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Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Burnley Express, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. The line-up for Celebrity Cyclone has been confirmed for 2024. I’m a Celebrity is preparing for the final two days of this year’s season - and a winner will soon be crowned. Oti won the golden ticket straight through to the coveted challenge - a fan and participant favourite each year. However more places were up for grabs. Advertisement Advertisement A double elimination shocked fans and the campmates on Thursday (December 5) night - but how many of the remaining six stars survived tonight's (December 6) episode. Here’s all you need to know: Stay up-to-date with the latest UK news and culture with our free UK Today newsletter. It is one of the most iconic I’m a Celebrity challenges and a benchmark for the participants. However only a handful of stars can make it all the way to take on Celebrity Cyclone. Oti Mabuse won the golden ticket in the two part challenge spread across the episodes on Wednesday (December 4) and Thursday. After two trips to the Arcade of Agony, she won the major advantage. Advertisement Advertisement She was joined by Danny Jones, Coleen Rooney and Reverend Richard Coles. Two more celebs were sent home in yet another double elimination. The unlucky two were Alan Halsall and GK Barry. Their depatures come just before the final two episodes of I’m a Celebrity 2024 - as the top six became a top four. Find out who makes it to the final day in Saturday’s (December 7) episode. Friday’s episode started, as is tradition, with a recap of the events from the day prior, up to the double elimination of Maura and Barry. Alan had the pleasure of announcing the details of the latest Bush Tucker trial - with two celebs set to take part. Advertisement Advertisement Once again, it was up to the campmates to decide who would face the challenge. Coleen Rooney and Reverend Richard Coles volunteered. It was a trial called ‘Dreaded Dregs’ - a drinking themed challenge. They had a chance to win up to six stars, but some of the drinking games saw the two celebs facing off against each other. Starting with a game of spin the bottle, Coleen had to drink a ‘jungle drink’ - made from blended pig testicles. Who hasn’t downed one of these have a few pints? She successfully won the first star. The two celebs then went head to head, for a game of gruesome flip cup - with the celeb taking the longest having to face a forfeit. Advertisement Advertisement They got two stars for the game, but Coleen was the slowest and had to face the forfeit. Meaning she had to face the next one on her own. She had to face six shots, including blended camel teets and then horses anuses. Like a true trooper, Coleen managed to finish all of them. For the next game, it was a Bush Tucker twist on beer pong - and two stars were up for grabs. And they managed to win them both. A seventh star was then up for grabs, if Coleen and Richard could finish a dirty fishbowl drink together. If they managed it - drinks would be up for grabs for everyone back in camp that evening. Advertisement Advertisement Coleen struggled but Richard kept going and finished it all. Winning the final star - taking the total to seven: six for meals and one for drinks. After the challenge, each of the celebs were pulled out of camp for a surprise: to meet a family member or loved one for an emotional reunion. It was a piece of TV that was bound to touch the hearts of even the most curmudgeonly watchers. What do you think of the line-up for Celebrity Cyclone this year? Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected] .INDIANAPOLIS — It was just a 10-yard completion, easy to overlook in the wake of a record-setting rushing day and easy to dismiss as one of just 11 pass attempts throughout the Indianapolis Colts’ 38-30 victory Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. But Anthony Richardson’s third-and-8 pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter was pivotal to holding off the visitors’ late rally. If the Colts were forced to punt in that situation, a defense that had allowed touchdowns on three consecutive drives — of 70, 55 and 71 yards — would be back on the field with tremendous pressure to prevent the game going to overtime. Richardson was cold and out of rhythm. He’d been sacked on his most recent pass attempt — on third-and-9 with 6:51 remaining — and he hadn’t gotten a pass off since throwing an incompletion intended for wide receiver Josh Downs at the 11:20 mark. With the dual-threat quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor combining for 270 of Indianapolis’ single-game franchise-record 335 rushing yards, Richardson had not completed a pass since the 8:33 mark of the third quarter, and he was just 1-for-2 in the second half. Still, he was calm and composed on the crucial third down — hitting Pittman on a simple out pattern to move the chains and keep the clock moving. When the Colts finally did punt the ball back to Tennessee, there were only three seconds remaining for the Titans to work with, It was a forgettable play in the grand scheme of the game, but it was also the most recent evidence of the 22-year-old quarterback’s ability to raise his level of play in the clutch. He’s 3-2 as a starter since taking the role back from veteran Joe Flacco, and the other two victories featured game-winning touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. “I think that’s a special trait — obviously as a young player — that he doesn’t flinch in those times, to lead those