On the edge, looking in

Article Abstract:

Turkey is finding hardship gaining membership into the European Union. In 1987, the Turkish government's formal application for entry was denied. It seems that the deepest Turkey can get into Europe is via the European Customs Union, which was the best offer that Europe can give. Several factors are cited for the rejection, including the Kurdish separatist movement and Turkey's invasion of North Cyprus. However, the greatest difficulty challenging Turkey is the chronic instability of its political and economic structure. Until the early 1980s, a military coup was launched at least once a decade. Economy-wise, wholesale inflation amounted to 150% in 1994 while industrial output dropped by 12%. The biggest blame is being pointed to the government, which is accused of being backward in terms of leadership, motivation and resources. Turkey has to address these concerns first before thinking of joining the rest of Europe.

Membership, International relations, Turkish foreign relations, Turkey, European Union

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Publishing's new chapter

Article Abstract:

The introduction of the first CD novel in the UK was immediately followed by predictions of the demise of the traditional book format. Such predictions, however, are grossly premature and even the supporters of multimedia do not believe that the traditional book will disappear any time soon. One of the strongest arguments for the continued existence of the book is its user friendliness. Books are very portable and can therefore be read in bed, on a train, in a cafe or even in the bathroom. They are also easy to manipulate so that readers can skip pages and go directly to the end of the book if they wish to. Still, despite the apparent security of the book, the advent of electronic publishing is worrying many book publishers. Although the CD-ROM is not in itself threatening, its impact on the next generation of consumers may dramatically change traditional publishing.

Telegraph & other communications, Electronic Publishing, All Other Publishers, Book publishing, Book Publishers, Publishing industry, Analysis, Innovations

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Wool bounces back

Article Abstract:

The British wool industry is now recovering from the severe downturn that began in the early 1990s. In 1991, prices fell sharply because of the excess supply of wool in international markets due to overproduction, a global slump in textile manufacturing, and severely reduced imports by China and Russia, the world's biggest textile makers. That year, the British Wool Marketing Board found itself stuck with 25 million tons of surplus wool. This difficult period seems to be ending, with farmers expecting a significant improvement in the price of wool in 1995 over the previous year's price of 50 pence a fleece. Although this is welcome news, British farmers are not really overly concerned about wool prices because fleece production is only a side business for them and wool sales are only an incidental bonus. The bulk of their income comes from the sale of lamb meat.

Sheep and goats, Wool, Sheep Farming, United Kingdom, Prices and rates, Cover Story, Textile industry

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