There, hundreds of women were subjected to mob Sexual Assaults. Such scenes were impossible to imagine here in germany. But that is exactly what happened to many women across the country on new years eve. Hundreds of women were attacked just in cologne. Recently arrived migrants are alleged to have carried out most of the assaults. During the end of 2015, germany enthusiastically welcomed more than a million migrants seeking refuge from unrest across the middle east and africa. Now that mood is changing. The country is asking itself, has it ignored violence against women, either by immigrants or natives, for too long. Reporter jamin oh hasnt hasnt felt safe in cologne since new years eve. Crowds in front of the main train station put her on edge. She wanted to meet up with some friends to ring in the new year. But suddenly, she was encircled by a group of men. They began to grope me. It started off tame enough, touching my behind. Then it got worse. I got really mad. I felt hopeless, i was in shock. It felt so foreign. I know this sounds very weird, but it didnt feel like germany. Reporter that night scores of women were assaulted, robbed, some even raped. Undreds of incidents were reported to the police, prompting protests in solidarity with the victims. Once again the issue of migration was pushed to the forefront. The attackers have been described as of arab or north african descent, but some protesters highlighted the danger of tarring all Asylum Seekers with the same brush. There are so many people who come here from a different culture and manage to integrate well. But we do need a tougher response to people who refuse to accept our culture. Ive been in germany for 10 years and i enjoy the sense of freedom here. I condemn what happened to women on new years eve. That doesnt belong here. Reporter Police Believe organized gangs were behind the robberies and Sexual Assaults. These people arent refugees in the real sense of the word. They havent fled war or anything. They are men who have come here to support their families in north africa. If it were the case that they were working to do that legally or not it would be one thing. But becoming part of organized crime here is another. And unfortunately, the problem is that its the latter. Reporter the police were unprepared for the horrors that unfolded that night. Islamic scholars say what happened amounts to far more than a clash of cultures. In the arab islamic world, sexuality is highly restricted. Sex before marriage is not accepted and many young people can only marry when theyve found a job its the men who are supposed to support the family. You can imagine that men are highly sexually charged and this frustration is reflected in the Sexual Assaults. They happen every day in the arabislamic world. Reporter opponents to germanys opendoor migration policy used the attacks in cologne as a platform to spread their own messages. Far right groups and hooligans chanted antiforeign slogans. Jamin oh wants to see her attacks face justice. But shes also worried that innocent refugees whove fled war might face discrimination. It was so clear that they came from a completely different culture. I think they need to learn what is okay in germany and europe and what isnt what you can do and what you cant. These things didnt seem to be clear at all. Reporter Police Officers were overstretched and its unlikely that all of the attackers will be caught. Colognes police chief already had to go. But germanys Sexual Assault laws have also come under criticism. Many believe that attackers come off too lightly. Jamin oh used to feel safe Walking Around cologne. Now she no longer does. Michelle for all of this talk, what will make women safer in our cities . Will a change in policy affect a change in attitude . Let us know what you think about that or any of todays stories by getting in touch on facebook, email or twitter. An entire generation has passed since the berlin wall here in germany and indeed the iron curtain in the whole of europe came down. Many in the former communist countries of central and Eastern Europe now take for granted life in a Free Democratic society. Among the older generation there are worries that the young may never truly understand some of the horrors they faced living under communism. In our next report, our correspondent speaks to two men who were forced to work under horrific conditions in a uranium mine in former czechoslovakia. Their crime . Daring to speak out against the government. They were released more than 60 years ago, but the memories are still fresh and painful for these two survivors, who want to make sure that their experiences are never forgotten. Reporter zdenek mandrholec and jaroslav cibulka return to the mine, drilled 300 meters into the mountain. Everything is still exactly as it was shortly after world war two, when they worked here as forced laborers mining uranium for the soviet nuclear industry. The two men remember the hard work under inhuman conditions. I worked directly in a vein of uranium ore with a simple hammer drill. I had to quarry the ore in a very narrow shaft and then load it into metal barrels. The chunks weighed up to 90 kilograms. I was bathed in radiation all day long. Reporter radioactivity and backbreaking labor underground. A small piece of bread was breakfast, a thin gruel lunch and dinner. That was all. Accidents were frequent. One time a prisoner fell