comebacks,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, the (New York) Jets, the New England (Patriots) game, I mean, those are big-time drives to go win games. “You want that out of young players, especially (when) you see the veteran guys do it around the league all the time, but to do it as a young player speaks volumes of the person that he is.” Despite Richardson’s up-and-down season, Indianapolis has maintained steadfast belief in his potential. Even when he was benched for Flacco, the organization repeatedly stated it was not giving up on the quarterback as its future leader. There’s still plenty of work to be done. Richardon has completed just 47.7% of his passes, and he’s thrown 12 interceptions in 11 starts. His rushing ability again was evident Sunday, and he’s set franchise single-season records for a quarterback with 499 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. And he has proven his big-play ability with a league-leading 14.4 yards per completion. The Colts still believe improved consistency will come with increased reps, and they hold out hope the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft can still become the long-term answer at the game’s most important position. For now, Richardson’s late-game heroics offer the most compelling argument in his favor. “I think it’s just me just playing all the way until the clock hits zero,” Richardson said of his mindset. “I never think about fourth quarter moments or anything like that. I just try to play until the game’s over. And it just happens sometimes that most of it happens in the fourth quarter. So I just try to play through the whistle and just play through the whole game.” After rushing for 218 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans – both the second-highest single-game totals of his career – Taylor has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. It was a major bounce-back performance after Taylor’s unforced fumble just short of the goal line cost the Colts dearly in a pivotal loss against the Denver Broncos a week prior. “It’s always exciting to see that dude just do what he does,” Richardson said. “It’s fascinating, honestly, just to see him hit a gap and just take it to the house. It’s just amazing, especially thinking about what happened in the Denver game. It honestly like wiped my mind. I wasn’t even thinking about it until people were talking about him coming back and having the game he did. “It’s like ‘OK, that’s the type of player he is, the type of person he is.’ He always wants to do better for the team and for himself. And just to see him do that and get what he did on Sunday is just a blessing.” The Colts officially signed right guard Mark Glowinski to the 53-man roster Tuesday after he’d been called up for game day in each of the past three weeks. Guard Antonio Mafi was re-signed to the practice squad after being released from the 53-man roster Monday.
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BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane scored a hat trick including two penalties for Bayern Munich to beat Augsburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday. The win stretched Bayern’s lead to eight points ahead of the rest of the 11th round, and Kane took his goals tally to a league-leading 14. The England forward is the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the Bundesliga in what was his 43rd game. However, coach Vincent Kompany should be concerned by his team’s ongoing difficulty of scoring in matches it dominates. Bayern previously defeated St. Pauli and Benfica only 1-0. Kompany’s team had to wait until stoppage time before Kane sealed the result with his second penalty. Two minutes later, Kane scored with a header after controlling Leon Goretzka's cross with his first touch for a flattering scoreline. “We had to be patient,” Kane said. “And at halftime that’s what we said, to keep doing what we’re doing. We had a few chances in the first half and we just had to be a bit more clinical and obviously, thankfully, we got the penalty to kind of open the game up.” Mads Pedersen was penalized for handball following a VAR review and Kane duly broke the deadlock in the 63rd. Bayern continued as before with 80% possession, but had to wait for Keven Schlotterbeck to be penalized through VAR for a foul on Kane. Kane sealed the result in the third minute of stoppage time and there was still time for him to grab another. It’s Bayern’s seventh consecutive win without conceding a goal since it conceded four at Barcelona (4-1) on Oct. 23 in the Champions League. “You can see now that we have a solid defense and that's the basis, also in games like today's,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. “When it's a game of patience, then it's important for us to know that sometimes one goal will have to do. Like today we added two more before the finish, but in the end you only need to score one more than the opponent.” Bayern next hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, then Borussia Dortmund away in the Bundesliga next weekend, before defending champion Bayer Leverkusen visits in the third round of the German Cup. