Top story: ‘Concrete canyons’ endanger cyclists and pedestrians

Good morning, it’s Warren Murray taking you straight to the big stories.

Tougher building rules for skyscrapers have been drawn up by the City of London to stem the creation of “concrete canyons” that generate winds capable of knocking over a pedestrian or cyclist. Developers will have to use wind tunnels, computer simulations and scale models, and will have to change designs if they are likely to affect passersby.

A host of skyscrapers have joined the London skyline in recent years including the Leadenhall Building, known locally as the “Cheesegrater”, and the notorious “Walkie-Talkie” at 20 Fenchurch Street where fierce downdraughts have been reported. In Leeds, the Bridgewater Place tower has caused multiple road closures and a pedestrian died when a lorry was blown over. Roger Geffen, from Cycling UK, said: “Anywhere where a tall building goes up, you find that somewhere you could be previously cycling happily, there is a wall of wind.” Another 13 skyscrapers are expected in London by 2026.

Brexit hostile environment feared – European nationals in the UK could be plunged into uncertainty under plans by the home secretary, Priti Patel, to end freedom of movement and impose new border restrictions overnight on 31 October if Britain leaves the EU without a deal. The Conservative MP Alberto Costa, a campaigner for EU citizens’ rights, also warned of a reciprocal sharp end to free movement for the 1.3 million British citizens living in other EU nations. Boris Johnson has written to Donald Tusk offering a legally binding commitment to no “infrastructure, checks or controls” at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, if Brussels drops the Irish backstop from the withdrawal deal it is offering. With the PM about to visit the continent to meet Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, Jeremy Corbyn is demanding the government immediately publish the full Operation Yellowhammer assessments of how disruptive a no-deal Brexit would be.

Hong Kong olive branch – Overnight, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled leader, has said she will “immediately” set up a platform for dialogue after an estimated 1.7 million protesters staged a peaceful rally in torrential rain on Sunday. “I sincerely hope this is the start of society returning to calm and turning away from violence,” she said. Lam said an existing police watchdog would hire overseas experts for a “fact-finding study” to investigate incidents that have included violent police tactics and an attack by armed thugs. It is unlikely to satisfy protesters who have demanded a third-party investigation.

Murder charge over PC death – A man is to face court today charged with the murder of the newlywed police officer Andrew Harper, 28, who was dragged under a car and killed while investigating a burglary close to the village of Sulhamstead, Berkshire. The accused is Jed Foster, 20, from Reading. Nine other people arrested in connection with the case have been released on bail until 13 September. Harper had been married for just a month before he was killed. His wife, Lissie, paid tribute on Monday night to “the kindest, loveliest, most selfless person”.

Victim wins abortion case – A rape victim charged with homicide by abortion after giving birth to a stillborn child has been acquitted at her retrial in El Salvador. Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez, now 21, had served 33 months of a 30-year prison sentence. El Salvador is one of three Central American nations with total bans on abortion, and women who turn up at public hospitals following a miscarriage sometimes end up being charged with having killed the foetus. The strict laws have attracted international criticism and campaigning.

No-sex toilet plan flushed away – A public toilet that would hit you with water jets for having sex in there will not be built in Porthcawl after all. The toilet had been planned for a park, and would also have featured doors that fling open after a while to deter rough sleeping. Bridgend county borough council said they would be of “traditional construction … Unfortunately, the town council’s enthusiasm and intentions have been misinterpreted.” For avoidance of doubt there will not be “any floor or other movement sensors, any restricted time entry, there will not be water sprays, or self-opening doors, no weight-sensitive floor and no dousing equipment”.

Lunchtime read: The cult of Columbine

On 20 April 1999 in Littleton, Colorado, Eric Harris and his friend Dylan Klebold killed 12 students, one teacher and themselves at Columbine high school. Two decades after that, they would both be unlikely internet heartthrobs.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lindsay Souvannarath arrives at court in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photograph: Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press/PA Images

In 2014, James Gamble was 19, aimless and unemployed. Online, he met Lindsay Souvannarath, 22, a liberal arts graduate. They were in similar places in their lives: young adults still living with their parents, socially awkward outsiders, virgins. And eventually they discovered their shared passions: the Columbine atrocity, and a desire to stage their own massacre at a shopping mall.

Sport

Ole Gunnar Solskjær says he has no intention of taking away Paul Pogba’s penalty-taking privileges despite the midfielder missing from the spot as Manchester United drew 1-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ben Stokes has warned there will be no let-up from Jofra Archer in the remainder of the Ashes series – much as with Australia’s Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14 – as the visitors prepare to make a call on whether Steve Smith can return this week. Bolton have postponed tonight’s home game with Doncaster owing to concern over the “welfare” of their young players. And the former Wasps lock Kearnan Myall has told Robert Kitson of the intolerable pressure and scrutiny that took him to the brink of suicide.

Business

BHP, one of the biggest companies on the FTSE100, has recorded a 124% jump in profits to £6.84bn thanks to China’s insatiable demand for iron ore. But its chief executive, Andrew Mackenzie, warned as he announced the results in Melbourne that the US-China trade spat will “dampen” world growth and that the rise of nationalistic governments threatened to interfere with the world economy. It appeared to be a swipe at Donald Trump’s attempts to disrupt international trade with his punitive tariffs against Chinese goods, but the president found another target overnight by stepping up pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates. That helped Asian shares, which were broadly up, although the FTSE is seen heading down at the open. The pound is worth $1.213 and €1.094.

The papers

News that Boris Johnson has gone to the EU with fresh demands for a Brexit deal leads the Times: “Johnson gives EU his Brexit demands”, the Telegraph: “Johnson tears up backstop in talks push”, the Guardian: “EU unconvinced as Johnson sets out fresh bid to remove Brexit backstop” and the i: “End of free movement: no-deal borders crackdown”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Guardian front page, Tuesday 20 August 2019.

The Express runs the comments of a police chief: “I’ll arm every officer with a taser gun”, the Mail reports: “Hospitals take 1,000 dementia patients a day”, the FT says: “Hong Kong billionaire seizes on weak pound to lap up Greene King”, the Sun reports on tracking devices installed in cars: “There’s a spy in your Mercedes”, and the Mirror has the story that the man who convinced police he was the Yorkshire ripper has died: “Death of the ripper hoaxer”.

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