Top EU-US Free Trade Proposal Amid Water Crisis and UK Social Care Review

Friedrich Merz advocates for an EU free trade deal with Trump's US. Meanwhile, EU faces criticism for neglecting water issues. In the UK, Louise Casey is tasked with tackling the social care crisis, and tech secretary Peter Kyle rules out a social media ban for those under 16.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has called for the European Union to pursue a comprehensive free trade agreement with the United States, assuming Donald Trump returns to the presidency.

In environmental news, EU environment commissioner Jessika Roswall has criticized the bloc's enduring failure to address water shortages and stressed the need for innovative financing to upgrade deteriorating infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the UK government has appointed Louise Casey to chair a four-year, cross-party effort aimed at overhauling social care. Additionally, UK technology secretary Peter Kyle has announced he will not pursue a social media ban for users under 16, indicating a shift from previously considering stricter age-related measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)