An independent think tank dedicated to understanding and improving UK city economies has come up with three areas it suggests a mayor for South Yorkshire should look at as a priority.

An election's due to be held in May and a report by The Centre for Cities, external says the new Sheffield City Region mayor should have these issues at the top of a to-do list:

• Pollution
• Addressing the skills gap
• Bolstering the city region's commercial centres

Whoever wins the mayoral race will be the first directly-elected mayor of South Yorkshire.

BBC Weather

A cold start with outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow spreading from the southwest through the first part of this morning.

Moderate westerly winds and a maximum temperature of about 8C.

It'll be dry with long clear spells this evening, with light winds allowing a few mist and freezing fog patches and a widespread frost as temperatures drop to -1C:

Just when we might have been forgiven for thinking we'd seen the back of the snow, given it's officially spring, more is expected today.

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" weather warning for sleet and snow across Yorkshire, external.

West Yorkshire Police is also advising care should be taken as the temperatures drop and the weather turns a little more wintry, with snow now falling in the county.

The force says it's already received at least 10 reports of separate traffic accidents as a result of the weather conditions:

Two teenagers have been killed in a three-vehicle crash in North Yorkshire.

Image source, Google

The pair, both believed to be 17-years-old, were pronounced dead at the scene near Thirsk, North Yorkshire Police said.

Officers were called to reports of a collision involving a Ford Focus, Vauxhall Corsa and a Volkswagen Bora at about 21:25 on Wednesday.

Seven others, including two children, were taken to hospital after the crash, the force said.

A stretch of the A61 between Busby Stoop and Carlton Miniott was closed for several hours while police investigated.

Detectives have appealed for witnesses, or motorists with dashcams who were travelling in the area at the time, to come forward.

Seven others, including two children, were taken to hospital after the crash in North Yorkshire.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani questions the legality of the link-up between Championship leaders Wolves and agent Jorge Mendes.

Third Energy confirms a new timescale for fracking to start at its site at Kirby Misperton.

Wolves restore their six-point lead at the top of the Championship with a routine win over Leeds at Elland Road.

The top stories from across Yorkshire so far today include:

• Man in court over Cawood death
• Leeds students get £19m gas bill after meter reading error
• Five people 'made 2,000 calls to ambulance service'
• Three Yorkshire New Look stores could close
• Peer's tree questions to South Yorkshire Police chief

Here's a nice piece of social history: This is Leeds Town Hall in 1943 amid celebrations for that year's Women's Day - and to raise money to buy aircraft for the war effort.

Image source, Leeds City Council

The picture is taken from an album which documents the life of Jessie Beatrice Kitson, the city's first female Lord Mayor.

She served from November 1942 and was not attached to a political party.

Alongside famous Leeds Suffragette Leonora Cohen, she was also one of the city’s early female magistrates.

This picture is currently being displayed as part of A Woman's Place, an exhibition highlighting the many different roles women in Leeds and beyond have fulfilled over the past 150 years.

Do you know these men? Police want to speak to them after a man was robbed at knifepoint in Doncaster last month.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

It happened on 12 February as a 28-year-old man was walking towards the railway station along a path running from Marshland Road in Moorends.

He passed two men, one of whom pushed him to the floor before the other threatened him with a small kitchen knife.

They took his rucksack and an H.Samuel jewellery bag he was carrying before leaving.

The victim wasn't injured in the attack.

Parents in Harrogate are being asked to check up on where their teenage children are after a series of suspected arson attacks in rural areas.

Police have issued the advice after the spate of fires in derelict farm buildings, hay barns and other rural sites off the A61 between Harrogate and Killinghall.

PC Liz Rutter says: "We have concerns for the safety of children visiting these premises unsupervised.

"Add deliberate fire-starting into the mix, as we believe has happened at a number of these locations recently, and it's a recipe for disaster."

A total of 10 young people have been interviewed by officers so far, according to police.

Social workers in part of South Yorkshire won't be allowed to use bin bags to carry children's belongings to foster homes any more after complaints from youngsters that it made them feel "like rubbish".

The children told them about their feelings during a project aimed at giving employees at Rotherham Council an insight into their needs and emotions.

The council has responded by stopping the practice, with a local entrepreneur now working to secure a consignment of 180 suitcases to give to the council.

Some will be given to children in care for their own use, with social workers holding some back to use when they need to move children between placements.

Hospital play specialist Lobke Marsden has been decorating radiotherapy masks to comfort young cancer patients.

One to watch out for on your journey home this evening:

Highways England say a lane and entry slip road on the northbound M1 just after J39 will stay closed until about 22:00.

Earlier today engineers closed the northbound carriageway to complete work on a bridge.

There were queues of nearly five miles at one point.

A mistaken digit in a gas meter reading resulted in student housemates receiving a bill for £19m.

Image source, Viktorija Kiselytė

The University of Leeds students had wrongly reported their meter reading and woke up on Monday to find the bill for the eye-wateringly large sum.

One of the group, Viktorija Kiselytė, said when they were initially unable to contact their supplier they became so worried they set up a fundraising page.

Huddle Utilities corrected the mistake and issued a new bill on Tuesday.

The MP for York Central has made a passionate plea for better homes during Prime Minister's Questions.

Image source, RachelMaskell.com

Labour's Rachael Maskell told Theresa May there's a housing "crisis" in the city, and it's "out of control"

The Prime Minister responded, saying the government is "making changes to ensure they're building more homes".

Theresa May also said York hadn't had a local plan for 50 years and suggested Rachel Maskell "speak to her council about it."

Four 10-day-old kittens have been found dumped in a cat bed, stuffed inside a cardboard box in Bradford.

Image source, RSPCA

The kittens, two tabby and two black, were found in Salt Street, White Abbey on Monday afternoon in an igloo style cat bed inside a cardboard box.

A passer-by heard them miaowing and made the discovery and called the RSPCA.

An officer took them home to care for them and fed them through the night - they are now said to be doing well.

Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott has confirmed Ashton Golding (pictured) will start at full-back in place of injured Brad Dwyer (rib).

Jack Walker (knee) is fit again and will be among the replacements.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

Hull FC have included outside back Jack Logan (knee) in their squad for the first time since June 2016.

Danny Houghton, Mickey Paea, Bureta Faraimo, Albert Kelly and Josh Bowden are all injured and Liam Watts starts a three-match ban.

Image source, PA

Leeds Rhino's team: Golding, Briscoe, Watkins, Hall, Moon, Myler, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Delaney, Mullally, Garbutt, Handley, Ormondroyd, Walker, Oledzki, Walters.

Hull FC's team: Shaul, Logan, Griffin, Tuimavave (pictured above), Talanoa, Connor, Sneyd, Taylor, Washbrook, Fash, Manu, Minichiello, Hadley; Abdull, Green, Turgut, Matongo, Lane, Downs.

The match at Headingly tomorrow, 8 March 2018, kicks off at 19:45.