兩名男子首次在英國史上被判為中國從事間諜活動（2/2）

 Recently The Guardian reported the following:

Two men first in British history to be found guilty of spying for China (2/2)

Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen convicted over surveillance of dissidents in ‘shadow policing’ operation

The Guardian - Daniel Boffey, and Amy Hawkins in Beijing

Thu 7 May 2026 12.43 EDT

(continue)

The spying ring was uncovered when police thwarted an apparent attempt to kidnap Monica Kwong, a personal assistant who had fled Hong Kong in 2023 after being accused of defrauding her employer, Tina Zhou, out of £16m.

Wai was arrested on 1 May 2024 in Kwong’s flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, along with Trickett, then a serving Home Office immigration officer, as well as Zhou and two former Hong Kong police officers who had flown to London to confront the personal assistant over the alleged fraud.

The group had sought to trick their way into Kwong’s home by posing as electricians who had come to repair a fuse, the court heard. Trickett poured bottled water on the floor to simulate a fake flood as part of one failed ruse to get Kwong out of the flat.

When the group subsequently broke in to Kwong’s home, police who had been bugging them were waiting to take the suspects into custody.

Wai, who was known to associates as Fatboy, denied he had been providing intelligence to Chinese authorities for years.

As a teenager he joined the Royal Navy in an engineering role, and he was placed on attachment with the Royal Marines before joining the Royal Navy police. He was also an instructor in the traditional Chinese martial art of lion dancing and his troupe had performed at 10 Downing Street.

He claimed that a chat group on which he was accused of sharing intelligence was to do with a company run by his lion dancing master and that he was simply passing on information about UK life. But jurors were shown messages between Yuen and Wai that the prosecution said showed them discussing plans to target activists, who were referred to as “cockroaches”.

In response to the convictions, Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said: “The activities carried out by these men, on behalf of China, are an infringement of our sovereignty and will never be tolerated.

“We will continue to hold China to account and challenge them directly for actions which put the safety of people in our country at risk. That is why the Foreign Office will summon the Chinese Ambassador to make it clear activity like this was, and will always be, unacceptable on UK soil.

“This case proves the strength of the powers we have to protect us from hostile activity carried out by foreign states and these convictions should send a clear message – there will be serious consequences for anyone who seeks to undermine our security.”

A Chinese embassy spokesperson said: “The facts of this case clearly show that this is nothing but a political move of abusing the law and manipulating the judicial process by the UK side. Its sole purpose is to embolden those anti-China elements who are hiding in the UK and bent on destabilizing Hong Kong”

Translation

兩名男子首次在英國史上被判為中國從事間諜活動（2/2）

衛志樑和袁松彪因參與「影子警察」行動監視異見人士而被定罪

（繼續）

警方因挫敗了一單綁架Monica Kwong的企圖而揭露了這個間諜集團。Kwong是一名私人助理，她於2023年逃離香港，此前她被指控詐騙其雇主Tina Zhou 1,600萬英鎊。

2024年5月1日，衛某在西約克郡Pontefract的 Kwong的公寓內被捕。一同被捕的還有當時在英國內政部擔任移民官的Trickett，以及Zhou和兩名前香港警察。這兩名警察飛往倫敦，就Kwong涉嫌詐騙一事進行對質。

法庭得悉，該集團假扮成前來修理保險絲的電工，試圖騙取Kwong的信任進入其家中。Trickett曾將瓶裝水倒在地板上，模擬水浸，試圖以此騙Kwong離開公寓，但最終失敗。

隨後，當該團夥之後闖入Kwong 的住所時，監聽他們的警察早已等候多時，準備將嫌疑人逮捕。

衛某，綽號“胖子”，否認自己多年來一直向中國當局提供情報。

他十幾歲時加入英國皇家海軍，擔任工程相關角色，之後被派往皇家海軍陸戰隊服役，最後加入皇家海軍警察部隊。他也是中國傳統武術舞獅的教練，他的舞獅隊曾在唐寧街10號表演。

