i'm terry martin. it's summertime, and many holidaymakers are flocking to spain's canary islands in the atlantic. most head for the biggest of the islands, tenerife, which not only boasts great beaches, it also has a marine park where you can watch orca whales perform acrobatic stunts. the orcas are hugely popular. but animal rights activists say keeping them in captivity is cruel. we'll meet a woman whose son was killed by one of the park's whales, and she's fighting to have the animals released. more on that in just a few minutes. but first, we're off to scotland where many are worried about the impact that brexit could have on their future. scotland, of course, is still

very much part of the u.k. which has decided to leave the european union. but it's still not clear what exactly brexit will mean in practical terms. negotiations between london and brussels are proving difficult, with one of the main sticking points being the right of e.u. citizens to live and work in the u.k. after brexit. some businesses in scotland say some businesses in scotland say it will be very hard to survive if they can no longer rely on hiring workers from the continent. and european nationals who have lived in the u.k. for years are afraid they might be forced to leave. while most expect these issues will eventually be resolved, lingering doubts are making a lot of people nervous. >> there is never able moment at length and in-house -- glenfinnan house. manja and duncan gibson have run the hotel for 15 years now. they take care of the guests and the kitchen. under their management, the hotel has won a host of accolades.

glenfinnan house lies on picturesque loch shiel. it's a country mansion, built in the 18th century. here in scotland's west highlands, tourism is a seasonal trade, though the summer months are always busy. but local businesses have also had a bit of good luck. manja gibson: with films like harry potter, it's just been phenomenal, especially in the lochaber area, because they filmed a lot of the harry potter movies in the area. we've had the film teams staying here many times as well. reporter: that's because, just a stone's throw away from the hotel, harry potter's train crosses the world famous glenfinnan viaduct every day. before harry potter's time, glenfinnan and the surrounding area was just a remote region on scotland's west coast. now, it's a tourist magnet. but brexit could change all that, because workers from other

e.u. countries may no longer be welcome here. manja gibson: i think the risk is that we don't have enough workers in the area to cover the summer months in all the restaurants and hotels. because we really struggle. we've tried to work with the local job center to find workers locally, and we just found it impossible. reporter: if britain forces e.u. nationals to leave, manja would be personally affected, too. although she's lived in the u.k. for nearly 20 years, she's german. manja gibson: the children were kind of worried when they heard about brexit, especially the youngest one. she was like, oh no, mommy, you have to leave now. and i said, i don't think it's going like this. but, you know, it's a big talking point, you know in the , family, and within the school, and in the whole family life. reporter: the west coast of scotland looks like something out a storybook, with its rolling hills, flowering gorse

and tranquil bays. in the high season, the train steams by glenfinnan twice a day. it winds its way through the highlands, then runs along the coast. the tiny fishing village of mallaig is the end of the line. some 15,000 tourists flock here each month. for residents of this remote region, it's a bit of magic worthy of harry potter himself. duncan gibson is in the kitchen, whipping up some fine scottish cuisine. the award-winning chef makes a trip to glenfinnan house a culinary treat, too. the restaurant is popular. its waitstaff come from bulgaria, hungary, and lithuania. konstantin is another of the 10 non-british, e.u. nationals working at glenfinnan house. last year he was a bartender. now he's worked his way up to deputy hotel manager.

he thinks britain needs workers like him. konstantin kotsev: if that happens with all the e.u. workers here at the same time, i think there's gonna be a rebellion or something. 'cause i don't think that the british economy can exist without the e.u. workers here. they don't have the people to sustain the economy. reporter: manja says without workers from the continent, they might as well close down. what about her personally? manja gibson: well, i could apply for british citizenship as well. i kind of hope i don't have to. i kind of hope everything will still be in place, and that things and laws are put in place for european citizens living here on a permanent basis and have been living here for a long time as well. reporter: outside, glenfinnan receives a visit from a stranger who needn't worry about being asked to leave. manja gibson and her staff hope

things will turn out all right for them in the end. but since britain voted to exit the e.u., they face an uncertain future. terry: expectant mothers with a medical condition have to be very careful about what drugs they take. if they take the wrong medication, it could permanently harm their babies. it's critically important, therefore, that drug companies and health authorities issue clear warnings about possible risks. unfortunately, those warnings sometimes come too late. the french government recently revealed that over 4000 babies were born with severe birth defects because mothers were given an approved epilepsy drug.

