The company planning to frack in Ryedale in North Yorkshire is selling its onshore operations to an American energy company.

Third Energy has announced it's signed a deal with Alpha Energy.

The company came close to fracking a site at Kirby Misperton in 2017 but, withdrew while it awaited approval of its financial resilience from the government.

The sale of the company to York Energy Holdings, which is an affiliated company of US-based Alpha Energy, includes the planned fracking site at Kirby Misperton, near Pickering and Third Energy's power station at East Knapton.

Tom Reed, the chief executive of Alpha Energy, says he's looking forward to developing the group's energy and generation business.

The deal is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Have you seen Fahmida Begum?

Police are very concerned for her welfare after she went missing in Bradford.

Image source, WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE

The 52-year-old, who is known to the Manningham area, was reported missing on 15 March after not showing up to an appointment.

She usually wears a black long dress with a full-face veil and is described as being of large build.

Police believe she could be sleeping rough and are keen to hear from anyone with any information.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with a fight in Beverley in the early hours of this morning which left one person needing hospital treatment.

Image source, Geograph/Bernard Sharp

A man banged his head during the incident in Saturday Market and was taken to hospital for treatment, although his injuries are not thought to be serious.

Humberside Police say they still want speak to another man in connection with the incident which happened at about 02:15 today.

Gerry Jackson
BBC Look North

A man has pleaded not guilty to a charge of harassing Sunderland Central Labour MP Julie Elliot.

Leonard Lowther, 64, from Sunderland, allegedly made repeated social media postings in 2018 which claimed she had "perverted the course of justice".

The hearing was adjourned until 21 May at Leeds Magistrates' Court.

Shuaiyb opened a private pool specifically aimed at Asian women when he was 16 years old.

Police have released an e-fit image of a man they want to identify after an attempted robbery in Hull.

Image source, Humberside Police

The victim was walking near Hymers Avenue when he was approached by a man who demanded his money and phone before striking him, causing cuts and bruises to his face.

Humberside Police would like to speak to the man in the picture in connection with the attack which happened at about 05:00 on Saturday 13 April.

A blackbird who was caught in fishing line has been rescued by fire crews near the River Rivelin in Sheffield:

Image source, SOUTH YORKSHIRE FIRE SERVICE

A crew member heard the cries of the bird, since named as Betty, by the waterside.

After cutting the line wrapped around her foot, she was set free:

Dominic O'Connell
Business Presenter, BBC Radio 4 Today programme

What now for Leeds-based Asda now the merger between itself and Sainsbury's has been blocked?

Image source, Reuters

The chief executive of Sainsbury's, Mike Coupe, has today seen his big gambit, a merger with Asda, fail - and fail utterly.

Now he needs to come up with a convincing Plan B, and demonstrate to a sceptical market how Sainsbury's can prosper without what would have been a transformational deal with Asda.

If he cannot do that, he will probably have to stand down.

Asda has a different problem. It needs a new owner as its American parent, Walmart, has made it clear it wants out.

That could mean a sale to a private equity investor, or a stock market listing. Neither would be straightforward.

The Press

Staff tackled a blaze at York's Grand Opera House with fire extinguishers after stage curtains caught fire, external.

Image source, YORK PRESS

There's been a large power cut in the Hull area affecting more than 3,500 properties.

Northern Powergrid says it has been caused by an "unexpected problem with the cables or equipment" serving the area.

The problem was reported at about 10:30 and the company estimates power will be back on by 12:15:

Shares in the Hull company, which have struggled in recent years, jumped on news of the proposed deal.

The RSPCA says it received more than 1,200 calls about the cruelty or neglect of exotic animals in Yorkshire last year.

Image source, RSPCA

The animal welfare charity has released its annual statistics, which show in North Yorkshire 240 calls about exotic animals were received and 78 exotic pets and four exotic fish rescued.

In South Yorkshire the organisation took 335 calls about exotic animals and rescued 75 exotic pets and 19 exotic fish.

In East Yorkshire 184 calls about exotic animals were taken.

The charity also rescued 41 exotic pets, a rise on the 2017 total of 29 creatures and two fish.

And in West Yorkshire more than 487 calls about exotic animals were answered, with 101 exotic animals and three exotic fish being kept as pets rescued.