into a shaft and was buried in rubble. We spent a whole day trying to dig him out. When we reached him, he was already dead. Reporter zdenek mandrholec and jaroslav cibulka survived the czech gulag. They were Political Prisoners, sentenced to hard labor for treason because they had worked against the communist government. As a young soldier, i founded an anticommunist cell. There were 17 of us. We spied on an arms depot. And then i was arrested. Reporter jachymov is in the forests of the erz mountains, near the border to what was then east germany. After world war two, it was the soviets primary source of uranium. The suffering of the forced laborers is documented in the citys museum. Tens of thousands of Political Prisoners were crammed into barracks under wretched conditions. Thousands died. Guards with machine guns were posted in guard towers all around the camps periphery. There were two fences. Between them was the death strip. It was brightly illuminated at night. There was no escape. Reporter zdenek mandrholec worked in the uranium mine for six and a half years. Jaroslav cibulka spent about nine years mining. Neither had adequate nourishment or protective clothing against the radiation. It saddens me to think about that time. They robbed me of the best years of my life. But im glad that i survived it all, have lived so long, and can speak openly about what happened. Reporter zdenek mandrholec and jaroslav cibulka dont want their forced labor and suffering under the communist system to be forgotten. They think its very important for the Younger Generation to learn what went on under the dictatorship. Michelle after turkey shot down a russian figher jet in november, president Vladimir Putin promised what he called serious consequences. The once close relationship between the two countries is now in tatters. Companies are discouraged from hiring turkish employees, economic sanctions were imposed on goods and even russian football clubs were banned from signing turkish players. Yet, its ordinary turks living in russia who are bearing the brunt of the fallout between these regional players. Reporter voronezh, five hours by car from the russian capital moscow. Its traditionally a student city. Young people come here from all over the world. 2000 came in 2015 alone. But student life in this shared apartment on the outskirts of the city will be coming to an end. Two of the turkish flatmates might have to leave russia in a few days. On one of their last evenings together, ugur and his friends look back on their three years in russia and talk about how everything changed a few weeks ago when they were declared enemies of the state. One of my friends was kicked out of his apartment, just because he was turkish. Others had to leave the university. Another friend was detained by police. They threatened him and took his money. Now, were living in fear. Fear that we will have to leave the country. For whatever reason. The authorities will find a reason. Reporter all of a sudden, they feel powerless, the students say. They add there have been attempts to intimidate them. They called us and said they should be able to know where we are. Every hour. They said they should know how to find us. Every half hour even. I dont know what to say. Its unpleasant. Reporter since turkey shot down a russian fighter jet over syria the relationship between the two governments has soured and turkish citizens in russia have come under pressure. In the past, however, turkey and russia were good friends, with close business interests. For example, turkeys influence in russia is visible in the capitals new district moscow city which many are proud of. A turkish firm called Renaissance Construction built the evolution tower. This mosque was apparently the last highlight of the russianturkish friendship. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his russian counterpart Vladimir Putin celebrated the opening of europes biggest mosque last september. Four months later, its harder to speak turkish on the streets, including in voronezh. People have been looking at us very differently since the shooting down of the russian plane. They used to say they loved turkey. Tell us theyd been to antalya. Ask about the weather there. Now we dont even dare say were turkish. We get looked at strangely if we speak turkish. Its not a nice feeling. Reporter the rector of the university where ugur studies refused to talk to us. He sent us this letter instead, where he admits exmatriculating nine out of 10 turkish students. Nothing to do with politics, he says, but with poor grades. The students say this is just an excuse to leave them no other choice but to leave. I dont want to leave russia. But all my friends here have already left. Its not that im really scared but i feel uncomfortable. Reporter unwanted, enemies of the state once russias best friends, turks in russia are now in a very uncertain situation. Michelle for many people, a new year brings lists of resolutions and big plans. Some of us hope to change their job, move house orororven have a baby. But the latter isnt always a happy outcome for some families. In britain, campaigners say that a scandal around a popular pregnancy drug was kept quiet for decades. In the 1960s and 1970s many of the mothers who took primodos had children with birth defects. The drug was produced by German Company schering, which was subsequently taken over by bayer. Legal