the affected families are demanding action. the twins' parents are convinced that their children's disabilities were caused by depakine. this drug used to treat epilepsy was prescribed to emmanuelle latreille during pregnancy. emmanuelle latreille: [speaking french] i'm extremely angry, especially at the manufacturer and the french state. they'd known of the dangers for a long while but didn't pass this information on to doctors and patients. we were treated like children and not given the opportunity to make our own decisions. reporter: she's just one of several thousand parents in france who are affected. marine martin was the first to make the scandal public there. she also has two disabled children. marine is the founder of a

parents' association which has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, pharmaceutical giant sanofi, and the french government. it accuses them of hushing up the health risks to unborn babies. marine believes that the reasons are purely financial. marine martin: [speaking french] lots of women take depakine. it takes some time for them to get used to taking the drug, but then they take it their whole life. if the drug's makers were honest and told women that this medication is toxic for unborn babies, they'd probably lose a big part of their market share. reporter: sanofi has defended itself by saying that for some women there is no alternative to depakine. its active ingredient, valproic acid, is an anticonvulsant used to prevent severe epileptic seizures, which can be very dangerous during pregnancy. and it says the drug's side-effects are well-known.

amel benkritly: [speaking french] sanofi has regularly warned of the risks of taking the drug. it's our duty to pass on the latest scientific information that we are aware of to the health authorities, and we have complied completely and fully. we have exercised due diligence. reporter: but those affected vehemently deny that. they say no one informed them of the full extent of the risks involved. at the time, the pharmaceutical company simply spoke of a slightly elevated risk of physical disabilities but not of severe, mental disorders. studies show that children whose mothers ingested valproic acid suffer from similar symptoms. franck latreille: [speaking french] the depakine children all have similar facial features. looking at them you can clearly see their mothers took the drug. though some were harmed more than others. reporter: franck and emmanuelle are doing everything to ensure their children can attend a

regular school, in spite of their disabilities. we ask erwan if he likes school and has friends, but he doesn't respond. depakine is the only drug that's been able to keep emmanuelle's epilepsy in check. but as much as she loves her children, emanuelle says that had she known the risks she would never have tried to get pregnant. the twins were conceived through in-vitro fertilization. mutter latreille: [speaking franck latreille: [speakingould. french] we'd have chosen to adopt straight off even though the process takes years. but it would've have been better to wait. reporter: now the dangers are not only listed on the drug's information leaflet, but on the package itself. it's a small but important victory for the affected parents, even if sanofi continues to sell the drug in other countries without this

warning label. but what the parents want most is for those responsible to be held accountable in court. franck latreille: [speaking french] whether it takes 10 years, 20, or to the end of our lives, we won't give up. reporter: they're fighting for justice for themselves and their children. terry: now, there are countless forms of entertainment in this world. but not all of them are considered ethically acceptable. for example, keeping large animals in captivity and training them to perform for our amusement has become highly contoversial. while some defend the practice, saying it promotes animal conservation, other say it's cruel and dangerous. a marine park on the spanish island of tenerife is coming under pressure to end its popular orca whale performances. the mother of a young man who was killed by one of the park's whales is playing a key role in

the campaign. reporter: this is keto. the orca is the star of the show at this marine park on tenerife in the canary islands. the killer whale appears to follow his trainer's every command. together with five other orcas, the two-ton mammal thrills visitors to the loro parque every day. ♪ reporter: this is a photo of keto with his former trainer alexis hernandez. his mother says alexis always had a special connection to animals, and that he was considered the most experienced orca trainer at the loro parque. until december of 2009, when something happened that his mother still finds hard to grasp. keto attacked and killed alexis, his trainer.