他聲稱，他被指控洩露情報的聊天群組與他的舞獅師傅經營的一家公司有關，但只是在傳遞有關英國生活的訊息。檢控方給陪審團看到了袁和衛之間的訊息，又稱這些訊息顯示他們討論了針對活動人士的計劃，並將這些活動人士稱為「蟑螂」。

針對判決結果，內政部大臣Dan Jarvis表示：「這些人代表中國進行的活動侵犯了我們的主權，我們絕不容忍這種行為。

我們將繼續追究中國的責任，並就其危及我國人民安全的行為直接質疑中國。因此，外交部將召見中國大使，明確表示此類活動在英國領土上過去是、將來也永遠是不可接受的。 」

「此案證明了我們擁有強大的力量來保護我們免受外國敵對活動的侵害，這些判決應該發出一個明確的信息 - 任何企圖破壞我們安全的人都將承擔嚴重的後果」。

中國駐英國大使館發言人表示：“此案的事實清楚地表明，這完全是英方濫用法律、操縱司法程序的政治伎倆。其唯一目的就是鼓舞那些藏匿在英國、企圖破壞香港穩定的反華分子。”

So, a UK border force officer and a Hong Kong trade official based in London have been found guilty of spying for China and surveilling dissidents through a “shadow policing” operation. This case shows that the UK is quite serious about hostile activity carried out by foreign states. Apparently, China spies will be smarter next time.

兩名男子首次在英國史上被判為中國從事間諜活動（1/2）

 Recently The Guardian reported the following:

Two men first in British history to be found guilty of spying for China (1/2)

Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen convicted over surveillance of dissidents in ‘shadow policing’ operation

The Guardian - Daniel Boffey, and Amy Hawkins in Beijing

Thu 7 May 2026 12.43 EDT

A UK Border Force officer and Hong Kong trade official based in London have been found guilty of spying for China and surveilling dissidents through a “shadow policing” operation.

Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 65, also known as Bill, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of assisting a foreign intelligence service, making them the first people in British history to be convicted of spying for China.

Wai, who worked for Border Force at Heathrow airport and volunteered as a City of London special constable, was also found guilty of misconduct in public office in relation to unauthorised searches of Home Office databases.

The two men, who had denied the charges, were found guilty by majority verdicts. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb will sentence the men, who are both dual Chinese and British nationals, at a later date.

Yuen, who was accused of giving Wai the targets to surveil, looked down as the verdict was heard. Wai stared ahead.

After 23 hours and 38 minutes of deliberation, jurors could not reach a verdict on charges against the men of foreign interference, a separate offence under the National Security Act. The prosecution said it would not seek a retrial.

A third accused man, 37-year-old former Royal Marine Matthew Trickett, who was charged under the National Security Act alongside Yuen and Wai in May 2024, was found dead in a park near his home in Maidenhead, Berkshire, a week after being bailed.

Prosecutors had asked the court to remand Trickett in custody for his own protection after he tried to take his own life in a police cell following his arrest. He told custody sergeants he would kill himself when he was released.

A nine-week trial heard that Wai gathered intelligence on the orders of Yuen, who was a senior manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in London, which was said to be an extension in the UK of the Hong Kong government.

The court heard that the targets included Nathan Law, an exiled politician who led the student protest movement in Hong Kong. Law was the subject of multiple spying operations and has had a £100,000 bounty put on his head by the Chinese authorities.

The jury was told that Wai infiltrated Hong Kong pro-democracy groups and sought to gather information on British politicians including the former Conservative cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith and the Labour peer Helena Kennedy.

(to be continued)

Translation

兩名男子首次在英國史上被判為中國從事間諜活動（1/2）

衛志樑和袁松彪因參與「影子警察」行動監視異見人士而被定罪

一名英國邊境部隊官員和一名常駐倫敦的香港貿易官員被判犯有為中國從事間諜活動並透過「影子警察」行動監視異見人士的罪行。

38歲的衛志樑（又稱 Peter）和65歲的袁松彪（又稱 Bill）在Old Bailey法院被判犯有協助外國情報機構的罪行，成為英國歷史上首批被判犯有為中國從事間諜活動罪的人。