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerInteract Marketing Expands AI Marketing Offerings for 2025In a move to streamline public events and enhance accountability, the Chandigarh Police have placed the responsibility for safety and traffic management squarely on the shoulders of event organisers. Whether it’s a political rally, musical concert or religious procession, organisers must now ensure the smooth execution of their gatherings, taking charge of everything from crowd control to traffic diversions. Under the newly formed “SoP guidelines for permissions for public event”, organisers are required to take proactive steps to manage crowd safety and traffic disruptions. This includes deploying trained volunteers to assist with traffic regulation and crowd control, particularly for large-scale events. Compliance with safety regulations is mandatory, with requirements such as installation of CCTV cameras, proper signage and availability of safety equipment at event venues. Organisers will bear full responsibility for any accidents or incidents occurring during their events. To ensure transparency, organisers must conduct videography or photography of the event and submit copies to the Chandigarh Police upon request for investigative purposes. They are also required to prepare clear and tested evacuation and emergency response plans. For larger gatherings, these plans must be shared with local authorities to ensure readiness for any unforeseen situations. Additionally, event layouts, entry and exit points, and estimated crowd sizes must be submitted at the time of application to facilitate effective monitoring. In a notable shift, organisers are now responsible for arranging traffic diversions, ensuring road safety measures, and installing necessary signage to guide attendees. Processions are required to adhere to specific rules, such as keeping to the left and occupying no more than one-third of the road width. Pedestrian and cycling paths must remain unobstructed, and vehicles must be parked in authorised areas to avoid congestion. As per the guideline, organisers must inform the public about event permissions and rules through press releases and social media platforms, ensuring compliance and awareness among attendees. IGP to grant permissions Previously, the process for obtaining event permissions involved forwarding applications to multiple departments, including the SSP (Law & Order), SSP (Traffic & Security), chief fire officer and municipal corporation, with the deputy commissioner’s office granting the final approval. Now, the inspector general of police (IGP) will serve as the nodal officer for the permission-granting process. The IGP will oversee approvals and ensure adherence to all stipulated guidelines. After a thorough assessment, the IGP will formally decide on the permission. All permissions granted, conditions imposed and post-event reports will be recorded for future audits and evaluations.
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At least eight people were killed by Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank around the city of Tulkarem on Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, including three people it said were killed by Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military said it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of some uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a second somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of the war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Palestinian militants. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza , although only two thirds are believed to still be alive. Here’s the latest: NUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least eight people were killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank on Tuesday. The ministry reported three of the dead were killed by airstrikes. The Israeli military said it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of some uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. An Associated Press photojournalist captured images of Israeli forces detonating an explosive device planted by Palestinian militants during a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp. Israel has carried out several large-scale raids in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. While airstrikes were once rare in the West Bank, they have grown more common since the outbreak of war as Israeli forces clamp down, saying they aim to prevent attacks on their citizens. Israeli fire has killed at least 800 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, Palestinian health officials say. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. SAYDNAYA, Syria — A large crowd of Syrians gathered near a historic monastery in Saydnaya on Christmas Eve to witness the lighting of a towering tree adorned with glowing green lights. Tuesday's celebration offered a rare moment of joy in a city scarred by over a decade of war and an infamous prison , where tens of thousands were held. Families and friends stood beneath the illuminated tree — some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops — while a band played festive music and fireworks lit up the sky “This year is different, there’s happiness, victory and a new birth for Syria and a new birth for Christ,” said Houssam Saadeh, one attendee. Another, Joseph Khabbaz, expressed hope for unity across all sects and religions in Syria, dismissing recent Christmas tree vandalism as “isolated incidents.” Earlier in the afternoon, pilgrims visited the historic Our Lady of Saydnaya Monastery, one of the world’s oldest Christian monasteries, believed to be built in the sixth century. In Homs, a similarly grand Christmas tree was illuminated as security officers patrolled the area to ensure a safe and peaceful gathering, according to Syria’s state media. UNITED NATIONS -- Recent attacks on hospitals in North Gaza, where Israel is carrying out an offensive, are having a devastating impact on Palestinian civilians still in the area, the U.N. humanitarian office says. