Things to Do in L.A. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Los Angeles County voters face four runoff contests for Superior Court seats on Nov. 3, deciding who will preside over criminal and civil cases across the region. From long-serving public defenders to corporate litigators and law professors, contenders emphasize trial depth, courtroom fairness, mental health insight and modernization, including proposals to use artificial intelligence to ease heavy caseloads. There were 28 candidates, as many as four per race. If no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers advanced to the general election.

England striker Ivan Toney has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man at a central London nightclub. The 30-year-old footballer, from Northampton, is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva at a nightclub in Wardour Street, Soho, on 6 December. At Westminster Magistrates' Court, Toney confirmed his name and age, and pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. District Judge Briony Clarke said the case could be tried in the magistrates court, but Toney elected for a Crown Court trial in front of a judge and jury. He was freed on unconditional bail until a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October.

In an exclusive interview with WIRED, Paragon Solutions CEO Andrew Boyd reveals the limits of the company's promise to keep bad actors from abusing its powerful espionage tool. Spyware maker Paragon Solutions has long positioned itself as the good guy in an industry seemingly filled with bad ones, vowing to never sell its mobile spyware to authoritarian regimes or ones with poor human rights records. It also promises to cut off any customer caught misusing its products against journalists, dissidents, or other non-legitimate targets. Yet weeks after Paragon, then Israeli-owned, was acquired by the US equity firm AE Industrial Partners in December 2024 and merged with REDLattice--an American offensive cyber firm owned by AE that this week announced plans to go public --WhatsApp alleged that Paragon's Graphite spyware was used to infect the phones of more than 60 individuals in more than 20 countries, including journalists and activists. Most of the targets were not identified, but the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab named two journalists and two activists in Italy. Italian authorities denied misuse . Paragon and its new US owners, despite their zero-tolerance policy for customer abuse of their software, initially declined to comment on the allegations, and reportedly was exploring potential legal action against WhatsApp after the company sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon.

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Who owns AI risk at work? Business and tech leaders can't agree, PwC survey finds PwC research highlights a growing need for someone to own AI. Is an AI chief the answer? Charlie Osborne is a cybersecurity journalist and photographer who writes for ZDNET and CNET from London. PwC reveals business leaders can't agree on who is responsible for AI.

Share OpenAI'reviewing' report of failed hacking attempt against Canada's gov't on social media OpenAI has confirmed that it is reviewing a report of a failed hacking attempt against a Canadian government body in the latest incident to highlight cybersecurity concerns about artificial intelligence. The AI giant said on Wednesday that it was reviewing the alleged cyberattack against Canada's national archives agency and had provided an initial briefing to Canadian officials. The spokesperson added that much of the misaligned activity under review by the company involved "routine research tasks, including accessing public web content". The attempted hacking, if confirmed, would be the first publicly known case of an AI-led cyberattack against Canada's government, following a series of incidents of rogue agents targeting agencies in the United States and Australia. Canada's government-run Cyber Centre said earlier this week that there were no indications that government systems had been compromised by AI.

California has enacted new legislation to protect workers from AI-powered layoffs and surveillance, governor Gavin Newsom announced. The new laws are mostly aimed at companies using AI to initiate job cuts or monitor employees, not about harnessing the tech to replace workers. However, it's some of the first legislation in the nation that gives employees rights about how AI can be deployed in the workplace. "AI should expand opportunity -- not come at the expense of workers and families," said Newsom in a statement. "As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center."

Artificial intelligence (AI) could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them, the governor of the Bank of England has warned. Andrew Bailey said the central bank is watching the huge amounts of money being invested in AI very carefully and cautioned that not everybody always wins. The money that has been spent on and loaned to AI firms over the last few years in the hope of large returns is causing markets to value some of them as multi-trillion dollar businesses. Asked if he believed an AI bubble could burst, Bailey said: You could see some correction of asset prices at some point. He was speaking exclusively to the BBC about what the risks and benefits of AI could be for the UK economy.

Victorio's Ristorante in north Hollywood hosts a watch party for the debate between gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton on Wednesday. Victorio's Ristorante in north Hollywood hosts a watch party for the debate between gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton on Wednesday. Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, the candidates running to be California's next governor, clashed on Wednesday over taxes, immigration and regulating artificial intelligence in a testy debate held days before voters begin receiving their ballots in the heavily Democratic state. Hilton, the former Fox News host endorsed by Donald Trump, used the hourlong matchup, hosted by CNN in its studio in Burbank, California, to argue that Becerra, a former congressman who served as the US health and human services secretary during the Biden administration, was not actively campaigning and instead taking voters for granted. "He wasn't even supposed to be the candidate," Hilton, 57, said, referring to Becerra's unexpected success after an unusually wild primary campaign.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton during CNN's California Gubernatorial Debate on Wednesday in CNN's studio in Burbank. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

Image caption, The hikes are part of immigration policy changes introduced to manage Japan's growing foreign population Japan has raised fees for foreigners looking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency going up 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955). Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements. Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee hikes, with Tokyo's main immigration bureau reporting wait times of over seven hours. The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which aim ito manage its rapidly growing foreign population. In July, Japan implemented a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners - its first visa fee hike in 50 years.