The ceremonies mark the 109th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. Australian and New Zealand soldiers were part of the British-French allied defences sent to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915.

The battle dragged on for eight months, ending with the allied forces being evacuated from Turkey.

Alexander William Campbell (26 February 1899 – 16 May 2002) was the final surviving Australian participant of the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. Campbell joined the Australian Army at the age of 16 in 1915, and served as a stores carrier for two months during the fighting at Gallipoli. He was invalided home and discharged in 1916. He later worked in large number of roles, was twice married and had nine children. He is the great-grandfather of actress, singer and model Ruby Rose.

Welsh football’s Cymru Premier is set to welcome more clubs, Friday night games and the introduction of video assistant refereeing (VAR) as part of the biggest shake-up in the competition’s history.

Clubs were told of the plans by Football Association of Wales (FAW) officials this week.

There could be further changes in Welsh football's top division, with a new format due to be revealed later in the year.

It is understood that could see at least the first half of the season played on a regionalised basis, while the season may move to an earlier start in the calendar.

An independent panel will present its findings to clubs by September, but a number of plans have already been announced and given the green light by FAW bosses.

They include an increase in the number of teams from the current 12, although the exact number will be finalised when details of the format are provided.

Ex-Liverpool and England star John Barnes has been banned from acting as a company director after his business failed to pay £190,000 in taxes.

Barnes, 60, was the only listed director of "media representation" firm John Barnes Media Ltd, which went into liquidation in 2023.

The Insolvency Service began investigating the firm and found that between November 2018 and October 2020 it had paid no tax at all despite a turnover of £441,798.

Barnes has now signed a disqualification undertaking which bans him from acting as a director for three-and-a-half years, starting from 24 April.

Four people have been left injured after five Household Cavalry horses ran loose through central London, causing chaos and colliding with vehicles.