All 5 Releases “The Competitiveness Compass does not fully address most problems nor does it provide realistic solutions to them We welcome the commitment of maintaining the targets of 90% reduction on net greenhouse gas emissions for 2040 however we don't have any guarantees that there won't be any backtrack on environmental and social standards such as worker’s rights the other objectives behind the Green Deal Lowering standards in our EU Single Market that may compromise the quality of people’s lives is not the way for the EU to become a role model in the world Competitiveness should not be seen as an end in itself but rather a way to preserve and improve well-being for all The EU’s economy can only be competitive if we make our economy fit for the future and more resilient.” will meet progressive leaders at the PES high-level meeting at the Square – Brussels Convention Centre party leaders and high-level representatives from the PES family will discuss common positions ahead of the informal EU leaders' retreat Venue: SQUARE Convention Center - Rue Ravenstein 09.10 ‘Family photo’ followed by 'tour de table' the special committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) will hold its constitutive meeting at 18.00 and start its 12-month term of office.  The S&Ds will play an active role in this committee by proposing concrete action to protect our citizens and democracies against foreign interference; by tackling disinformation cyberattacks and harmful content spread online EP vice-president and S&D MEP Christel Schaldemose will coordinate the work of our Group in this new committee the S&D Bureau and Heads of Delegations will meet for our Away Day in Genval In the new challenging geopolitical context and ahead of the upcoming presentation of the Commission Work Programme (during the February plenary session) and following the presentation of the Competitiveness Compass the S&D leadership will follow up on our priorities and outlook for the short and long term the S&Ds will partner with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation to host a seminar highlighting the urgent need to introduce wealth taxes and minimum capital income taxation entitled Capital and wealth taxation in the EU - Ways forward on the path of justice will delve into an issue of growing concern both politically and economically Recent Oxfam research on the surge in billionaire wealth within the EU underscores the necessity of rebalancing the tax mix to ease the burden on the workers and middle class and ensuring that the ultra-rich pay their fair share Jonás Fernández and Bruno Gonçalves will be participating You can learn more about the speakers here And you can register here to attend in person. And follow the event live here Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations Ursula von der Leyen still has a chance to chart a path to a fairer EU Commission President-elect Ursula Von der Leyen (C) joins for a family photo with members of the EU Commission during a seminar of the new European Commission designated executives at the Chateau du Lac hotel in Genval You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. We don’t flood you with panic-inducing headlines or race to be first We focus on being useful to you — breaking down the news in ways that inform We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today Trump says plexiglass “is not the answer” to prevent Covid-19 by Terry Nguyen LinkA restaurant in Genval, Belgium, erects clear plastic barriers between tables in preparation for its reopening. Philippe Crochet/Getty ImagesDuring Thursday night’s presidential debate, President Donald Trump countered his Democratic rival Joe Biden’s call for businesses to erect plexiglass barriers and other safety precautions to reduce the spread of Covid-19 “These are restaurants that are dying,” the president said Putting up plexiglass is unbelievably expensive and is not the answer.” “Are you going to sit there in a cubicle wrapped around in plastic you can’t do that to people.” Trump’s comments, however, neglect the separate guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Labor which encourage the use of plastic partitions in schools and even offices across the country have newfound use for plexiglass erecting transparent barriers between groups of people as a preventative measure against the coronavirus Most businesses — some of which are struggling to stay afloat — have opted for more basic My neighborhood bánh mì joint has set up a vinyl curtain to separate the cashier from the customer which installed a thin divider in front of the employee’s checkout monitor patrons are sticking their hands through a hole cut in a sneeze guard as masked technicians work on their manicures Restaurants have constructed table barriers between parties — sometimes for both indoor and outdoor operations — that can create a bleak illusion of closed-off safety in spite of the virus’s potential for airborne transmission Trump may be right in suggesting that plexiglass shields and similar plastic barriers are not the answer for a different reason — not cost a University of Colorado Boulder professor of environmental engineering “These barriers are designed to prevent large spray-born droplets which are released when someone talks loudly or coughs at close range,” she told me “But you also have to account for the smaller particles that can go around the plexiglass barrier and stay airborne for longer periods of time where customers interact closely with workers but are still