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed deep concern at reports that the Israeli military entered the Indonesian Hospital on Tuesday, forcing its evacuation. The humanitarian office, known as OCHA, also expressed deep concern at attacks reported in recent days in and around the two other hospitals in North Gaza that are minimally functioning – Al Awda and Kamal Adwan. OCHA said the Israeli siege on Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and parts of Jaballiya in North Gaza continued for a 79th day on Tuesday, and while the U.N. and its partners have made 52 attempts to coordinate humanitarian access to besieged areas in December 48 were rejected by Israel. While four missions were approved, OCHA said the U.N. and its partners faced impediments as a result of Israeli military operations and “none of the U.N.-coordinated attempts to access the area have been fully facilitated.” Throughout the Gaza Strip, OCHA said that Israeli authorities facilitated just 40% of requests for humanitarian movements requiring their approval in December. WASHINGTON — A leading global food crisis monitor says deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in north Gaza as soon as next month. The U.S.-created Famine Early Warning System Network says that’s because of a near-total Israeli blockade of food and other aid in that part of Gaza. The finding, however, appears to have exposed a rift within the Biden administration over the extent of starvation in northern Gaza. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, disputes part of the data used in reaching the conclusion and calls the intensified famine warning “irresponsible.” Northern Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its 14-month war with Hamas militants. UNITED NATIONS — Israel’s foreign minister has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to condemn recent missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and to condemn the group's Iranian allies for allegedly providing the group with weapons. Gideon Saar said in a letter Tuesday to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States, which holds the council presidency this month, that the Houthis are violating international law and council resolutions. “This Iranian-backed terrorist group continues to endanger Israel’s and other nations’ security, as well as the freedom of maritime navigation, in flagrant violation of international law,” Saar said. “All of this malign activity is done as part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region.” The U.S. Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to an email asking when the council meeting will be held. The Houthis have said they launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea – and on Israel -- with the aim of ending Israel’s devastating air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli war in Gaza followed Hamas’ deadly October 2023 attacks in southern Israel. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military investigation has concluded that the presence of troops inadvertently contributed to the deaths of six hostages killed by their Hamas captors in Gaza. The hostages' bodies were discovered in a tunnel in late August, an event that shook Israel and sparked some of the largest anti-war protests since the war began. The investigation found that the six hostages were killed by multiple gunshots from their captors after surviving for nearly 330 days. The Israeli military’s “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages,” the report found. According to the investigation, the Israeli military began operating in the area where the hostages were being held in southern Gaza about two weeks before their discovery, under the assumption that the chances of hostages in the area was medium to low. On August 27, hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi was found alone in a tunnel , causing the Israeli military to halt operations for 24 hours to determine if there could be other hostages in the area. The military discovered the opening leading to the tunnel where the bodies of the six hostages were located on August 30. A pathological report estimated the six hostages were killed on August 29. The six hostages killed were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin , whose American-Israeli parents became some of the most recognized spokespeople pleading for the hostages’ release, including addressing the Democratic National Convention days before their son’s killing. “The investigation published tonight proves once again that the return of all hostages will only be possible through a deal,” the Hostages Families Forum said in response to the investigation. “Every passing moment puts the hostages’ lives in immediate danger.” JERUSALEM — The Israeli negotiating team working on a ceasefire returned from Qatar to Israel on Tuesday, the prime minister’s office said, after what it called “a significant week” of talks. After months of deadlock, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to reach a deal. According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the proposed agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages, over one-third of whom are believed to be dead. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “some progress” in efforts to reach a deal, but added he did not know how long it would take. CAIRO — Israeli soldiers took control of a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. Some of the patients had to walk to another hospital while others were driven by paramedics, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi. He did not specify how many patients had evacuated. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. The army later said its soldiers had left the hospital. The military said it had assisted with evacuating the patients and had not ordered the hospital closed. However, al-Wahidi said only one doctor and maintenance person were left behind. The Indonesian Hospital is one of three hospitals left largely inaccessible in the northernmost part of Gaza because Israel has imposed a tight siege there since launching an offensive in early October. The Israeli army said Tuesday’s operation at the Indonesian Hospital came after militants carried out attacks from the hospital for the past month, including launching anti-tank missiles and planting explosive devices in the surrounding area. The Health Ministry accused Israel of “besieging and directly targeting” the three hospitals in northern Gaza. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said Israeli drones detonated explosives near the hospital and that 20 people were wounded, including five medical staff. The Israeli military declined to comment on the operation around the hospital. DAMASCUS — Scores of Syrian Christians protested in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, demanding greater protections for their religious minority after a Christmas tree was set on fire in the city of Hama a day earlier. Many of the insurgents who now rule Syria are jihadis, although Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and spent years depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. It remains unclear who set the Christmas tree on fire Monday, which was condemned by a representative of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham who visited the town and addressed the community. “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations," the HTS representative said in a video widely shared on social media. "The Christmas tree will be fully restored by this evening.” On Tuesday, protesters marched through the streets of Bab Touma in Damascus, shouting slogans against foreign fighters and carrying large wooden crosses. “We demand that Syria be for all Syrians. We want a voice in the future of our country,” said Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church as he addressed the crowd in a church courtyard, assuring them of Christians’ rights in Syria. Since HTS led a swift offensive that overthrew President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Syria’s minority communities have been on edge, uncertain of how they will be treated under the emerging rebel-led government. “We are here to demand a democratic and free government for one people and one nation,” another protester said. “We stand united — Muslims and Christians. No to sectarianism.” DOHA — Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said that ceasefire negotiations to end the war in Gaza were ongoing in Doha in cooperation with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators. “We will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement,” said Majid al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday. Al Ansari added that rumors the ceasefire would be reached before Christmas are “speculation.” The ceasefire negotiations come at a time when winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. Families of the approximately 100 hostages who have been held for 445 days in Gaza are also worried their loved ones will not survive another winter. In a press conference, al-Ansari also called on the international community to lift sanctions on Syria as quickly as possible on Tuesday. “The reason was the crimes of the previous regime, and that regime, with all of its authority, is no longer in place, therefor the causes for these sanctions no longer exist today,” he said. DAMASCUS, Syria — American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group. Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead. Zakka told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad. He added that U.S. President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive. Zakka said he believes Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating. Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip. Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, although he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. TEL AVIV, Israel — Hannah Katzir, an Israeli woman who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and freed in a brief ceasefire last year, has died. She was 78. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of people taken captive, confirmed the death Tuesday but did not disclose the cause. Her daughter, Carmit Palty Katzir, said in a statement that her mother’s “heart could not withstand the terrible suffering since Oct. 7.” Katzir’s husband, Rami, was killed during the attack by militants who raided their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her son Elad was also kidnapped and his body was recovered in April by the Israeli military, who said he had been killed in captivity. She spent 49 days in captivity and was freed in late November 2023. Shortly after Katzir was freed, her daughter told Israeli media that she had been hospitalized with heart issues attributed to “difficult conditions and starvation” while she was held captive. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's military said the projectile was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory, but it set off air raid sirens overnight in the country's populous central area, sending residents looking for cover. Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said a 60-year-old woman was seriously wounded after being hurt on her way to a protected space. There was no immediate comment from Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. It was the third time in a week that fire from Yemen set off sirens in Israel. On Saturday, a missile slammed into a playground in Tel Aviv, injuring 16, after Israel’s air defense system failed to intercept it. Earlier last week, Israeli jets struck Yemen’s rebel-held capital and a port city, killing nine. Israel said the strikes were in response to previous Houthi attacks.Representative Image Elon Musk is taking steps to establish a first-of-its-kind town for its rocket company SpaceX and its employees in in Texas, US. Employees of SpaceX have formally filed a petition to incorporate a new municipality called Starbase in coastal South Texas, where the company’s rocket launch facilities are located. The proposed city’s first mayor would be a SpaceX security manager. Over the years, Musk has shifted his operations from California to Texas, developing facilities across several counties. Musk has been envisioning the Starbase town for years, but recently progress accelerated as SpaceX employees started moving into nearby homes and temporary housing near the launch site. According to a report by the New York Times, residents working for SpaceX filed an official petition with Cameron County to hold an election on incorporation this month. The document (seen by NYT) reveals initial plans for the city. If this city comes into existence, Musk will create history by doing something that no other company or business leader has ever done. What happens when Starbase comes into existence The Starbase plan remained stalled for years, partly due to Texas laws requiring a minimum number of residents and majority voter support to establish a new municipality. However, SpaceX employees have started settling into refurbished homes and temporary housing near the company's rocket launch site, the report claims. This month, these residents took a step toward creating a new city by filing a petition with Cameron County to hold an election, revealing initial details about Elon Musk's vision for the proposed municipality. If approved, the election would allow voters to select three city officials, including Gunnar Milburn, SpaceX's security manager, as the proposed first mayor. The petition outlines a community of roughly 500 residents, including 219 primary residents and over 100 children, located near Boca Chica Beach at the end of State Highway 4. Covering about 1.5 square miles, the proposed town is small by Texas standards. Most residents are renters and work for SpaceX. However, the petition does not mention why Musk and SpaceX employees are pursuing the creation of Starbase or what benefits they aim to achieve. The proposed town could establish its own police or fire departments or enact its ordinances. Apart from this, Musk may also be looking into the possibility of housing employees in a development outside the town of Bastrop, near Austin. The area is home to a growing campus for Musk companies, including a manufacturing plant for SpaceX; the headquarters of the Boring Company, which is creating tunnelling technology; and, soon, offices for the social media platform X (earlier Twitter).ROCHESTER – A meeting room inside the Rochester Public Library was stuffed Thursday with folks curious about the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s rail plans, wondering whether passenger rail or other options might finally come to their community. MnDOT officials say more than 5,000 people have recently submitted comments, thoughts and proposals as state officials update the rail policy plan over the next few months. They’ve heard from people want expanded rail across the state, from Moorhead to Duluth , St. Cloud to Red Wing. Though the plan is more a recommendation, it’s got southern Minnesota communities wondering about how they could benefit from more rail access. Not every community supports rail connections; some like Rochester have been scared off of rail talks for years after previous plans went awry. Other cities like Austin say they want to focus on more pressing issues. Yet more transportation options have cities pondering the future of rail transportation. “There’s pretty strong interest in connection between the Twin Cities and places like Rochester, Winona, Owatonna, Northfield,” said Robert Clarksen, a MnDOT planning coordinator managing the process to update Minnesota’s State Rail Plan. “But we’re also hearing people who are telling us that it’s important to continue to investigate options to get to St. Cloud and other places via whatever mechanism that may look like in the future.” MnDOT officials update the plan every decade. It’s meant to guide lawmakers on potential rail projects 20 years into the future. The current update work started in 2022; MnDOT has two more public meetings planned for Moorhead and St. Paul next week. If all goes well, the updated plan’s expected to wrap up next spring. State lawmakers have fought in recent years over the viability of commuter rail projects, from light rail proposals to high-speed tracks. It’s led advocates like Suzi Nakasian, a former Northfield City Council member, to push compromises like introducing more conventional passenger rail options, which would also lay the groundwork for more freight and business connections across the state. “We’re just hoping to get on the game board and study the possibilities,” Nakasian said. Nakasian has put together a coalition of colleges, cities and