曾在希斯路機場邊境部隊工作並擔任倫敦金融城特別警員的衛某，因擅自搜尋內政部資料庫而被判犯了公職人員行為不當罪。

兩名男子否認了所有指控，但最終被陪審團以多數票裁定有罪。法官Cheema-Grubb女仕將在稍後日期對這兩名擁有中英雙重國籍的男子進行量刑。

在宣判時，被控向衛某提供監視目標的袁某低下了頭。衛某則目視前方。

經過23小時38分鐘的審議，陪審團未能就兩名男子涉嫌干涉外國事務的指控達成一致意見，該指控是《國家安全法》下的另一項罪名。檢方表示不會尋求重審。

第三名被告，37歲的前皇家海軍陸戰隊員Matthew Trickett於2024年5月與袁和衛一同被控違反《國家安全法》。他在獲得保釋一週後，被發現死於伯克郡Maidenhead住所附近的一個公園。

Trickett被捕後曾在警局牢房內試圖自殺，檢控一方因此要求法庭將其拘留候審，以保護其人身安全。他曾告訴拘留他的警佐，稱他在不被拘留之時會自殺。

為期九週的庭審顯示，衛某奉袁某之命蒐集情報。袁某是香港駐倫敦經濟貿易辦事處（HKETO）的高級經理，該辦事處被認為是香港政府在英國的延伸機構。

法庭得悉，情報目標包括領導香港學生運動的流亡政治人物羅冠聰(Nathan Law)。羅冠聰曾多次遭到間諜活動監視，中國當局曾懸賞10萬英鎊捉拿他。

陪審團獲悉，衛某曾滲透香港民主派團體，試圖收集包括前保守黨內閣大臣 Iain Duncan Smith和工黨同僚Helena Kennedy在內的英國政界人士的情報。

（待續）

蘋果公司就其人工智能系統Apple Intelligence的誤導指控達成2.5億美元和解協議

Recently The New York Times reported the following:

Apple Reaches $250 Million Settlement Over Claims It Misled People on A.I.

Some iPhone owners will be eligible to receive $25 to $95 over claims that the tech giant oversold its artificial intelligence system, Apple Intelligence.

The NYT Times- By David McCabe and Kalley Huang - David McCabe reported from Washington and Kalley Huang from San Francisco.

May 5, 2026

Apple agreed on Tuesday to pay $250 million to settle legal claims that it misled consumers about the abilities of its artificial intelligence system, Apple Intelligence, according to court filings.

The settlement resolves a handful of class action lawsuits filed against Apple last year, which claimed the company oversold what its product could do during its rollout in 2024. Those suits were consolidated last year by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where a judge still needs to approve the settlement.

Consumers who purchased an iPhone 16 and some models of the iPhone 15 between June 2024 and March 2025 will be eligible to collect up to $95 per device, according to the filings. As part of the settlement, Apple denied any wrongdoing.

The settlement underscores Apple’s challenges in a global technology race to dominate A.I. The iPhone maker has largely sat it out, in part because it hasn’t built its own A.I. models like Google’s Gemini. Tech companies like Microsoft and Nvidia soared in value as they bet heavily on the technology.

Since “the launch of Apple Intelligence, we have introduced dozens of features across many languages that are integrated across Apple’s platforms,” Marni Goldberg, an Apple spokeswoman, said in a statement. “We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.”

Apple first teased Apple Intelligence in June 2024 as an answer to products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The company promised big improvements to its personal assistant, Siri, which has been part of its devices for more than a decade.

Apple also said it planned to introduce A.I. features to summarize notifications and offer help on improving writing in emails and text messages. In advertisements, the actor Bella Ramsey used Apple Intelligence to remember someone’s name and to catch up on an email.

But those features weren’t available on the iPhones that Apple shipped in September 2024. Instead, the company gradually rolled out the promised features and soon ran into problems. Notification summaries misrepresented news reports, for example, and Apple disabled that feature. In March 2025, Apple delayed the release of an upgraded Siri over quality problems.

Apple misrepresented the “capabilities of the series 16 iPhone and deceived millions of consumers into spending hundreds of dollars on a phone they did not need, based on features that do not exist,” according to one of the class action lawsuits.