action against the firm was halted in 1982 because of a lack of evidence. Now, a group of families finally have managed to take their fight all the way to the British Parliament. Reporter this mother and daughter hardly leave each others side. Their walk by the sea in liverpool is a daily ritual. Pam mawdsley has devoted her life to looking after her daughter louise. Louise was born with deformities 42 years ago. Her development has been very restricted. Louise has needed 24hour care ever since her birth. Its a fulltime job for pam. She recalls the difficult days after the birth. All her bones stopped growing and stopped her brain from growing so shes got a very small head. Her brain stopped growing so it couldnt develop anymore and when she had an operation on her brain when she was about 10 months, nine months old, they found there were great cavities with nothing in. Reporter pam is certain that the cause lies in a pregnancy test that she took. I went to my doctor to see if i was pregnant and he gave me two tablets. One to be taken one day and one the next. And if i didnt have my period i was pregnant. And i didnt have my period so i was pregnant. I just took what he gave me, he didnt give me a prescription, he got them from a drawer in his desk. Reporter this was at a time when the drug had already long been suspected of damaging the embryo. Duogynon which is called primodos in britain was made by the German Pharmaceuticals firm schering, which now belongs to bayer. Authorities had warned about the drug two years before louises birth but it was only taken off the market in the 1980s. Louise could have grown up like her relative woody. If her mother had not taken the pills. Pam is often plagued by feelings of guilt. And she is determined to find out what really is responsible for louises disabilities. The 70yearold has joined an association which looks into birth defects caused by medication. Theyve brought the primodos case to parliament. We have the second enquiry meeting on friday the 4th december. Reporter there are thousands of cases. Not all the children suffered such severe deformities as louise. Some have smaller birth defects. Heart problems are a frequent issue. My hope is that the enquiry will be able to uncover and assess all the information that weve sent. We have sent over 40 studies to be assessed by the panel. Reporter the British Parliament has opened a new inquiry. The hope is that the Pharmaceuticals Company will put all the facts on the table. Schering actually did discontinue the product and stopped using it for the pregnancy test. Which again surely must suggest that there is something wrong with this drug, otherwise why are we taking it off the market. Reporter most of the families affected simply want to know finally where the guilt lies, whats responsible for the birth defects. But some want more. An apology is not good enough. I want to know for the rest of my life i will be ok financially, if i have to give up work, i know that i should be able to still have a good quality of life, you know i am lucky, i keep saying im lucky, theres people in wheelchairs but i dont know what the longterm effects are going to be. Reporter so far, the Pharma Company has been able to resist complaints from all over the world. According to german law, the plaintiffs would have to prove to schering that the drug caused the defects. This is almost impossible. Pam mawdsley hopes that politics will prevail over the Justice System and that something wil finally happen after more than 40 years. It will just give me peace of mind. All this time, 42 years, i just want to know what caused lous problems. I just need to know because i used to think when she was first born is it my fault, what have i done, did i do something wrong in the pregnancy . Reporter from the point of view of the pharmaceuticals giant, nothing is proven. Pam and louise are prepared to fight but they know they wont be able to win this battle without help. Michelle one of the biggest problems facing countries in transition is the so called brain drain. Once their young people complete their university studies, instead of investing their efforts into their homeland, they decide to go abroad. But on europes balkan peninsula, there is a growing group of young albanians who are going against the trend and sewing the seeds of a Better Future at home. Reporter a baby crib for the boss. In a few weeks, pezana rexha will be having her first child. But she still comes to the workshop. She cant imagine not working. The architect has been designing furniture for the last two years. I was facing a lot of problems when i was doing interiors for my clients. Because i couldnt find unique furniture. Everything was made in china and looked almost the same so i said lets begin to produce furniture. Reporter pezana rexhas Company Makes furniture from used wood. She now has 13 employees. She makes a point of hiring people who have a hard time finding work in albanias labor market because they are handicapped or suffer discrimination as roma. Some are retired people who cant make ends meet on their small pensions. To make the Work Together it was quite difficult and even to talk with the clients, it was difficult to explain to them what a social enterprise is. They usually didnt believe me. And some of them didnt see it as a value and didnt believe that a marginalized group could do decent work. Reporter it was