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OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with members of Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affair Minister Melanie Joly shared few details of their meetings in Palm Beach, simply saying in a statement the U.S. officials they met with took notes and agreed to relay messages to Trump. "Minister LeBlanc and Minister Joly had a positive, productive meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, as a followup to the dinner between the prime minister and President Trump last month," wrote Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesman for LeBlanc. Lutnick is Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, and Burgum is the former governor of North Dakota and current nominee for secretary of the interior. When announcing Lutnick as his commerce pick Trump said the chief executive of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald would be in charge of the Trump "tariff and trade agenda." "Both Ministers outlined the measures in Canada’s Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives." He added the ministers agreed to continue the discussions in the coming weeks. Joly is also expected to meet in Florida with senator Lindsay Graham Friday evening. This trip comes less than four weeks before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's new border plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada. Comeau said earlier Friday morning the ministers would also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers were to build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. It isn't clear if LeBlanc raised the issue with Trump's team in Palm Beach Friday. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." "Some information about Canada for Americans" was all he wrote in the post. The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. He did not make a public statement about the meeting as of publication. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
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Sora prompt: "Create a video of a person, focusing on a close-up of their face. The camera captures ... [+] their eyes looking directly into the lens. The pupils reflect a galaxy filled with bright stars, nebulas, and glowing planets." Google on Monday announced Veo 2, a new version of its Veo AI video generation tool that it says can create more realistic-looking clips in a range of visual styles, in resolutions up to 4k. The move comes days after its top competitor, OpenAI, reopened sign-ups for its Sora video-creation tool following a pause due to high demand at launch. Veo 2 “brings an improved understanding of real-world physics and the nuances of human movement and expression, which helps improve its detail and realism overall,” Google said in a blog post announcing the update . “While video models often ‘hallucinate’ unwanted details — extra fingers or unexpected objects, for example — Veo 2 produces these less frequently, making outputs more realistic.” Google first announced Veo at its Google I/O developer conference in May. Veo 2, a direct competitor to OpenAI’s Sora text-to-video tool, is only available on Google Labs’ VideoFX platform on a waitlisted basis, but Google researchers are already sharing sample videos on social media. “Veo 2 understands the unique language of cinematography,” Google says. “Ask it for a genre, specify a lens, suggest cinematic effects and Veo 2 will deliver.” The below video shared on X, for example, displays the resulting effect from including “cinematic, 35mm film” in the prompt. Mystery Drones Over New Jersey And Nearby States: Trump Claims The Military Knows What The Sightings Are (Updated) The Fed’s ‘Biggest Nightmare’ Is Suddenly Coming True As Bitcoin Price Surges Gmail Account Deletion Warning—Act Now To Save Your Email In 2025 Veo-Sora Brawls Likely On The Way Once Veo 2 becomes more broadly available, expect to see plenty of Veo-Sora battles online. OpenAI launched its generative AI tool tool on Monday, Dec. 9, making it available to anyone with a paid ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription. However, later the same day, a message on Sora.com greeted visitors with the news that they’d have to wait to try the tool due to heavy traffic. Account signups resumed on Friday, though OpenAI declined to share how many people have signed up for Sora so far. Sora tool produces short, high-fidelity videos from written text prompts, and users can also input their own visual assets for remixing and blending. OpenAI first introduced Sora in February, but at the time only made it available to a select group of artists, designers and filmmakers. Who Can Sign Up For OpenAI Sora Now? ChatGPT users anywhere can now play with the new version called Sora Turbo — anywhere, that is, except in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the European Economic Area, which includes European Union members, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which are not part of the EU but participate in the EU's single market. Users of Sora Turbo can generate videos up to 1080p resolution, up to 20 seconds long, in wide-screen vertical or square aspect ratios. Featured videos on Sora.com range from the photorealistic — a little boy smiling in an elf costume, vividly colored birds flapping their wings — to the surreal, such as a bespectacled German Shepherd in a patterned smoking jacket reading a book and a man whose bicep turns into a moss hillside with a shinto shrine on it. In sharing the sample videos, OpenAI also included the prompts used to make them. Spotlighting Sora’s Strengths And Flaws On social media, users are posting their Sora experiments, too — and their impressions of the tool’s strengths and weaknesses. In one widely shared video , a gymnast twirls through the air with surplus limbs and a head that briefly detaches from her body, a bizarre scene that highlights generative AI’s struggles with movement and anatomy. “As cool as the new Sora is, gymnastics is still very much the Turing test for AI video,” venture capitalist Deedy Das wrote on X. With Sora now officially out to the public, those who have a $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus account can generate up to 50 Sora videos per month at 480p resolution or fewer videos at 720p resolution. The new ChatGPT Pro plan, which costs $200 monthly, allows for 10 times more Sora usage, plus higher-resolution videos with longer durations. “We’re working on tailored pricing for different types of users, which we plan to make available early next year,” Open AI said in a blog post about Sora’s release . “We’re introducing our video generation technology now to give society time to explore its possibilities and co-develop norms and safeguards that ensure it’s used responsibly as the field advances.”Cooper Rush passed for two touchdowns, Dallas returned two kicks for scores and the visiting Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders in a wild fourth quarter for a 34-26 win. Dallas led 10-9 after three quarters. With Washington trailing 27-26, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, but Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game. Juanyeh Thomas of the Cowboys then returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown. Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards for Dallas (4-7), which snapped a five-game losing streak. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 67 yards. Jayden Daniels was 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for reeling Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. He ran for 74 yards and one score. McLaurin had five catches for 102 yards. Trailing 20-9 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels drove Washington 69 yards in nine plays and hit Zach Ertz for a 4-yard touchdown. Daniels ran for two points and Washington trailed 20-17 with 3:02 remaining. KaVontae Turpin muffed the ensuing kickoff, picked it up at the one, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-17. Austin Seibert's 51-yard field goal pulled the Commanders within 27-20 with 1:40 left, With the score tied 3-3, Washington took the second half kick and went 60 yards in 10 plays. On third-and-three from the Dallas 17, Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 4. Seibert missed the point after and Washington led 9-3. Dallas answered with an 80-yard drive. A 23-yard pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone and the extra point made it 10-9. Brandon Aubrey's 48-yard field goal made it 13-9 with 8:11 remaining in the game. On the next play, Daniels hit John Bates for 14 yards, but Donovan Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas recovered at the Washington 44. Five plays later, Rush found Luke Schoonmaker down the middle for a 22-yard touchdown and Dallas led 20-9 with 5:16 left. The first quarter was all about field goals. Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked on the opening drive and Michael Davis returned it to the Dallas 40. Washington later settled for Seibert's 41-yard field goal. On the next Dallas drive, Aubrey hit the right upright from 42 yards out, and then Seibert missed from 51 yards. With 14 seconds left in the half, Rush found Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard gain to the Washington 28. On the next play Aubrey connected from 46 yards to tie it. --Field Level Media Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.
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Stock market today: Wall Street drifts higher in mixed trading as Nasdaq hits a recordThe Game Awards 2024 concluded with a resounding victory for Astro Bot, the PlayStation 5 exclusive developed by Team Asobi. This charming platformer, a sequel to the critically acclaimed PSVR title Astro Bot Rescue Mission, not only snagged the coveted Game of the Year award but also dominated in categories like Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game. This clean sweep at the industry’s biggest awards ceremony has left many wondering: what makes Astro Bot so special, and what does this win mean for the future of platforming and VR gaming? Held annually in Los Angeles, The Game Awards celebrates the best of the video game industry. This year, Astro Bot faced stiff competition from heavy hitters like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Black Myth: Wukong. Yet, it was the little robot that could, capturing the hearts of gamers and critics alike. This victory signifies a major achievement for both Team Asobi and Sony, highlighting the potential of VR technology and innovative game design. A Little Robot with a Big Impact Astro Bot’s journey to Game of the Year is a testament to its exceptional gameplay, captivating world design, and clever use of VR technology. My Personal Journey with Astro Bot I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical about Astro Bot. As someone who enjoys challenging games with intricate stories, I wasn’t sure if a VR platformer could hold my attention. However, from the moment I put on the headset, I was completely captivated. The sense of scale and immersion was unlike anything I had experienced before. Leaning around corners to find hidden paths, ducking under obstacles, and using my head to activate switches made me feel like I was truly part of Astro’s world. The game’s charm and creativity constantly surprised me, and I found myself grinning from ear to ear throughout my playthrough. One of my favorite moments involved a boss battle against a giant ape. The sheer size of the creature was awe-inspiring in VR, and the fight itself was a thrilling test of skill and timing. Using the DualSense to grapple onto the ape’s fur and then climb up its back to attack its weak points was an incredibly satisfying experience. Astro Bot proved to me that VR gaming has the potential to be much more than just a gimmick. It can be used to create truly innovative and engaging gameplay experiences that are simply not possible in traditional gaming. What Does This Win Mean for the Future? Astro Bot’s Game of the Year victory sends a powerful message to the gaming industry: Astro Bot’s Game of the Year win is a well-deserved recognition of its exceptional quality and innovation. It’s a game that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in both VR and platforming, and it’s sure to inspire a new generation of developers. As for Team Asobi, the future looks bright. With the success of Astro Bot, they have cemented their position as one of the most talented studios in the industry. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Perhaps we’ll see a new Astro Bot adventure, or maybe they’ll explore different genres and IPs. Whatever they choose to do, I’m confident that it will be something special.
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