In December, Apple announced the retirement of its head of A.I., John Giannandrea. In January, the company said it would use Google’s Gemini to power its A.I. products, including Siri.

Translation

蘋果公司就其人工智能系統Apple Intelligence的誤導指控達成2.5億美元和解協議

部分iPhone用戶將有資格獲得25至95美元的賠償，原因是該公司被指控誇大了其人工智能系統Apple Intelligence的功能

根據法庭文件，蘋果週二同意支付2.5億美元，以和解有關其在人工智能系統Apple Intelligence的功能方面有誤導消費者的法律指控。

和解協議解決了去年針對蘋果公司提起的多起集體訴訟，這些訴訟指控該公司在2024年發佈產品時誇大了其產品的功能。這些訴訟已於去年由加州北區地方法院合併審理，目前和解協議仍需法官批准。

根據提交的文件，在2024年6月至2025年3月期間購買了iPhone 16和部分iPhone 15機型的消費者，每部設備最高可獲得95美元的賠償。作為和解協議的一部分，蘋果否認有任何不當行為。

這項和解協議凸顯了蘋果在全球人工智能（AI）技術競賽中所面臨的挑戰。這家iPhone製造商在很大程度上沒有參與技術上的競爭，部分原因是它沒有像Google的Gemini那樣開發自己的AI模型。微軟和英偉達等科技公司由於大力投資這項技術而市值飆升。

蘋果發言人Marni Goldberg在一份聲明中表示：“自Apple Intelligence推出以來，我們已在多種語言中推出了數十項功能，這些功能已整合到 Apple 的各個平台中。我們解決此事是為了繼續專注於我們最擅長的領域，為用戶提供最具創新性的產品和服務。”

蘋果公司於 2024 年 6 月首次預告了 Apple Intelligence，旨在與 OpenAI 的 ChatGPT 等產品競爭。該公司承諾對其個人助理 Siri 進行重大改進，這項技術已在其設備中應用超過十年。

蘋果還表示，計劃引入人工智能功能，用於整理和概述通告，並幫助用戶改進電子郵件和簡訊的寫作。在廣告中，演員Bella Ramsey使用 Apple Intelligence 記住了某人的名字並查看最新的電子郵件。 

但這些功能並未出現在蘋果於 2024 年 9 月發售的 iPhone 上。相反，當該公司逐步推出了承諾的功能，很快就遇到了問題。例如，整理和概述通告錯誤地呈現了新聞報道，蘋果因此停用了該功能。 2025 年 3 月，由於素質問題，蘋果推遲了升級版 Siri 的發佈。

其中一起集體訴訟稱，蘋果「虛假宣傳了iPhone 16系列的功能，並基於根本不存在的功能，欺騙數百萬消費者花費數百美元購買他們不需要的手機」。

去年12月，蘋果宣佈其人工智能主管John Giannandrea退休。今年1月，該公司表示將使用Google的Gemini平台為其人工智能產品（包括Siri）提供支援。

So, Apple agrees to pay a sum to settle legal claims about its artificial intelligence system, Apple Intelligence. The class action lawsuits say that Apple has misrepresented the “capabilities of the series 16 iPhone and deceived millions of consumers into spending hundreds of dollars on a phone they did not need, based on features that do not exist.” Apparently, Apple needs outside help such as Google’s Gemini to improve its A.I. products.

China Passenger Plane Crash That Killed 132: Suspicion of Intentional Action Grows, Cockpit Switch Operation Data Recording

Recently CNN.com reported the following:

132人死亡の中国旅客機墜落、故意の疑い強まる　操縦席のスイッチ操作をデータが記録

2026.05.05 Tue posted at 09:59 JST132

（CNN） 中国東方航空の旅客機が墜落して132人の搭乗者全員が死亡した2022年の事故をめぐり、操縦室にいた人物が故意に両エンジンへの燃料供給を停止した可能性があることが、米国家運輸安全委員会（NTSB）の調査報告書で明らかになった。

中国東方航空MU5735便（ボーイング737-800型機）は22年3月21日、中国南部・広西チワン族自治区の山中に墜落した。同国航空史上最悪級の事故だったにもかかわらず、中国民用航空局（CAAC）は原因の究明には至っていない。

