From the BBC World Service: The European Union says it's close to agreeing a trade deal with the South American economic bloc Mercosur, which represents Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The agreement covers all aspects of trade, but the most controversial area is agriculture. Farmers have been protesting because they fear a glut of cheap imports. Then, the European Commission unveiled its first-ever roadmap for tackling a Europe-wide housing affordability crisis earlier this week. We'll discuss it with the EU's housing Commissioner.