masked and distanced from others “These barriers are designed to prevent large spray-born droplets which are released when someone talks loudly or coughs at close range.” Public health experts have advocated for a layered approach to protecting oneself from the virus There is no silver bullet in combating the coronavirus’s spread businesses should still ask customers to social distance and wear masks while ensuring that there’s proper ventilation so that even if airborne particles are released In July, the Atlantic’s Derek Thompson coined the phrase “hygiene theater” to describe the ritualistic devotion to temperature checks and surface sanitizing that complicates this layered approach: “Covid-19 has reawakened America’s spirit of misdirected anxiety inspiring businesses and families to obsess over risk-reduction rituals that make us feel safer but don’t actually do much to reduce risk — even as more dangerous activities are still allowed.” people have become more attuned to these performative protections (which include plastic) that don’t really do a good job at protecting us in high-risk situations Some Americans are dining or working out indoors again assured by the many hygiene precautions advertised by places like restaurants and gyms People’s willingness to engage in these higher-risk activities highlight the lack of cohesive public health messaging surrounding the virus which has confused many Americans since March Without comprehensive guidance from the federal government things like mask compliance and dining capacity can vary from state by state some have found comfort — and a false sense of security — in the sanitation craze championed by businesses eager to welcome back customers This can be especially dangerous inside restaurants or bars where patrons have to take their masks off to dine and drink Booth partitions create an oddly claustrophobic sense of enclosure which could make customers feel separated from nearby parties even if they aren’t spaced 6 feet apart “It’s possible that these shields can create a micro-environment for one group of diners willing to take the risk with each other or if they’re in the same Covid cluster,” said William Bahnfleth a Pennsylvania State University professor of architectural engineering “But if there isn’t good air flow in the space the plastic barriers might not have much effect at all.” Bahnfleth said restaurants should consider adding air purifiers or other ways to increase the indoor air change rate — the frequency at which air in a space is recycled which would reduce the likelihood of customers inhaling viral particles The height and density of these partitions could also impede the natural air flow of an indoor space which could lead to certain areas having a higher concentration of lingering aerosol particles than others some establishments have become inventive with their outdoor set-ups to keep patrons warm even if it isn’t epidemiologically sound The plastic bubble tents seen around the streets of New York even if it’s technically part of a restaurant’s outdoor dining operation While these bubbles are keeping diners inside warm there doesn’t appear to be any ventilation “If these spaces had a small opening but I can only see eating in one with my family or people I socialize with on a daily basis.” Her biggest concern with the bubbles is if they’re inhabited by an asymptomatic person the virus particles they exhale can build up in very high concentrations with nowhere to go The market for these products is booming, although some acrylic suppliers are hesitant to say whether this demand will last beyond the pandemic, Forbes reported one of the top international suppliers of acrylic-based products braced for “a very large downturn” when the coronavirus first hit since the company supplies to a variety of customers in the automotive (Acrylic is the formal name of the type of polymer used to manufacture plexiglass.) The sudden interest in acrylic barriers for essential workers and businesses helped although Lucite doesn’t anticipate the demand for them to last beyond 2021 Lucite’s US-based national sales manager said in an email to Vox that while “there will be ongoing demand for replacement [acrylic] panels the largest surge has already occurred.” Plus, some of the industry’s long-time customers reported the business news publication Marker If masks become a normalized post-pandemic accessory it’s not a stretch of the imagination to predict that plastic sneeze guards and barriers will be Get our best explainers on everything from money to entertainment to what everyone is talking about online ntribute today from as little as $3. Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. The most surprising consequence of Trump’s trade war. The end of the de minimis exemption, briefly explained. Prices are rising due to Trump’s tariffs — but not universally just yet. Musk tried to act as the CEO for the federal workforce. His effort fell apart — due to some surprising resistance. The president’s economic policy has put unions in an awkward position. You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Belgium is a Western European country occupying an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) As can be observed on the physical map of Belgium there are three main geographical regions to Belgium: the coastal plain to the northwest A small area called the Paris Basin is used to refer to the southernmost tip of the country The coastal area is a series of sandy beaches and polders with numerous canals and