しかし情報公開請求に基づき公開されたNTSBの報告書によれば、同機は墜落前に、両方のエンジンへの燃料供給が同時に停止されていた。

このデータは同機のフライトデータレコーダーに記録されていた。データレコーダーは全運航情報を記録する2個の「ブラックボックス」のうち一つで、機体の残骸から回収されて、首都ワシントンのNTSBで解析が行われた（ボーイングが米国の航空機メーカーだったことからNTSBが調査にかかわった）。

「高度2万9000フィート（約8840メートル）で飛行中、両エンジンの燃料スイッチが稼働から停止に切り替わったことが判明した。この燃料スイッチの切り替え後、エンジンが減速した」。NTSBは報告書にそう記している。

民間航空機は燃料スイッチでエンジンへの燃料の流れを物理的に制御する。737型機の場合、稼働から停止に切り替えるためには操縦士がスイッチを押し上げる必要がある。

専門家はフライトデータレコーダーの記録について、「墜落の直前に燃料スイッチが手動で停止位置に置かれたことをはっきり示している」と指摘。「スイッチが稼働位置に戻された形跡はない。つまり、エンジン再始動の試みはなかった」「もし誤ってエンジンが停止されていたとすれば、操縦士が再始動を試みていたはずだ」との見方を示した。

NTSBの報告書によると、フライトデータレコーダーは発電機が電力を喪失した高度2万6000フィートで記録を停止し、最後の瞬間はとらえていなかった。一方、操縦室の音声を記録するボイスレコーダーは、補助電源で記録を続けた。

米当局は損傷したボイスレコーダーから4本の音声記録を入手することに成功し、中国民用航空局に提供した。しかし、NTSBはこの音声ファイルの複製を保持しなかった。

中国民用航空局は、墜落が故意だったとの見方を否定していた。

オーストラリアの航空専門家トニー・スタントン氏は、今回のNTSBの報告書について「公開された資料だけでは、動機も意図も、誰がスイッチを操作したのかも証明できない」と述べ、最終事故報告書とみなすべきではないとの見解を示した。

Translation

China Passenger Plane Crash That Killed 132: Suspicion of Intentional Action Grows, Cockpit Switch Operation Data Recording

2026.05.05 Tue posted at 09:59 JST132

(CNN) A report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had revealed that a person in the cockpit might have intentionally shut off the fuel supply to both engines in the 2022 crash of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane that killed all 132 people on board.

China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 (a Boeing 737-800) crashed in the mountains of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China on March 21, 2022. Despite being one of the worst accidents in Chinese aviation history, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) had not yet determined the cause.

However, according to the NTSB report released based on a Freedom of Information Request, the fuel supply to both engines of the aircraft was shut off simultaneously before the crash.

This data was recorded in the aircraft's flight data recorder. The data recorder, one of two "black boxes" that recorded all flight information, was recovered from the wreckage and analyzed by the NTSB in Washington, D.C. (The NTSB was involved in the investigation because Boeing was a US aircraft manufacturer).

"It was found that while flying at an altitude of 29,000 feet (approximately 8,840 meters), the fuel switches on both engines were switched from operational to shut down. After switching this fuel switch, the engines decelerated," the NTSB wrote down these in its report.

Commercial aircraft used fuel switches to physically control the flow of fuel to the engines. In the case of the 737, the pilot needed to push the switch up to switch from operational to shut down.

Experts pointed out that the flight data recorder's recording "clearly indicates that the fuel switches were manually placed in the shutdown position immediately before the crash." They expressed the view that "There is no evidence that the switch was returned to the operational position. In other words, there was no attempt to restart the engine," and "If the engine had been accidentally shut down, the pilot could have attempted to restart it".

According to the NTSB report, the flight data recorder stopped recording at an altitude of 26,000 feet where the generator lost power, and did not capture the final moments. Meanwhile, the voice recorder, which recorded cockpit audio, continued recording using auxiliary power.