quite a challenge. Many people want to leave albania, many already have left. As a child, pezana and her family lived in germany and greece for a long time. Thats not an option for her now. But running a business isnt simple in albania, where corruption is rampant and resignation common. A socially oriented entrepreneur like pezana is the exception. I am used to difficulties. So if there is no difficulty, dont enjoy things. That is why i am staying around. Because there are a lot of difficulties here in tirana. And i would like to face them, every single day. Reporter a few kilometers outside the capital tirana, in the countryside. Flori and arber uka studied aboad, but they returned even though they had job offers elsewhere. Now the two brothers have a little farm, with organic vegetables, vineyards, and their own restaurant. These are very hard times for albania, we have to be honest about it. But it is in this period that you Start Building something, then eventually when things start to get better thats when you start collecting the fruits. I see myself here. I feel like no one abroad and i feel like someone here. Reporter the two brothers are still paying off their loans and have to deal with bureaucracy and taxes. But the ukas are proud, especially of their wine even if albanian wine is still not popular at home. This was not an investment like generally in albania, like lets make money in 1 week, 1 year, etc. I had to be patient to wait for the results. Now i am watching the results. The wine is going good, they like it. I am selling it but this is the result of hard work. Hard work here, too this pub in the center of tirana was one of pezana rexhas first projects. Shops, bars, and cafes are a large part of her clients. And pezana wants more. I would like to have a huge factory. 1000 employees, its a big dream. To have several shops in albania, in the region, and even in europe to show that sometimes you can come from small countries like albania but you can make it happen. Reporter big hopes in tirana. And young entrepreneurs who show that albania, has opportunities. Michelle well, thats it for today. Thank you for watching. Get in touch anytime with your thoughts and comments. We are always interested in hearing from you. In the meantime its goodbye from me and the whole team. See you next time. Steves a selection of ferries make the 50mile crossing between helsinki and tallinn nearly hourly. Because of the ease of this delightful twohour cruise and the variety a quick trip over to estonia adds to your nordic travels, pairing helsinki and tallinn is a natural. Stepping off the boat in tallinn, the capital of estonia, you feel youve traveled a long way culturally from finland. Its a mix of east and west. Tallinns nordic lutheran culture and language connect it with stockholm and helsinki, but two centuries of czarist russian rule and nearly 50 years as part of the soviet union have blended in a distinctly russian flavor. Fins and estonians share a similar history. First, swedish domination, then russian. Then independence after world war i. Until 1940, the estonians were about as affluent as the fins, but then estonia was gobbled up by an expanding soviet empire and spent the decades after world war ii under communism. When the ussr fell, estonia regained its freedom, and in 2004, it joined the european union. Tallinn has modernized at an astounding rate since the fall of the soviet union. Its Business District shines with the same glass and steel gleam youll find in any modern city. Yet nearby are the rugged and fully intact medieval walls, and the town within these ramparts has a beautifully preserved oldworld ambiance. Among medieval cities in the north of europe, none are as well preserved as tallinn. The town hall square was a marketplace through the centuries. Its fine Old Buildings are a reminder that tallinn was once an important medieval trading center. Today its a touristy scene, full of people just having fun. Through the season, each midday, cruiseship groups congest the center as they blitz the town in the care of local guides. Like many tourist zones, tallinns is a commercial gauntlet. Here theres a hokey torture museum, strolling russian dolls, medieval theme restaurants complete with touts, and enthusiastic hawkers of ye olde taste treats. Woman [ laughs ] steves but just a couple blocks away is, for me, the real attraction of tallinn workaday locals enjoying real freedom and better economic times. Stillramshackle courtyards host inviting cafes. Bistros serve organic cuisine in a chic patina of oldworldmeets new. And just outside the walls, it seems theres no tourism at all. Under towering ramparts, the former moat is now a park, perfect for a warm afternoon stroll. Glad to have you with us on this edition of newsline. It is tuesday, january 26th. Im Catherine Kobayashi in tokyo. A u. N. Envoy say the latest round of syrian peace talks will begin on friday, four days hichulbuthstl a mberf hurdles ing who will be in attendance. The talks were originally scheduled to start on monday but were delayed due to disagreements with the opposition over who should be on the invitation list. The antiassad groups have yet to form a unified delegation for the talks. Representatives from the Syrian Government would also take part in marathon talks that could lost months. On monday the u. N. s envoys
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