dikes protecting the land from the sea It's crisscrossed by many small tributaries of the Schelde River caves and small gorges can also be found in this area forested hilly conditions rise to the rugged and flat-topped mountains of the Ardennes Region A yellow triangle marks the position of this point on the map All rivers and streams of Belgium drain into the North Sea except for the Oise River that empties into the English Channel and Yser are the three major rivers of the country The country also has several lakes like Lake Genval the Kingdom of Belgium) is a federal state divided into three regions Wallonia/Walloon Region and the Brussels Capital Region The former two are subdivided into 5 provinces while the latter is remains undivided The regions are further subdivided into 43 administrative arrondissements and then into municipalities and a population of 11.5 million residents Belgium is the 6th most densely populated nation in Europe and the 22nd most densely populated country in the world Located in the north-central part of the country is the largest and the most populous city of Belgium It is geographically positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth Belgium is bordered by 4 countries: by the Netherlands in the north; by Germany in the east; by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the southeast and by France in the southwest It is bounded by the North Sea in the northwest The blank outline map above represents Belgium printed and used for educational purpose like coloring and map-pointing activities Belgium is one of the most densely populated European countries photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) opposition leaders gathered on the outskirts of Brussels on Thursday (9 June) in an unprecedented attempt to agree on a strategy for ousting President Joseph Kabila The so-called "Conclave" was launched by Etienne Tshisekedi leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) as the political crisis in the country continues to deepen Kabila is currently serving his second full term as president and his mandate expires later this year the leader of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD) must relinquish power on 19 December when he reaches the country's two-term limit While hundreds of political parties are united in their desire to force Kabila's hand a common strategy to halt the political crisis and put an end to the president's rule when his final term expires is yet to be agreed Tshisekedi called on the audience – including members of the Congolese opposition and diaspora – to remain united Speaking to IBTimes UK at the historic gathering in Belgium said: "The first point of agreement is respect for the constitution The second point is the fact that we want our freedom to be respected and that political prisoners and young activists .. What unites us is that we want legal proceedings to be dropped for the elections to be held on time as per the constitution." we are here for our coalition," Martin Fayulu leader of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party (ECiDé) The talks included a coalition known as the "Dynamic of the Opposition" which is comprised of seven parties who all back Katumbi But underlying divisions between the players were laid bare with intense debates on the sidelines of the closed-door meetings and the notable absences of Vital Kamerhe leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) and Eve Bazaiba secretary general of the Movement of the Liberation of Congo (MLC) "It's a dictatorship that reigns in the DRC and it must be stopped standing very strong and it is the will to unite that is dictating everyone's attitude and decision to come here in on Etienne Tshisekedi's invitation maybe quell our small differences," said Kamitatu [we must] find the necessary compromises to mobilise mobilise Congolese people to claw back and reappropriate our destiny and enable us to organise the elections in the times set out by the constitution," he added Ruling out the prospect of a transitional government Kamitatu said: "We are not talking about a transition It would mean that we have already capitulated we need to speak about the ways and means to work together unite behind and around Etienne Tshisekedi Despite Kamitatu's rejection of a transitional government a member of the G7 who did not want to be named told IBTimes UK that key participants in the talks have not ruled out this prospect IBTimes UK understands that any transitional government would not include Kabila Calling for direct action against the president Fayulu said: "Sanctions should be imposed [on] Mr Kabila because he doesn't want to respect the constitution they have to freeze what he has and they have to reduce his space to disturb Congo." "When a dictator wants to govern 80 million citizens out of defiance and that he leads his country to chaos consequences can be dramatic – not only for the Congolese people Today we must avoid sliding into a new conflict just because someone refused to respect the constitution." Speaking to IBTimes UK about allegations of theft swirling around Kabila said: "We are told it could be up to $15bn (£10.3bn) It's a huge amount of money for a single man Kabila has been accused of embezzling much more "because he's into everything The famous Chinese contracts – we were promised 2,000km of roads – they never materialised We were promised modern universities – they were never built," Ewanga added The Congolese embassy in London did not reply to a request for comment