U.S. authorities succeeded in obtaining four audio recordings from the damaged voice recorder and provided them to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. However, the NTSB did not retain copies of these audio files.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China denied that the crash was intentional.

Australian aviation expert Tony Stanton stated that the NTSB report should not be considered the final accident report, saying, "Based on the released materials alone, it is impossible to prove the motive, intent, or who managed the switch."

So, the NTSB has revealed that a person in the cockpit may have intentionally shut off the fuel supply to both engines in the 2022 plane crash that killed all 132 people on board. Yet China’s CAAC has not yet determined the cause. It is noted that the voice recorder, which records cockpit audio, continued recording. The U.S. authorities has succeeded in recovering four audio recordings and I am interested in knowing what is inside these tapes, and look forward to hearing something from CAAC eventually.

US Q1 GDP +2.0%, Continued Accelerating from Previous Quarter, But Below Market Expectations

 Recently NHK New on-line reported the following

米国 1～3月期GDP+2.0％ 前期から加速も市場予想は下回る

2026年4月30日21:59

(2026年5月1日0:05更新)

GDP

アメリカのことし1月から3月までのGDP＝国内総生産が発表され、前の3か月と比べた伸び率は年率に換算してプラス2.0％となりました。前の期の0.5％から加速したものの、2.3％程度の伸び率を見込んでいた市場予想は下回りました。

アメリカ商務省は30日、ことし1月から3月までのGDPを発表しました。

前の3か月と比べた実質の伸び率は、年率に換算してプラス2.0％でした。

伸び率は、連邦政府機関の一部が閉鎖した影響でプラス0.5％にとどまった前の期から加速しましたが、プラス2.3％を見込んでいた市場予想は下回りました。

内訳をみると、GDPのおよそ7割を占める個人消費がプラス1.6％で、前の期の1.9％から減速しました。

一方、企業の設備投資はプラス10.4％で前の期の2.4％から伸びが拡大しました。

また、インフレの状況を見極めるための指標としてFRB＝連邦準備制度理事会が重視するPCE＝個人消費支出の物価指数は、ことし3月、前の年の同じ月と比べた上昇率が3.5％となり、2月の2.8％から加速しました。

イラン情勢の影響で原油価格が上昇していることが主な要因で、先行きが見通せないなかアメリカ経済の堅調さを支えてきた個人消費の今後の動向が焦点になります。

Translation

US Q1 GDP +2.0%, Continued Accelerating from Previous Quarter, But Below Market Expectations

April 30, 2026 21:59

(Updated May 1, 2026 0:05)

GDP

The US GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for January-March of this year had been released, showing a growth rate of +2.0% compared to the previous three months when converted to an annual rate. While this was an acceleration from the previous quarter's 0.5%, it fell short of the around 2.3% market expectation.

The US Department of Commerce announced on the 30th the GDP for January-March of this year.

The real growth rate compared to the previous three months was +2.0% when converted to an annual rate.

The growth rate, due to the partial shutdown of federal government agencies, accelerated from the previous quarter's +0.5%, but it fell short of market expectations of +2.3%.

Looking at the breakdown, personal consumption, which accounted for approximately 70% of GDP, increased by 1.6%, a slowdown from 1.9% in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, corporate capital investment increased by 10.4%, a significant improvement from the 2.4% increase in the previous period.

Furthermore, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, which the Federal Reserve (FRB) considered important as an indicator of inflation, rose by 3.5% in March of this year compared to the same month last year, accelerating from 2.8% in February.

The main factor was the rise in crude oil prices due to the situation in Iran. With an uncertain future, the focus would be on the trends of personal consumption ahead, which had been a driving force behind the robustness of the U.S. economy.

So, the US GDP for January-March has fallen short of market expectations. In the coming months, the performance of personal consumption, which is a driving force behind the U.S. economy, will be the focus for economists.

