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South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong court orders arrest of singer Tommy Yuen for ignoring theft charge
A Hong Kong court has issued a warrant for the arrest of singer Tommy Yuen Man-on after he failed to appear in court to answer a shoplifting charge. Yuen, a former member of the defunct Cantopop boy band E-kids, was expected to appear in Kowloon City Court on Wednesday on a count of theft for allegedly stealing HK$144.50 (US$18.40) worth of snacks and drinks from a supermarket last month. A charge sheet indicated the 45-year-old defendant stole six bottles of Coke, tea and water, as well as candies, potato chips, biscuits and peanuts from the Wellcome supermarket chain at Ma Tau Kok Road on June 18. He was detained for 10 hours before police released him on HK$500 bail pending the court hearing. Magistrate Philip Chan Chee-fai granted the prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant after confirming the defendant had not engaged a duty lawyer to handle the case. Chan said his preliminary view was to extend Yuen's bail after he appeared in court, but that he would raise the defendant's bail to HK$3,000.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists launch controversial project to create the world's first artificial human DNA
[Source] Researchers at five British universities have launched the Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG) with an initial grant of approximately $12.6 million from Wellcome, the U.K.'s largest biomedical research charity. Unveiled on Thursday, the five-year effort is led by molecular biologist Jason W. Chin at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and aims to assemble an entire human chromosome, base by base, inside the lab. Writing a genome Instead of tweaking existing DNA with tools such as CRISPR, SynHG will attempt to 'write' long stretches of code before inserting them into cultured human skin cells to study how chromosome architecture drives health and disease. The project builds on Chin's earlier success constructing a fully synthetic E. coli genome. The laboratory playbook blends generative-AI sequence design with high-throughput robotic assembly, allowing scientists to plan and assemble millions of DNA bases. Patrick Yizhi Cai of the University of Manchester, who oversees these methods, says the approach 'leverag[es] cutting-edge generative AI and advanced robotic assembly technologies to revolutionize synthetic mammalian chromosome engineering.' Trending on NextShark: Why experts are cautious Geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge of London's Francis Crick Institute emphasized the importance of understanding not only the scientific potential but also the societal values and risks involved. He warned that as research progresses, there is the possibility of creating synthetic cells that could, if used in humans, lead to tumors or produce novel infectious particles if not carefully designed. Lovell-Badge recommended that any engineered cells should include safeguards, such as inducible genetic kill switches, to ensure they can be eliminated from the body or targeted by the immune system if needed. Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust, echoed the need for transparency and public engagement, highlighting that synthesizing human genomes is controversial and requires researchers and the public to be in active communication. Norcross welcomed the project's built-in social science program, which surveys communities across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas as the science unfolds and is led by social scientist Joy Yueyue Zhang, as a way to ensure that public interests and concerns are considered from the outset. Trending on NextShark: Road ahead Over the next five years, the consortium will iterate design–build–test cycles, aiming first for an error-free synthetic chromosome representing roughly 2% of human DNA. Alongside the laboratory milestones, the team plans to release an open-access toolkit covering both the technical and governance lessons learned. Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. ! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists launch controversial project to create the world's first artificial human DNA
[Source] Researchers at five British universities have launched the Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG) with an initial grant of approximately $12.6 million from Wellcome, the U.K.'s largest biomedical research charity. Unveiled on Thursday, the five-year effort is led by molecular biologist Jason W. Chin at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and aims to assemble an entire human chromosome, base by base, inside the lab. Writing a genome Instead of tweaking existing DNA with tools such as CRISPR, SynHG will attempt to 'write' long stretches of code before inserting them into cultured human skin cells to study how chromosome architecture drives health and disease. The project builds on Chin's earlier success constructing a fully synthetic E. coli genome. The laboratory playbook blends generative-AI sequence design with high-throughput robotic assembly, allowing scientists to plan and assemble millions of DNA bases. Patrick Yizhi Cai of the University of Manchester, who oversees these methods, says the approach 'leverag[es] cutting-edge generative AI and advanced robotic assembly technologies to revolutionize synthetic mammalian chromosome engineering.' Trending on NextShark: Why experts are cautious Geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge of London's Francis Crick Institute emphasized the importance of understanding not only the scientific potential but also the societal values and risks involved. He warned that as research progresses, there is the possibility of creating synthetic cells that could, if used in humans, lead to tumors or produce novel infectious particles if not carefully designed. Lovell-Badge recommended that any engineered cells should include safeguards, such as inducible genetic kill switches, to ensure they can be eliminated from the body or targeted by the immune system if needed. Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust, echoed the need for transparency and public engagement, highlighting that synthesizing human genomes is controversial and requires researchers and the public to be in active communication. Norcross welcomed the project's built-in social science program, which surveys communities across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas as the science unfolds and is led by social scientist Joy Yueyue Zhang, as a way to ensure that public interests and concerns are considered from the outset. Trending on NextShark: Road ahead Over the next five years, the consortium will iterate design–build–test cycles, aiming first for an error-free synthetic chromosome representing roughly 2% of human DNA. Alongside the laboratory milestones, the team plans to release an open-access toolkit covering both the technical and governance lessons learned. Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. ! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
HKFP
26-06-2025
- Business
- HKFP
3,800 restaurants, shops to offer July 1 promotions to celebrate Hong Kong handover to China
Around 3,800 restaurants and shops have volunteered to participate in the July 1 promotions to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China on Tuesday, a legislator said. The number of participants this year is higher than last year, when around 2,000 restaurants and shops took part in offering the July 1 promotions, Tommy Cheung, a pro-establishment lawmaker representing the catering industry, said at a press conference on Wednesday, as reported by local media. Some restaurant chains like Tai Hing Group will offer a 29 per cent discount on all dine-in meals on Tuesday, which means customers will only pay 71 per cent of their bills, while some others will limit such discounts to certain dishes, according to a list released by the government. This is the third consecutive year that the catering industry will be giving July 1 discounts, Cheung said. Other businesses, such as the Wellcome supermarket and the 7-Eleven convenience store, have agreed to join as well. All restaurants and shops volunteered to take part, Cheung said. While offering discounts may not benefit the participating businesses in terms of revenue, the main purpose of the campaign is to celebrate the handover, he added. 'Hong Kong citizens, it's your loss if you don't spend before or on July 1,' Cheung said in Cantonese. Winston Yeung, chair of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, told HKFP on Thursday that the group assisted in organising the campaign. 'The main purpose of the campaign is to celebrate July 1, and we also hope [it can help] encourage more people to stay in Hong Kong for consumption amid the business slowdown,' Yeung said in Cantonese. 'The new trend of people heading north has impacted all kinds of restaurants. Some residents save money during weekdays in Hong Kong and then go to mainland China to spend it during the weekends,' Yeung said. the habit of people heading to mainland China for entertainment during holidays and weekends. Restaurant closures are 'really severe… We've seen a series of restaurant chains shutting down over the past few months – a phenomenon we've never seen before,' Yeung said. Bakery chain Taipan closed all its 12 outlets on Tuesday after operating for 41 years. In early June, Hong Kong catering group King Parrot also announced its shutdown.
The Star
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Hong Kong singer Tommy Yuen arrested for allegedly stealing snacks worth HK$140
Hong Kong singer Tommy Yuen Man-on has been arrested for allegedly stealing snacks from a supermarket, the Post has learned. Yuen, a former member of the defunct Cantopop boy band E-kids, was arrested on Wednesday after he was spotted acting suspiciously by patrolling officers in To Kwa Wan, police said. He allegedly stole items from a Wellcome supermarket and was carrying a credit card belonging to someone else, a police spokesman said. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting. The case is being handled by the Kowloon City district investigation team. Yuen allegedly took 11 items, including bottled drinks, packets of candy, biscuits and coated peanuts, valued at about HK$140 (US$18). Officers also confirmed that the credit card in his possession belonged to a friend, who was contacted to retrieve it at the police station. Yuen, 45, previously served 26 months in jail for insulting police and officials and fabricating a fundraising story. In May last year, Yuen wrote a Facebook post saying that he had decided to leave Hong Kong after facing weekly contact with national security police following his early release from jail in September 2023. He said the frequent questioning caused him fear and distress, leading him to worry about being sent back to prison. In the May 1 Facebook post, Yuen said: 'I have finally left Hong Kong and started living in the United Kingdom!' The father of two also expressed determination to work hard in the UK and continue pursuing music, creating content, posting on social media and starting a YouTube channel. 'I believe that I won't or won't be able to go back to my beloved Hong Kong any more in my lifetime, as it continues to deteriorate day by day,' he had said. However, he was seen in the city in December. Yuen was arrested by national security police in February 2022, charged within 48 hours and kept in custody until his trial. In a court hearing in July 2023, he admitted to breaching a colonial-era sedition law by insulting police and officials on social media, as well as laundering more than HK$700,000 that he had raised by fabricating a story about a teenager facing a riot trial over her involvement in the anti-government protests of 2019. Two months later, he was sentenced to 26 months in jail. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
