In the last year, Shohei Ohtani has become as famous for the financial scandals surrounding him as he has for his ability to slug baseballs. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is embroiled in yet another financial transgression, this time involving allegations over a real estate deal in Hawaii. 

'Their own financial self-interest'
Two Hawaiian real estate developers are suing Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo. The lawsuit claims the duo got the developers "fired from a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island's coveted Hapuna Coast that they brought [Ohtani] in to endorse" and build a home in, said The Associated Press.

Balelo "increasingly demanded concessions" from the developers "before demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal," said the AP. Ohtani and Balelo "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle" the developers' "role in the project, for no reason other than their own financial self-interest," the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit is "completely frivolous and without merit," Kingsbarn told the AP in a statement. 

Once again
This is the second financial scandal for Ohtani, who's widely considered one of the best baseball players in the world. His ex-interpreter was "sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani" in a controversy that had some initially questioning Ohtani despite his denial of any knowledge, said ESPN.

This also comes in the aftermath of Balelo being "behind Ohtani's free agent deal with the Dodgers, which is one of the most lucrative and management-friendly contracts in MLB history," said NBC News. At the time, the deal was "reported to be the biggest contract in baseball history, at $700 million for 10 seasons." 

Despite the questions around Ohtani's finances, the lawyers currently suing him have "left the door open for Ohtani to have once again been a victim of someone in his inner circle bringing him legal trouble," said SFGate. It's "uncertain" whether his agent's "alleged contractual interference and misdeeds were even known to Mr. Ohtani" or whether he "may have himself been misled by Mr. Balelo," attorneys for the developers said to the outlet.

Over 518,200 rat infestations were reported to British local authorities between 2023 and 2025, with nearly 23% of those in London, according to analysis of Freedom of Information data by Drain Detectives. The startling figures come on the heels of a slew of sightings of abnormally large rats, including a record-breaking 22-inch-long specimen reportedly captured in North Yorkshire. 

What's driving the increase? 
Rodents thrive in areas where they can easily access food and hide from sight. Poor waste management, including illegal dumping and the leaving out of food scraps from restaurants and takeaways, is a common reason for increased infestation, while the warmer weather (including milder winters) is allowing rats to thrive in urban areas. 

Usually, rats range in length from 6 to 12 inches, but when food and water are easily accessible, they can grow even larger. Overflows of rubbish left in the streets in Birmingham during the current garbage strikes have sparked a series of sightings of oversize rats in the city, due to the free access rats have to masses of waste. 

Are they dangerous? 
Rats can carry several diseases that are harmful or even deadly to humans, including leptospirosis, hantavirus and salmonella. Infection can be spread through rat droppings and urine and by contamination of food around a house or business. Rats can also cause serious damage to buildings, including plumbing, through which they often enter properties, and electrical wiring and insulation, which they can shred by chewing. 

What's being done? 
Public and private pest control services are stretched thin, so prevention is the focus. To avoid infestation, residents are advised to properly dispose of waste in sealed containers, maintain tidy gardens and secure food storage. But the onus also lies with water companies to fix defective drainage systems that can otherwise become easy access points for rats to reach homes in large numbers.

Robots face off in a boxing match at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China. Over 500 robot athletes in 280 teams from 16 countries are competing in 26 events ranging from soccer and martial arts to sorting medication and cleaning up. 
Adek Berry / Getty Images

Whether you are preparing for a long-haul flight that kicks off an Italian getaway or are simply stuck at home lazing around the yard, you probably need a book to accompany you in these last few weeks of summer. This month offers up an intriguing new crop of options.

'Katabasis,' R.F. Kuang
In Ancient Greek, the word "katabasis" refers to the "story of a hero's descent to the underworld." A new novel from the bestselling author of "Babel" and "Yellowface" plunges two graduate students into a descent into hell to save their professor's soul (and possibly their own thesis projects). "The more academia has broken your heart, the more you will love Kuang's new novel," said Beejay Silcox at The Guardian. (Aug. 26, $22, Harper Voyager)

'The Hounding,' Xenobe Purvis
Set in 1700s England, Purvis' buzzy debut is about five sisters accused by neighbors of transforming into a pack of dogs every night. The book "wants to directly engage the subtext of all witch stories, in which femininity itself is perceived as a menace," said Talya Zax at The Atlantic. (out now, $27, Holt)

'The Magician of Tiger Castle,' Louis Sachar
Sachar is best known for the 1998 Newbery Medal-winning "Holes," a magical realism novel that became a children's classic. Now, he has written his first novel for adults. This fantasy fable, told from the perspective of a magician, is "like a zany Dungeons & Dragons campaign played with friends," said Donna Edwards at The Associated Press. (out now, $24, Ace)