Crabs' "Side walking" Might Have Begun Around 200 million Years Ago: Research by Nagasaki University and Others

Recently NHK news reported up the following:

カニの「横歩き」は約2億年前に始まったか 長崎大など研究

2026年4月29日4:06

サイエンス

カニが「横歩き」を始めたのは、およそ2億年前だった可能性が高いとする研究結果を長崎大学などのグループが発表しました。動物の移動様式がどのように進化してきたのかを理解することにつながる成果だとしています。

長崎大学などの研究グループは自然の環境に近づけた水槽の中で50種のカニの行動を10分間ずつ撮影して観察し、「横歩き」か「前歩き」かを調べました。

この観察データとカニが祖先からどのように枝分かれして進化してきたかを示す最新の「系統樹」を照らし合わせたところ、カニの「横歩き」は、およそ2億年前にもともと「前歩き」をしていた祖先が「横歩き」に進化し、その後、多くの種に受け継がれてきた可能性が高いことがわかったということです。

カニが「横歩き」を始めたとされるおよそ2億年前は大陸の分裂で浅い海が広がり、新しい環境でカニが多様化しやすい条件が整っていたと考えられ、左右どちらにも素早く動くことができ、移動する方向が予測されにくい「横歩き」の利点が生存に有利に働いたのではないかとしています。

長崎大学大学院総合生産科学研究科の河端雄毅 准教授は「『横歩き』はすごくヘンテコな行動で、動物界を見渡してもほかにこの歩き方をする動物はほとんどいない。この革命的な移動様式が生物の繁栄にどう関わってくるのかを理解することにつながる成果だと思う」と話していました。

Translation

Crabs' "Side walking" Might Have Begun Around 200 million Years Ago: Research by Nagasaki University and Others

April 29, 2026, 4:06 AM

Science

A research group from Nagasaki University and other institutions had published findings suggesting that crabs likely began "side walking" approximately 200 million years ago. This finding was expected to contribute to understanding how animal locomotion patterns evolved.

The research group from Nagasaki University and other institutions filmed and observed the behavior of 50 species of crabs for 10 minutes each in a tank simulating their natural environment to determine whether they were "side walking" or "forward walking."

By comparing this observational data with the latest "phylogenetic trees" showing how crabs had branched out and evolved from their ancestors, the researchers found that it was highly likely that crabs' "side walking" evolved approximately 200 million years ago from ancestors that originally "forward walked," and that this behavior was subsequently passed down to many species.

It was believed that around 200 million years ago, when crabs were thought to have begun "sideways walking," the continents split, creating shallow seas and providing ideal conditions for crab diversification in this new environment. The ability to move quickly to either the left or right, and the unpredictable nature of their movement through "sideways walking," might have been advantageous for their survival.

Associate Professor Yuki Kawabata (河端雄毅) of the Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology Nagasaki University commented, "'Sideways walking' is a very unusual behavior; there are hardly any other animals in the animal kingdom that walk this way. I believe this finding will help us understand how this revolutionary mode of locomotion relates to the prosperity of organisms."

So, a research group in Japan suggests that crabs likely began "side walking" approximately 200 million years ago. Apparently, this finding can help us understand how animal locomotion patterns have evolved over time.

UAE to Withdraw from OPEC, State News Reports; A blow to the cooperative system?

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

UAEがOPECから脱退へ 国営通信報じる 協調体制に打撃か

2026年4月28日21:42

(2026年4月29日5:10更新)

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦が、主要な産油国で作るOPEC＝石油輸出国機構から脱退すると、UAEの国営通信が報じました。欧米のメディアは原油の生産方針などでほかの加盟国との対立が生じ、脱退につながったという見方を伝えています。

UAEの国営通信は28日、UAEが来月5月1日から、主要な産油国で作るOPECと、非加盟の産油国も加わったOPECプラスから脱退すると報じました。

イラン情勢を受けてホルムズ海峡からの原油の輸送が滞っていますが、国営通信によりますと、UAEは今後、生産量を段階的に増やすとしていて、脱退の決定は市場の需要に対応する能力を高めることにつながるなどと説明しています。

欧米のメディアは、サウジアラビアが主導するOPECの原油の生産方針や湾岸諸国のイラン情勢への対応をめぐり、UAEとほかの加盟国との対立が生じ、脱退につながったという見方を伝えています。

OPECは、原油相場を支えるため、生産方針などで足並みをそろえてきましたが、有数の産油国のひとつであるUAEの脱退で、協調体制が打撃を受ける可能性も指摘されています。