but that only became public knowledge much later. mercedes hernandez: [speaking spanish] in its line of business, the park had no interest in saying what really happened, namely, a brutal orca attack because that would have had a negative impact on visitor numbers. so they played it down, claiming that it was the fault of the trainer, not the orca. reporter: yet the autopsy report clearly states that alexis hernandez's body displayed shark bites and internal injuries. but to this day, the marine park's owner won't call it an orca attack. wolfgang kiessling: [speaking german] how do i

explain it? it was an accident. accidents happen, i can't say more than that. but the animal is still with us today. the animal is loving, sociable, and friendly. how should i know how it happened? ♪ reporter: these words are like a slap in the face for mercedes hernandez. the police investigation into those responsible went nowhere. meanwhile hernandez has read a lot about orcas in the wild. she's learned how they travel in pods and often work together, about their high intelligence, and their ability to swim over 100 kilometers a day. now she's fighting to free the very animals which killed her son. mercedes hernandez: [speaking spanish] the traumatic experience with alexis at loro parque has been a lesson for me and my family. it's created an awareness.

now we understand that it's wrong to allow animals to be cooped up like this for shows whose sole purpose is entertainment. it's not right. reporter: but at loro parque, the show goes on. the marine park and zoo welcomed a record number of visitors in 2016, over a million. its director claims the park plays a role in protecting the environment. he says the orcas act as ambassadors for wildlife conservation. wolfgang rades: [speaking german] we're so alienated from nature. our children grow up in cities and often know little of the world around them. we're surrounded by technical gadgets, but forget we're also surrounded by great creatures worth protecting. they're threatened by overfishing and plastic waste in the seas, and we want to create an awareness of that.

reporter: but mercedes hernandez believes this is just a pretext. she says there's no lack of opportunities to experience nature on the canary islands. mercedes hernandez: [speaking spanish] around the canaries, in the sea right around us, there are around 30 different varieties of whales. so especially here, in this environment, it's a huge contradiction to hold them captive. that only leads to suffering and i think it's immoral to keep animals caged up. reporter: mercedes hernandez finds peace and solace at this little bay. here she feels especially close to her son. she's convinced alexis would understand her campaign to free the killer whales. she believes, deep inside, he'd have known that orcas belong in

the open sea. terry: ukraine is a bitterly divided country, with some determined to strengthen ties with russia, others are eager to embrace the e.u. though fighting between armed factions is concentrated in the eastern border region, tensions elsewhere in ukraine are still simmering, fueled by memories of past violence. three years ago, dozens of pro-russian activists were killed in the port city of odessa. the police investigation has gone nowhere, adding to the anger and resentment. reporter: center of odessa is -- the trade union building in the center of odessa is deserted. three years ago, 48 people died here, burned, suffocated, killed falling, or shot to death. vadim papura was only 17 years old when he died.

his mother fatima visits her son's grave almost every sunday. "we are proud of you" is emblazoned on his tombstone. fatima hasn't been downtown since her only child died by violence. fatima papura: [speaking ukrainian] you have to understand, for me, the union building is a place charged with so much suffering, so much death, so much pain. reporter: on the evening of may 2, 2014, molotov cocktails flew into the trade union building. pro-russian demonstrators had sought refuge inside. adherents of the pro-western maidan movement had chased them here. vadim papura was on the pro-russian side. his mother still has a helmet, deformed by the incredible heat of the fire in the union building.

