Britain gets powercut warnings

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

London

Sept. 26: Britain could face electricity cuts this winter due to a drop in surplus electricity, according to a warning by National Grid, the company in charge of distributing electricity around the country.

The surplus power supplies this winter will be as little as 826 megawatts. The surplus power was downgraded from 1,373 megawatts last week to the current 826 MW. The situation is so bad that if just one of the country’s 38 major power stations goes out of action, the resulting shortages would force the National Grid to resort to powercuts. Although the met office has forecast a milder and drier winter in 2008, the steep hikes in gas and electricity prices earlier in 2008 had led to concerns about the ability of poor households and older people to combat winter cold.

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‘Outsiders erode UK identity’

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

London

Sept. 26: Young Britons are opposed to immigration and think that an influx of immigrants to Britain is eroding the country’s national identity and threatening jobs.

Almost two-thirds (60 per cent) of 2,000 respondents, between the ages of 18 and 35 years, said in a survey by British Council that immigration was "diluting" their sense of national identity. The survey, which was held both in the UK and Italy, tested the respondents on their attitude towards immigration and their sense of national identity. A quarter of the respondents said immigrants posed a threat to the job market in Britain and 12 per cent said they thought the influx of people from abroad was a risk to security and public order. The results were described as "worrying" by the British Council.