UAEエネルギー相 “安定した世界市場を支える”

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦が主要な産油国で作るOPEC＝石油輸出国機構から脱退することをめぐり、UAEのマズルーイ エネルギー相は28日、「今後もエネルギーの安全保障に力を尽くし、安定した世界市場を支えていく」などとSNSに投稿しました。

決定について、マズルーイ エネルギー相は政策に基づくもので、長期的な市場の動向を踏まえているとしています。

OPECとOPECプラスとは

OPECは、メジャーと呼ばれる欧米の大手石油会社に対抗し、産油国側の利益を守ることなどを目的に1960年に設立されました。

当初の加盟国はイランやイラク、サウジアラビアなどの5か国で、現在はUAEを含めて12か国が加盟しています。

また、産油国の石油価格に対する影響力の維持を目指して、OPECの加盟国に加えて非加盟のロシアやメキシコなどがOPECプラスという枠組みで生産調整などを行っています。

アメリカとイスラエルによるイランへの軍事作戦が始まった後もOPECプラスの産油国は会合を開いています。

このうち4月5日にはサウジアラビアやロシア、それにUAEなど主な産油国8か国がオンラインで会合を開き、来月5月の原油の生産量を1日あたり20万6000バレル増やすと明らかにしました。

事実上の封鎖が続くホルムズ海峡が開放され、原油の輸送が本格的に再開した場合に備えた決定とみられます。

Translation

UAE to Withdraw from OPEC, State News Reports; A blow to the cooperative system?

April 28, 2026, 21:42

(Updated April 29, 2026, 5:10)

UAE = United Arab Emirates

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) would withdraw from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), a group comprised of major oil-producing countries, according to the UAE's state news agency. Western media outlets were reporting that the withdrawal was due to conflicts with other member countries over crude oil production policies.

The UAE's state news agency reported on the 28th that the UAE would withdraw from OPEC, comprised of major oil-producing countries, and OPEC+, which included non-member oil-producing countries, effective from May 1st.

While crude oil transport from the Strait of Hormuz had been disrupted due to the situation in Iran, the state news agency said that the UAE planned to gradually increase production, explaining that the decision to withdraw could enhance its ability to meet market demand.

Western media outlets were reporting that the UAE's withdrawal stemmed from conflicts between the UAE and other member states over Saudi Arabia's leadership in OPEC's crude oil production policies and the Gulf states' responses to the situation in Iran.

OPEC had been working together on production policies and other matters to support crude oil prices, but the withdrawal of the UAE, one of the leading oil-producing countries, could potentially damage this cooperative system.

UAE Energy Minister: “Supporting a Stable Global Market”

Regarding the UAE's withdrawal from OPEC, a group of major oil-producing countries, UAE Energy Minister Mazroui posted on social media on the 28th, stating that the country “will continue to dedicate itself to energy security and support a stable global market.”

Regarding the decision, Energy Minister Mazroui stated that it was based on policy and took into account long-term market trends.

About OPEC and OPEC+

OPEC was established in 1960 with the aim of protecting the interests of oil-producing countries and countering the major Western oil companies.

The initial member states were five countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Currently, 12 countries, including the UAE, were members.

Furthermore, in order to maintain the influence of oil-producing countries on oil prices, in addition to OPEC members, non-member countries such as Russia and Mexico operated under the framework of OPEC+, implementing production adjustments and other measures.

Even after the start of military operations against Iran by the United States and Israel, OPEC+ oil-producing countries had continued to hold meetings.

Among them, on April 5th, eight major oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the UAE, held an online meeting and announced that they would increase crude oil production by 206,000 barrels per day in May.

This decision was seen as preparation for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which remained effectively blocked, and the resumption of crude oil transport in full force.

So, the UAE will withdraw from OPEC. UAE's withdrawal is probably stemmed from conflicts between the UAE and other member states over Saudi Arabia's leadership in OPEC's crude oil production policies and the Gulf states' responses to the situation in Iran. Apparently, the current US-Iran conflict will cause changes to the political equilibrium in the region.