fatima papura: [speaking ukrainian] here, the hammer and sickle and red legion. i know it's his helmet. he had written that on it. there were lots of helmets like this there. reporter: vadim had joined the "communist youth" and opposed the government in kiev and its pro-western course. tetjana sojkina was on the pro-western side. even today has little pity for the pro-russian people who died in the union building. tetjana sojkina: [speaking ukrainian] a lot of aggression had built up. i didn't feel sorry about anything. i understand that they were human beings, and maybe they weren't personally to blame. but they wanted to destabilize the situation in odessa. they wanted russia here. they wanted war. they were our enemies. reporter: ukraine was on the verge of civil war. the violence in odessa acted as

a signal to the separatists in the donbass region. the european council and the united nations complain that the ukrainian authorities have delayed the investigation. the ukrainian police deny the accusation. ruslan forostjak: [speaking ukrainian] how should the justice system function in a country at war and where there is no rule of law? first we have to establish the rule of law, before we can conduct investigations. when the events in odessa happened, there was simply no rule of law here. reporter: victory park was one of vadim papura's favorite spots. fatima comes here often now. she does want the case cleared up. fatima papura: [speaking ukrainian] my interest is in the quality of the investigation. if something like this is done in a rush, then innocent people will be blamed. they'll find scapegoats. the point isn't speed. although three years is a very long time. reporter: every year around the anniversary of the violence,

odessa gets tense again. this year the police have the situation in hand. whether pro-western or pro-russian, everyone has the same questions. were there orders from above? were there intentional provocations? or did the violence escalate spontaneously? was it unstoppable? some of the answers might be found one day in the traces of the tragedy in the union building. terry: germany is not a country generally associated with the game of cricket. but thanks to a surge in asylum seekers from cricket-playing nations, the pool of cricket talent is growing. there's little danger of the game supplanting soccer as the sport of choice here, but for some asylum seekers cricket is providing a healthy and valuable diversion. reporter: the bowler throws the ball, the batter hits it and sprints off.

but caution is advised, cricket balls can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour. usually, cricket is played on grass pitches. but irshad ahmad, who captains the msv bautzen cricket team, is glad to have a small gym to play in at least. irshad ahmad: you can see a lot of people here from pakistan, from afghanistan, from india. and they are here together to play this game. if they don't have cricket, then it means they have nothing to do. reporter: ahmad and his team mates are proud of their cricket trophy. many of them fled to germany just recently. now, they're waiting to be granted asylum. they rarely leave their hostel. things can get dangerous outside. ahmad and his fellow asylum-seekers live in bautzen, in the state of saxony. the town has a picturesque 1000-year-old center but also a menacing neo-nazi scene. in february, unknown arsonists

set fire to a building that was to house asylum-seekers. and for two nights in a row in september, a right-wing extremist mob gathered in the town center, chanting racist slurs. ahmad and his friends have experienced direct threats. irshad ahmad: we met with almost 40 or 45 boys with black clothes and with many things in their hands like beerbottles, bats, and daggers. they said, go away from here and don't come in the night, because the next time we will not forgive you, and then we escaped. reporter: afterwards, ahmad though long and hard about whether he wanted to keep living in bautzen. ultimately, he decided that he would at least for the meantime. irshad ahmad: if i will escape because of such things again and again, then it will be really difficult for me to survive

myself in this world. reporter: ahmad just will not give up, like in cricket. today, his team will play a czech squad, a tough side to beat. it's a complicated game, there are many ways of scoring points in cricket. bowling the ball and having the batsman of the other team tried to hit it as far as possible. cricket is a niche sport in germany. last year, some 40,000 asylum-seekers from sri lanka, afghanistan, and pakistan migrated to germany, among them, many cricket enthusiasts. and with their love of the game, they've started a real cricket boom, to the envy of the czech coach. scott page: where angela merkel has let everybody in, which is maybe controversial, zeman is keeping everybody out, and it's very hard. so we have no refugees. they come through the country, they keep coming through to germany. reporter: ahmad wants to

integrate into german society. today, msv bautzen beat the czech team. every victory makes bautzen feel a little more like home to these refugees. despite the problems. irshad ahmad: they can have something to make their life's -- make their lifes better. and they can a little bit forget about their problems which they have faced in their journey and that's it. reporter: ahmad hopes cricket will help bring some normality to their lives as refugees. and maybe even help them tackle the racism they are confronted we hope you enjoyed the program. from me and all of us here at dw, thanks for watching. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]