Diver Christine Grosart on 'Ghost Fishing'; Katya Adler discusses Annalena Baerbock; Teenage drinking research; Foetal medicine

Angela Merkel steps down as Chancellor or Prime minister of Germany in September. Nicknamed Mutti or mummy she has held the top job since 2005 so her departure is a huge shift at a challenging time in global and national politics. All eyes are focused on possible successors and one candidate in the frame is Annalena Baerbock. On Monday, the Green Party announced she would be its choice to take over from Angela Merkel. She is likely to be the only woman in the race for the job and she already being compared to young female leaders in New Zealand or Finland. Anita Rani talks to the BBC’s Europe Editor Katya Adler about the coming election and the chances of a second woman taking the top job. Research by a London academic suggests that teenagers who are heavy social media users are more likely to drink alcohol. Dr Linda Ng Fat from University College London analysed data on how long teenagers were chatting or interacting on social media sites including Facebook, MySpace and Bebo and what impact that had on drinking. The study found that 18% of participants aged 10-15 years drank at least monthly, with a greater risk of more frequent drinking for each additional hour of social media use. Anita talks to Dr Ning Fat who explains her findings Filmed at one of the UK’S leading foetal medicine units in the country, a new Channel 4 series, Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles, shines a light on the rarely seen and often complex work being carried out inside the womb to save the lives of unborn babies. Anita is joined by Basky Thilaganathan, Professor and Director of Foetal Medicine at St George’s Hospital London and Susie, who developed Twin to Twin transfusion syndrome while pregnant with triplets. The pandemic has allowed many people to appreciate and connect with nature in a way they didn't have time to before. But as an island nation, our knowledge of the struggles faced by the life in our seas is still very poor. Every year the fishing industry inadvertently loses nets and gear that end up trapping and killing marine wildlife. But thankfully there is a team of volunteer divers who are dedicated to finding and removing this 'ghost gear' from UK waters. In celebration of Earth Day, Anita speaks to Christine Grosart from Ghost Fishing UK about the under-appreciated wonders around our coastline, the perils of retrieving lost nets, and what non-diving folk can do to make a big difference to the health of our seas. Presented by Anita Rani

Producer: Louise Corley

Editor: Beverley Purcell