Image source, RSPCA

The rescued animals included a corn snake saved from a dishwasher in Sheffield, two parakeets dumped in a bag in a hedge in Bradford and a California kingsnake, found beneath the cash machine of a supermarket in Hull.

The RSPCA says: "We believe people may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home.”

A 19-year-old man has been arrested after a crash left a man seriously injured in Bradford.

Image source, Google

Officers believe a white Mercedes was in collision with a pedestrian between Farfield Street and Mitcham Drive at about 22:25 on 21 April.

The 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving, failing to stop and driving without due care or attention.

He has been released under investigation.

The pedestrian is in a critical condition in hospital.

Police want to hear from anyone with dash-cam footage or who witnessed the incident.

A special service will bring faith leaders together today at Halifax Minister to remember those killed in the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

Image source, Google

Organisers of the Not In My Name event say it aims to break down barriers and promote unity.

More than 300 people were killed in the attacks, including eight Britons.

The Vicar of Halifax, Reverend Canon Hilary Barber, says it's important to meet in the aftermath of the tragedy.

These artist's impressions show how gardens in the centre of Hull could look after a £27.4m transformation.

Image source, Hull City Council

Hull City Council says the plans for Queens Gardens, once the largest dock in the UK, are in keeping with the area's rich heritage.

Image source, Hull City Council

Work could start later this year to improve lighting, access, seating and landscaping at the gardens which would be part of a maritime trail leading to the North End Shipyard.

The City of York Council has hit back at claims made by a local MP, Rachael Maskell, most of the city's recycling ends up in landfill.

Speaking in a Commons debate on Tuesday night, Ms Maskell said: "The council has really failed the people of my city.

"Plastics, apart from bottles are not picked up at kerbside and this weekend, doing my plastic walkabout, I learnt much of York's recycled waste ends up in landfill."

But York's council has disputed the MP's claims, saying: "None of our waste is sent to landfill, all non-recyclable waste is sent to Allerton Waste Recovery Park.

"Any remaining organic waste or recyclable waste not put out to be recycled is separated at Allerton Waste Recovery Park.

"Figures for 2017/18 show our recycling rate is in the top half both regionally and nationally."

It's been revealed RAF Fylingdales is tracking over a thousand objects in space every day.

Image source, Geograph/Steve Partridge

The base, on the North York Moors, provides an early warning system of a ballistic missile attack for the Western world and monitors debris in space thousands of miles away.

Items being kept track of include an astronaut's glove and a lost spanner, just in case they crash into an orbiting satellite or even the International Space Station.

Police in East Yorkshire says their investigation into a missing mother from Hull remains active and ongoing, two years after she was last seen.

Image source, Humberside Police

Renata Antczak, 49, was last seen near her home in Beamsley Way, Hull, after taking her child to school on 25 April 2017.

No-one has seen or heard from her since.

Police, who are treating the disappearance as murder, say they're still working "tirelessly".

There are calls for the Sheffield Hallam MP, Jared O'Mara, to resign after he said there'd be a "temporary pause" to his casework and correspondence, while he recruits new staff.

Image source, House of Commons

Mr O'Mara has been an independent MP since resigning from Labour in July 2018.

He quit the party after being suspended over alleged misogynistic and homophobic comments posted online.

He released a statement yesterday asking his constituents to have patience with him during the pause which will last several weeks.

It's not clear why his staff are no longer working for him.

Laura Gordon, the Liberal Democrats prospective parliamentary candidate for Hallam, says he's paid well to represent constituents, and should stand down.

She says: "This announcement shows he's not able or willing to provide that service and often, when people come to their MPs, it's because all other avenues have failed them.

"And when they have issues that need urgent support and attention, in some of those cases people won't be able to wait a few weeks."

The Labour MP for York Central claims she's discovered most of the city's recycling ends up in landfill.

Rachael Maskell says a pledge to give up buying plastic for Lent has transformed her shopping habits.

Speaking in a special Commons debate last night, she said: "The council has really failed the people of my city.

"Plastics, apart from bottles are not picked up at kerbside and this weekend, doing my plastic walkabout, I learnt much of York's recycled waste ends up in landfill."

The BBC has contacted the City of York Council and is waiting for a response.

The government says it's working hard to reduce plastic waste and improve recycling rates.