Covid-19 rates have fallen for the first time in several weeks in many parts of the West Midlands.

However, 18 of the 30 local authority areas in the region continued to see rises, including Warwick, which remains among England's hotspots.

Its rate rose from 625 new infections per 100,000 people to 704 in the seven days up to and including 23 October.

Worcester saw a 42% rise in its rate, to 484 per 100,000 people in the same period, although it remains low compared with many other areas in England.

Image source, EPA

Several parts of the West Midlands that have been among the worst affected in England in recent weeks have continued to see falls in their rates, including Nuneaton, Staffordshire Moorlands, Cannock Chase and Lichfield. Cases in Rugby were also stable.

Many other areas also saw falls, including Stoke-on-Trent, Wyre Forest, Redditch and Shropshire.

Telford & Wrekin, however had a 9% rise in new cases - reaching 1,133 in the week up to 23 October.

BBC Midlands Today

More than one million people across the Midlands have now had their Covid-19 booster as the NHS vaccination programme continues.

People who received their second jab before the end of April and are over 50 or considered to be at risk are eligible for the top-up jab now.

The NHS will contact people for the booster, if it has been at least six months since their last vaccination.

BBC Midlands Today

The giant puppet Little Amal will arrive in Birmingham on Thursday following an 5,000-mile journey across Europe.

The puppet, representing a nine-year-old Syrian refugee and her journey across Europe was in Coventry on Wednesday.

Crowds of people greeted the 3.5m (11.5ft) puppet in the city centre in the afternoon.

She will be visiting Erdington High Street from 15:00, with other events such as live music and street games taking place beforehand.

Today, it will be a largely cloudy and dry day for many, but with some brighter spells.

It will remain mild with moderate southerly winds. Highs of 16C (61F).

Tonight, it will remain cloudy, with a band of rain slowly moving in from the west. The rain will turn heavy and persistent in the early hours. Lows of 11C (52F).

BBC Weather Watchers

Our local BBC Weather Watchers update us on the forecast where they are and many of them also take great photos while they are out and about.

Here are three of the many sent in today, from Suttonwalker in Birmingham, Biking Mike in Cheadle, Staffordshire and Hedgehog in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

Image source, Suttonwalker

Image source, Biking Mike

Image source, Hedgehog

The 3.5m giant puppet has crossed seven countries on its journey to the UK.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street has welcomed universal credit changes outlined in the Budget.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out changes he says will give low income families an extra £1,000 a year.

Asked if Mr Sunak had gone far enough to calm his concerns about universal credit, Mr Street said he was "really pleased with what he announced".

The mayor added: "You're right in saying I did have concerns. I said there should be mitigations and he has delivered a really good response to that."

But Labour said the chancellor's universal credit measure would not make up for axing the £20-a-week top-up to the benefit.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street says while Chancellor Rishi Sunak has "got to balance the books over time, he was utterly determined to balance the country as well", following the Budget.

The mayor told the BBC: "We've seen the billion pound for transport investments in the West Midlands and he talked about... investing in skills and of course investing in innovation across the region."

Asked about Coventry being in Priority 2 over the Levelling Up Fund, external, Mr Street said: "It was disappointing that Coventry was put that way. The case will be made."

Local authority areas are placed in categories 1, 2 or 3, depending on their identified level of need, with category 1 representing places deemed in most need of investment.

"But actually... it looks as though some areas in Priority 2 and indeed 3 even did get their funding and that was always said that it wouldn't be a real blanket ruling.

"This does not mean that there isn't substantial government investment into Coventry."

The West Midlands trust raises its risk rating for ambulance handover delays to its highest level.

A Wolverhampton MP is calling on the prime minister for more funding to tackle high rates of youth unemployment in the city.

Tory MP Jane Stevenson, who represents Wolverhampton North East, raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions and asked Boris Johnson what support was being made available to help young people gain the skills they needed.

"Our unemployment rate, youth unemployment, was unacceptably high pre-pandemic and now sadly is the highest rate nationally," she said.

Image source, PA Media

"Would the prime minister urgently look at how the government can level-up opportunity so that young people in Wolverhampton can get the skills and the confidence they need?"

Joseph Forster is charged after a man was found in cardiac arrest and died in hospital.

The cash will be split between three bids, including a regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent city centre.

John Bray
BBC News

Coventry has welcomed a giant puppet to the city as it nears the end of a 5,000-mile (8,000km) walk from Syria to "rewrite the narrative about refugees".

Crowds of people greeted the 3.5m (11.5ft) puppet, named Little Amal, in the city centre on Wednesday afternoon.

Little Amal represents a nine-year-old Syrian refugee on the journey, in a project called The Walk.

The puppet, whose name means "hope" in Arabic, started its journey in Gaziantep, Turkey on 27 July and has travelled across Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France.

The aim has been to shine a light on the stories of the millions of displaced refugee children she represents.

Tomorrow, Little Amal will visit Erdington High Street in Birmingham.

Students going out in Birmingham for the first time post-lockdown are a factor, the force says.

The 2022 cycling event for the Commonwealth Games will be staged in Warwickshire.

Nine-year-old Charlie danced at his first Northern Soul and Motown night in Bilston, West Midlands.

Sam McDougal named her duckling "Morri" after the supermarket he came from.

West Midlands Trains says the pandemic has delayed training for more than 100 train drivers.

BBC News Travel

Two lanes have been closed on the M42 northbound after a crash.

Delays of about 40 minutes are being reported between junction five for Solihull and junction six for the NEC.

Motorists have been urged to allow extra time for their journeys.

Five women are held in connection with the fatal shooting of two men at a gathering in Manchester.