WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Weapons exports, Maduro's seized jet, and why leg muscles are the key to strength

 
today's diplomacy story

UK suspends some arms sales to Israel

What happened 
The UK is suspending the sale of a raft of arms components to Israel, saying there is a "clear risk" they could be used in violation of international humanitarian law.

Who said what
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that 30 licences, including parts for fighter planes, helicopters and drones, would immediately be put on hold, but insisted the UK continued to support Israel's right to defend itself, saying "this is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo”.

Britain's 350 export licences with Israel represent a "tiny amount" of the nation's total imports, said Politico. But the suspension "will likely anger Benjamin Netanyahu's administration", coming just as Israel's prime minister faces "increased pressure from domestic protests and strikes".

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the decision sent a "very problematic message" to Hamas and Iran, and added that Israel continued to operate according to international law.

What next? 
The announcement "may come as no surprise to the government of Israel" given it had been long-flagged, "but it will still hurt", said the BBC. Western governments have been "coming under growing pressure" to stop arms sales to Israel over how it is waging war in the Gaza Strip.

This suspension will "cause strains with the Biden administration in the US" and Trump-aligned Republicans, both of whom argue against suspending arms exports under international law, said The Guardian. Biden is "under pressure" from pro-Palestinian Democrats to leverage arms sales to push Netanyahu to make concessions in ceasefire talks.

 
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today's international story

US seizes Venezuelan President Maduro's plane

What happened
The United States has seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's plane, claiming it was bought in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues, and smuggled out of the country.

Who said what
US officials said the plane had been seized for violating export control and sanctions laws, alleging that people linked to Maduro had used a Caribbean-based shell company to hide their involvement in its illegal purchase from a Florida-based company.

A spokesperson for the White House national security council said the action represented "an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela".

Venezuela said the seizure of the plane amounted to an act of "piracy". The country "reserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage", said a government official in a statement.

What next?
In March 2020 the US Department of Justice charged Maduro, together with other Venezuelan officials, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction.

 
 
Today's science story

Why leg muscles are the key to superhuman strength

What happened
A study has suggested that the secret to superhuman strength may be located in a group of lesser-known leg muscles.

Researchers at Loughborough University carried out a series of tests on Eddie "The Beast" Hall, 2017 World's Strongest Man champion, to discover how his muscles differed from other people's. They found that his sartorius, gracilis and semitendinosus muscles, a set of three long, thin muscles in the leg, were up to 202% larger than those of men who didn't train. The trio are commonly known as the "guy ropes" muscles because they work like the guy ropes of a tent to stabilise the pelvis and the thigh.

Who said what
"We were surprised that the greatest muscular development was of the long, thin 'guy ropes' muscles", said Jonathan Folland, professor of neuromuscular performance. "These muscles clearly are more important for lifting and carrying very heavy loads than we previously thought."

What next?
Dr Tom Balshaw, from the university's School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, said the research "suggests that we can all change and develop our muscular system to improve the function and performance of our muscles".

 
 

It's not all bad

UK retail sales surged by 2.9% in the three months to August, with warmer weather driving increased spending on food for picnics and barbecues. Clothing and gardening products also saw strong sales as shoppers refreshed their summer wardrobes and outdoor spaces. The upward trend highlights improving consumer confidence, with the British Retail Consortium noting strong growth across key categories.

 
 
under the radar

The rise of the WhatsApp novelists

Charles Dickens published most of his novels in monthly magazine instalments, but if he was around now he might do the same on WhatsApp.

The messaging app has "proven to be a boon" for authors in Zimbabwe as the country's traditional publishing industry "falters", said the Financial Mail. Aspiring writers are able to charge directly for their services by "leveraging" the app's popularity and turning it into a "go-to for avid readers".

Kingston Dhewa is "one of the new crop" of authors in Zimbabwe selling novels to fans on WhatsApp, said Al Jazeera. He initially joined a WhatsApp group for "budding writers" and felt he "could do a much better job" than the authors there, so he wrote a story and submitted it to the group. "People encouraged me to keep writing," he said. He charged readers $2 for his first finished book and "earned enough money to pay rent and buy food for his family". Since then he has written 43 novels, which were all published through WhatsApp groups.

Harsh economic realities in Zimbabwe created the conditions for this new form of publishing. The "economy has tanked" and "high inflation has eroded purchasing power for the majority", while the high cost of data "forces many Zimbabweans to use WhatsApp as a social tool".

Zimbabwe's Gen Z has been snapping up books through the messaging app. "I can't sleep without a daily dose," Natasha Pumu told the Financial Mail as she devoured the latest chapter from one of her favourite authors on WhatsApp.

 
 
on this day

3 September 1967

Sweden's traffic was brought to a complete standstill at 4.50am as the country switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. Known as Högertrafikomläggningen (right-hand traffic diversion), the switch was partly driven by a rising number of accidents, especially near the borders with right-side driving Denmark, Norway and Finland. Since the change there has been a dramatic drop in road fatalities, making Sweden one of the safest countries to drive in.

 
 
Today's newspapers

The Mirror leads on the prime minister's pledge to take action as surge pricing saw some Oasis fans hit with huge price rises while trying to grab tickets to the band's comeback tour. The Times also covers the plan, adding that "some might say it's too late". The i paper says the UK has restricted the sale of some weapons parts to Israel because of concerns the use of the parts would breach international law. Meanwhile, the Daily Star says broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that one of the reasons "The Grand Tour" is ending is that the "world is too dangerous to drive anywhere".

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Byte-sized learning

The UK's first "teacherless" GCSE class, using artificial intelligence instead of human tutors, is about to get underway at London's David Game College. Students taking the class at the private school will use "a mixture of artificial intelligence platforms on their computers and virtual reality headsets" to learn. Head teacher John Dalton told the broadcaster that AI would be able to offer bespoke learning and help pinpoint weaknesses in student's knowledge "more effectively".

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, Sorcha Bradley and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Jack Guez / AFP via Getty Images; Miguel Gutierrez / AFP via Getty Images; John Phillips / Getty Images