The World Cup is just 37 days away and excitement is building. Each week our man in Brazil, Joe Callaghan, brings us the latest news and views from South America.

Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from South America in his Blog from Brazil, providing a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

BLOG FROM BRAZIL: Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from Brazil and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

The World Cup is just nine days away and excitement is building. Each week our man in Brazil, Joe Callaghan, brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

BLOG FROM BRAZIL: Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from Brazil and provides a flavour of how the World Cup is shaping up with two days to go.

Controversial new overdraft rules come into force today which has seen some banks increasing overdraft rates to nearly 40 per cent.

Some savers are now in line to earn as little as 0.01 per cent - just £1 interest over a whole year on each £10,000 in their account. This is £129 less than if they switched to a top easy-access deal.

Savers with large pots looked for a safe haven amid market storms caused by coronavirus, with savings platforms that safely spread money around seeing a surge in applications.

Grandparents with fixed monthly pension payments could find their bank balances are looking much healthier now they are no longer spending money on things like going out and holidays.

Savers have been handed a double blow as two market-leading easy-access deals have both disappeared within a week of each other, with Marcus and Virgin Money both making cuts.

National Savings & Investments was due to halve the number of winners of £50 and £100 prizes next month to 13,448, and the odds of winning would be cut from 24,500 to 1 to 26,000 to 1.

There were 1,768 available savings accounts and Isas at this time in March, Moneyfacts said. By April this had fallen to 1,588, and average savings rates from 0.56% to 0.44%.

Despite interest rates plunging to record lows, National Savings and Investments has gone against the grain and abandoned plans to cut rewards which would have cost savers £200 m.

A Bank of England scheme designed to provide banks with cheap money to lend to small businesses has handed out an enormous £6billion in its first week, official figures reveal.

The official base rate was reduced by 0.65 percentage points last month to 0.1 per cent, but savers face bigger cuts.

While NS&I announced it was reversing planned cuts to some of its variable rate savings accounts, including Premium Bonds, it still pressed ahead with cuts to 10 fixed-rate deals.

There may be chicer, more contemporary and certainly less expensive hotels in Dublin than The Westbury - but few can be better positioned or more established, says our impressed Inspector.

Upscale accommodation chain Hotel du Vin is the latest operator to try to bring some pizzazz to Cannizaro House on Wimbledon Common. Our Inspector is not sure it will manage to work wonders.

Few hotels come with quite the 'naughty' reputation of Cliveden in Berkshire. But after a careful refurbishment, this grand old dame is now as intriguing as its back story, says The Inspector.

Once upon a time, the Hoste Arms in North Norfolk was a simple pub. Now it has The Vine House, an accommodation annexe where the prices are not cheap. The Inspector takes a look.

What does £720 a night buy you? If you are staying at uber-luxurious London hotel The Lanesborough, a double room for the night - but no breakfast. The Inspector ponders whether the cost is worth it...

The Great House in Lavenham, Suffolk, is celebrating its 30th anniversary under its current stewardship and is well worth a visit. Dinner is a treat, with impeccable service throughout.

The Nadler Victoria in Westminster is brand new. It opened on January 1 and is the latest edition from a group that aspires to turn budget accommodation on its head.

The Running Horses, in the village of Mickleham, Surrey, is owned by the Brakspear brewery company, but don’t let that put you off. There’s something for everyone here.

This week, The Inspector paid a visit to the Premier Inn just north of Putney Bridge in London and was shocked by the so-called 'budget' price but satisfied with a clean and functional guest room.

Privately owned, The Crown sits in Constable Country in the Dedham Vale. This homely village pub, with 11 rooms in a separate hotel building next door, offers dinner, bed and breakfast.

Recently revamped No. 11 Cadogan Gardens hotel in London is filled with old portraits and chandeliers. For food, Tartufo specialises in truffle-infused dishes of exceptional quality.

The Cross Keys Hotel, in the charming medieval market town of Saffron Walden, Essex, is located in a medieval building dating back some 850 years.

The Royal Oak is a 17th century restored inn on the outskirts of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Beer is a big deal here and the relaxed vibe is certainly to be encouraged.

Lewtrenchard Manor would never describe itself as modern. But this grand old property in Okehampton, Devon, does not need to change with the times, says the Daily Mail's hotel inspector.

Blakes has long been a haven of upmarket accommodation in west London - but the cost may make you raise an eyebrow, says out hotel inspector, as he wonders where his wine went.

The Inspector issues a five-star rating to The Chapel House in Cornwall's Penzance, a six-room B&B opposite the church, housed in a magnificent brick-and-stone 1790s building.

The Inspector called in at The Bank House in King's Lynn, a former Georgian merchant banker’s residence. He found it made for a fascinating break.

The Inspector called in at citizenM's Tower of London hotel, where prices start at £129 a night, and while the rooms are eclectic and high-tech, the service leaves much to be desired.

The King’s Head at Letheringsett, just outside Holt - where the Duchess of Cambridge likes to shop suffers a general lack of love, according to The Inspector.

The Daily Mail's hotel inspector was impressed by the brilliant food at The Bell in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, but underwhelmed by its grim and dusty accommodation.

The Inspector checked into The Carnarvon Arms, a country inn in Newbury, and found its rooms unimaginative and the breakfast no more inspiring.

Everything is pristine at Hurley House Hotel in Berkshire; the staff are dedicated; there’s lots of outdoor space with a barbecue area and the food is sensational.

The Inspector called into The Franklin hotel in London's Knightsbridge, designed by Anouska Hempel, and found the decor divine but the Italian food to be disappointing and overpriced.

The Inspector called in at The Mill at Gordleton hotel in the New Forest, where he found the staff to be charming and the food plentiful but uninspiring.

The Daily Mail's Inspector found Orestone Manor in Devon to be stuffy and drab, though it does boast lovely views over Lyme Bay and the food was splendid.

The Daily Mail's Inspector called in at the brand new Novotel near Canary Wharf, and was impressed with its ultra-modern touches, great restaurant and sweeping views across London.

The Daily Mail's Inspector called in at London's new Henrietta Hotel, and is in praise of its Art-Deco inspired decor, unique food and buzzy atmosphere.

The Watersmeet Hotel in Woolacombe, Devon, is perched above the picturesque Combesgate Beach, but is it worth a stay? The Inspector investigates...

The Inspector checks into Beaverbrook in Surrey, whose past guests include Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor, Rudyard Kipling and Ian Fleming. But would they have had to wait 20 minutes for their wine?

Sunday nights can be graveyards for pubs and hotels. But the Daily Mail Inspector says The Pheasant Inn in Hungerford has come up with an ingenious concept to get in visitors.

Trafalgar St James, part of the Hilton Group, has just opened in central London. And the Daily Mail's Inspector says its biggest selling point is the rooftop bar which is a fabulous spot.

Eslington Villa in Gateshead is a large Victorian house on the outskirts of Newcastle. THE INSPECTOR stayed there and found it to be a thoroughly old-fashioned British hotel.

This week our hotel inspector heads north to test the hospitality at Leeds hotel 42 The Calls. Despite being unable to get a cappuccino at breakfast, is he impressed with the rooms?

Christian Horner posed for snaps with all of wife Geri's Spice Girls bandmates on Saturday... apart from Mel B.