Hundreds of village schools across Britain are being closed, despite a long-term pledge by the government to maintain education in the countryside. The policy U-turn will affect 30,000 children in up to 300 schools in its first stage, The Observer has learnt. Campaigners warned last night that the 'nightmare scenario' would see more than 1,000 small schools in England and Wales at risk. The closures are taking place despite a promise by education minister Stephen Byers in 1998 that village schools would be protected.
Sunday 27 January 2008
SA fumbles on through power chaos
"Load shedding" is suddenly South Africa's most commonly used phrase.The state's power utility, Eskom, says load shedding occurs when it becomes necessary to interrupt the electricity supply because demand cannot be met. More simply, load shedding is a euphemism for the blackouts that have beset the nation for the past two to three weeks. The traffic in Johannesburg is at a standstill more than usual at the moment. With the lights out, there is chaos at intersections as frustrated motorists find their journey to and from work taking twice as long.
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Link to BBC NEWS | World | Africa | SA fumbles on through power chaos
Britain 'facing energy shortfall'
Britain is likely to face a shortfall in electricity generation within five to seven years, a report concludes.Energy and environment consultancy firm Inenco says that the number of nuclear and coal plants coming out of service over the period makes shortages likely. Old coal plants, whose operating hours are limited under European legislation, have been running more than expected because of higher gas prices.
Link to BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Britain 'facing energy shortfall'
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