NewsLite

A private jet which took off from Singapore's Changi Airport skidded off the runway after landing at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido on Friday (Dec 12) evening.

The incident occurred shortly at about 6.40pm, reported Kyodo News Agency and Japan's NHK broadcasting network.

There were five passengers on board, including a small child, along with three flight attendants. No injuries were reported, according to firefighters who rushed to the scene.

The aircraft's fuselage was not damaged and there was no fire, added NHK.

BUDAPEST - Thousands of Hungarians marched to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's offices on Saturday (Dec 13), led by opposition leader Peter Magyar, who urged the veteran nationalist to resign over an abuse scandal at a juvenile detention centre.

Protesters walked through Budapest's frosty streets behind a banner reading "Protect the children!", carrying soft toys and torches in solidarity with victims of physical abuse in a case dating back several years.

The prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that seven people had been detained at the state-run Budapest juvenile centre so far.

Orban, who faces what could be the toughest challenge to his 15-year rule in an election likely in April, condemned the abuse in an interview with news outlet Mandiner, calling it unacceptable and criminal.

Shaquille O'Neal is set to undergo lip reduction surgery.

The 53-year-old former professional basketball player - who has previously had big toe surgery and a hip replacement - wants to make his big "juicy" lips smaller.

He told the US TV show Entertainment Tonight: "The next procedure I'm getting is a lip reduction 'cause these lips are so juicy. I just wanna make 'em smaller."

Shaquille also revealed he does blood-spinning treatments to fight ageing.

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Banks actually shower us with tons of lifestyle deals and perks just for owning and using their credit cards or debit cards — think priority early access to concert tickets, exclusive discounts, and more.

This December, you could walk away with a Xpeng G6 electric car from Trust, a $20,000 dream holiday from Citibank, or a Samsonite luggage set worth $1,140 from Maybank.

If you're into musicals, don't forget to pull out your UOB credit card to snag 15 per cent off musical tickets to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — The Musical and Beauty and the Beast. With POSB, seniors can get $12 cash simply for linking their NRIC to their PayNow. Plus, every day of the week, score 50 per cent off flights and hotels with DBS/POSB!

CHICAGO - The windowless newsroom of The Phoenix, the Loyola University Chicago newspaper, hums like an old refrigerator. A coffee pot burbles in the corner as juniors Julia Pentasuglio and Ella Daugherty lean over a glowing laptop, updating a Google map.

Each red pin marks a sighting of federal immigration agents near campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Nearby, editor-in-chief Lilli Malone scrolls through reports from Rogers Park, a neighborhood along Chicago's lakefront where 80 languages mix. There were new pins from seven sightings that day alone - reports of vans barreling down side streets, masked immigration officers drawing guns, students watching from on-campus dorm windows as neighbours were taken away.

The young student journalists normally cover dorm-room Thanksgiving recipes and local Christmas tree lightings, but find themselves with a new role under Donald Trump's presidency: documenting immigration raids. Their goal: counter online rumour with facts and give locals a map of frequently targeted areas as panic spread in recent months over who might be picked up by immigration agents next.

Businesses across the Causeway have seen a drop in customers from Singapore by up to 30 per cent this year-end — atypical for the holiday season — according to reports.

However, some of these Johor Bahru (JB) businesses have cited reasons other than the stronger ringgit for the dip, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The ringgit has appreciated against the Singapore dollar in recent months, with one Singapore dollar now buying RM3.17. It was above RM3.30 for most of 2025, The Straits Times reported.

On Dec 5, Malaysian publication The Star reported that Johor business owners have seen noticeably fewer Singapore patrons, with the holiday season being "unusually quiet" this year.

MADRID - Spanish police said on Saturday (Dec 13) they had broken up a criminal gang that used helicopters to smuggle hashish from Morocco, in a rare operation against aerial drug trafficking.

The helicopters, which could carry between 500 and 900 kilograms (1,100-2,000 pounds) of drugs, flew across the Mediterranean to southern Spain, where the hashish was then transported by road to other parts of Europe, Civil Guard spokesperson Gonzalo Lopez said.

Police seized one helicopter in an isolated warehouse, along with 657 kg of hashish, five firearms, cash and vehicles during raids in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria and Murcia.

Six people were arrested in the operation, which also involved Moroccan, Belgian and Swedish law enforcement agencies.

VILNIUS - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 123 prisoners on Saturday including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava in a deal brokered by an envoy for US President Donald Trump.

In return, the US agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. Potash is a key component in fertilisers, and the former Soviet state is a leading global producer.

The prisoner release was by far the biggest by Lukashenko since Trump's administration opened talks this year with the veteran authoritarian leader, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Western governments had previously shunned him because of his crushing of dissent and backing for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Subang Jaya police have launched an investigation after a video - showing a trailer transporting a helicopter that caused a major traffic jam on a busy road in Selangor - went viral.

The incident happened on Dec 4 at 4.30pm on a slip road from the Shah Alam Expressway towards Persiaran Kewajipan - a major, busy road in Subang Jaya.

In a video posted to TikTok by black.lifestyle2, the trailer is seen inching forward slowly after making the turn onto Persiaran Kewajipan.

Its flatbed, with the helicopter on it, is seen at an awkward angle close to the roadside curb. At least two persons, including a motorcyclist, are seen trying to guide the driver out of the situation.

A United Airlines flight bound for Tokyo was forced to return to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia on Saturday afternoon after experiencing an engine failure during departure, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

A United spokesperson said the flight landed shortly after takeoff due to the loss of power in one engine. There were no reported injuries among the 275 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, the spokesperson said.

Photographs and videos posted to the social media site X showed smoke billowing from near the runway at Dulles, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington, DC, and the closest international airport to the U.S. capital.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident on United Flight 803, which involved a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.