Parts of Staffordshire and Warwickshire are experiencing some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in England, according to the latest official figures.

Tamworth has seen its rate increase from 418 cases per 100,000 people to 467 in the seven days up to 12 September.

Only seven other areas in England have a worse rate.

Nuneaton and Bedworth, Staffordshire Moorlands and Cannock Chase are close behind Tamworth, while Telford and Rugby also have rates in excess of 400 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, the number of cases has been fairly level over the period, with many areas seeing modest falls, including Bromsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton.

BBC Entertainment and Arts

Sir Elton John has postponed his upcoming 2021 UK and European tour until 2023, due to a hip injury sustained when he "fell awkwardly" this summer.

Image source, PA Media

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour dates will be rescheduled, the 74-year-old singer confirmed on Thursday.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to reschedule," Sir Elton said in a statement.

The planned shows had included an appearance in Birmingham.

Care home providers in the West Midlands face losing more than 5,000 staff due to the government's policy of requiring all workers to be fully vaccinated, a care firm boss has said.

From October, anyone working in a Care Quality Commission-registered care home in England must have two vaccine doses unless they have a medical exemption.

Geoff Butcher, who owns the Field House care home in Stourbridge, as well as five other homes around the West Midlands, said he had six staff out of a total of 260 who were refusing the jab.

The six, including four highly skilled workers, "will have to leave our employment on 11 November," he said.

"Across the West Midlands the figures are that there's about 5,600 staff who will not be vaccinated and will therefore have to leave work - and that's quite a high proportion of the workforce."

He said it was a "good thing" to have a high proportion of staff vaccinated, "but the way it's been done - I don't agree with".

"Staffing in the care sector is incredibly difficult at the moment, there's probably 20 to 25% vacancies, and people are leaving the sector faster than they're being rehired - putting this on top of that is a major problem."

A second man admits manslaughter after Craig Robins was stabbed in 2006 and died in 2019.

Pawanveer Singh, aged 23 months, and 10-year-old Sanjay died at the scene of the collision.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has covered these stories today:

• Father and son ordered to pay almost £2,000 over 'rat-ridden waste mountain', external
• Pregnant teenager in life-threatening condition as car and tram crash, external
• Man killed as car crashes into wall in Stourport, external

Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be asked to explain why he failed to provide details for a speeding offence.

A married pair were returning from a caravan break to celebrate their retirement when they were killed.

Seven West Midlands authorities say they have "carried the burden" of the scheme for years.

The teen is hurt while travelling in a car that collided with the public transport in Wolverhampton.

Port Vale forward Devante Rodney is banned for three matches after admitting a charge of violent conduct.

Coventry owner Joy Seppala says the club is "firmly committed" to a new stadium as they aim for "the Premier League and beyond".

The first new A road in the West Midlands in almost 17 years will be known as the A4545, it has been announced.

The 2.4km (1.5 mile) road is intended to ease congestion on the M42 at junction 6 and make it easier for drivers travelling to Birmingham Airport and nearby venues including Resorts World and the National Exhibition Centre.

The dual carriageway, which was first announced in 2016, will link a new exit on the M42 with the A45 clock interchange.

A popular 1,000-seat venue is to return to Coventry from the spring to host music, comedy and arts performances as part of the City of Culture festival.

Image source, Dylan Parrin

More than 80,000 tickets have so far been snapped up for events at the Assembly Festival Garden, on derelict land near the council house in the city centre.

As well as theatre, circus and music acts, the gardens have hosted live outdoor screenings including the BBC's Last Night of the Proms and Ed Sheeran's recent performance in the city.

It has also played host to series of community events including Pride and Motofest.

Performances at the venue, on the site of the demolished former Civic Centre buildings, will end on 30 September, but will now return in the spring, said the City of Culture Trust.

A petition calling on organisers to keep the site open has attracted more than 1,500 signatures.

Image source, Dylan Parrin

BBC Midlands Today

The owners of Coventry City say building a new stadium is part of their aspirations to establish themselves as a Premier League club.

Image source, PA Media

The Sky Blues made the announcement in July 2020 to relocate to the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick.

The club returned to Coventry after two years playing in Birmingham and have been sharing the Coventry Building Society Arena with owners Wasps rugby club.

But chief executive Joy Seppala said having their own stadium would benefit them financially.

"We are an aspiring football club and aspiring hopefully to the Premier League and beyond and every aspiring football club requires their own stadium and I think that we need to have our own revenue stream," she said.

A tram has crashed with a car in Wolverhampton partially blocking the ring road in both directions.

The A4150 is affected around the Bilston Road Island.

There is congestion to all approaches to the island and it is also causing queues for inbound traffic from both Heath Town and Moseley, travel firm Inrix is reporting.

Tram services are still running with delays.

BBC Weather

Today we're forecast some light cloud again and temperatures up to 21C (70F).

And that weather is going to remain with us tomorrow, but some rain is expected over the weekend.

You can get a full forecast for your area on the BBC Weather page.

Image source, Tippytoes

BBC Sport looks at the chances of all 13 sides ahead of the new Premiership rugby union season.

The company says it is committed to having more opportunities away from London.

Cauley Woodrow scores a world-class screamer to earn Barnsley a point in a hot-tempered draw at Stoke.