counties across south-central and southeast Minnesota in favor of a few large-scale proposals: Build passenger rail (think regular commuter railroad lines) from the Twin Cities to Albert Lea and further south roughly following Interstate 35. Get another connection from the Cities to Mankato. And create an east-west connection by expanding freight rail lines along Highway 14, which could run from South Dakota through Wisconsin. Thus far, almost 20 cities and counties have officially supported Nakasian’s proposals. Albert Lea officials jumped at the opportunity. A line connecting the Twin Cities to Des Moines and beyond could lead to an unprecedented boom period for the city of 18,000. “It’s huge in dealing with everything from some of our housing issues to when we look at our climate and the ability to find alternate transportation instead of singular use vehicles,” Albert Lea City Manager Ian Rigg said. Though Rigg acknowledged such a line would take years — and likely another city manager — to complete, he said the proposal would offer “extraordinary” economic development as a stop along a potential north-south route from Minnesota to Texas. A Federal Railroad Administration study earlier this year identified a Twin Cities-to-Kansas City-to-San Antonio long-distance routes as one of 16 preferred projects to add to Amtrak’s U.S. network. Amtrak appears to support the Twin Cities route, according to Nakasian. Even if it has Amtrak support, a large-scale railroad network throughout southern Minnesota would be a heavy undertaking. “When it comes to passenger rail, it’s not just about Minnesota most of the time,” said Adam Fulton, a rail planning coordinator for MnDOT. “It’s usually about how we coordinate with other places.” Albert Lea could be a decent place to build Amtrak rail, but it would require support from several states before track could be laid down. And Minnesota would also have to take federal policymaking into account before it hurdles into a rail project. “The FRA has done a lot of work in thinking about what a long-term system looks like,” Fulton said. “Recognizing how that looks and how it has changed over time is something that should be considered as those big investments happen.” Fulton pointed to the recent Borealis Amtrak line stretching from the Twin Cities to Chicago as a project that took years to complete, involving Wisconsin, Illinois and federal transportation officials. Austin balks at rail Not everyone is convinced passenger rail is the future for southern Minnesota. Last month, the Austin City Council voted 3-1, with three council members absent, against supporting Nakasian’s idea for a criss-cross passenger rail network across southern Minnesota. Council Member Jason Baskin said Thursday he felt the project had low odds of success, especially when people could drive to other parts of Minnesota faster than they could take a conventional train. “When it’s been tried in other areas of the state, it’s ended up being a really poor financial decision,” Baskin said. “Our [city] staff are already overworked trying to deal with core issues like public safety and plowing the streets. It didn’t make sense for us to put additional burden on them .. having to participate in a process like this.” Baskin worries Greater Minnesota doesn’t have the the population density to financially support expanded rail networks. He sees investing in more bus lines as a better approach. “We’ve already got stuff that works really, really well,” he said. “It’s just a matter of taking what’s proven to work and scaling it up.” In Rochester, ‘we’re going to be Switzerland’ Arguably the biggest voice in a southern Minnesota rail conversation is Minnesota’s third-largest city, home to the Mayo Clinic. But Rochester officials haven’t made rail policy plans for more than a decade after a failed attempt to get a high-speed line from the metro area to Med City. The Rochester area pushed for the line in the mid-2000s, but communities in between there and the Twin Cities arduously opposed the project. Republican lawmakers killed the line soon after, according to former DFL Rep. Kim Norton of Rochester. Though some groups have tried to push for rail connections over the years years, city officials haven’t really discussed rail projects since then. “I think people thought it’s not going to happen,” said Norton, whose served as Rochester’s mayor since 2019. “And so we don’t want to keep wasting political capital on something that isn’t going to move because of the politics.” Earlier this week, Norton called on city staff and the Rochester City Council to start talks on rail policy after Nakasian approached her and other officials. While Norton said she personally would prefer high-speed rail or hyperloop connections, it’s up to the city to research the issue and get community feedback before Rochester could support any project. “We’re nowhere near ready to be able to take any position for or against,” Norton said Thursday. “We’re just going to be Switzerland right now because we haven’t had a discussion.” Nakasian meets with Mankato officials this week and hopes to convince more communities to support expanded rail proposals. She’s already got support from several colleges and universities, including Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, St. Olaf and Carleton colleges in Northfield, and South Central College in North Mankato. “We want to make the colleges competitive and keep attracting people to the region,” Nakasian said. “And if you’re going to do that, you’d better have regional passenger rail because other cities are doing it. It’s the wave of the future.”
