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You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Westminster Hall
16 Dec 2003 : Column 203WH—continued
16 Dec 2003 : Column 204WH
Mr. Simon Thomas (Ceredigion) (PC): I am pleased to initiate this timely debate, which provides the House with a perhaps overdue opportunity to examine Government policy on Uzbekistan.
I start with two quotations. The Minister will recognise the first, because he referred to it in a speech on 25 November:
"There is no such thing any more as a quarrel in a faraway country which is indifferent to our interests . . . States where human rights are gravely violated, because the rule of law has broken down or because only repression and violence can sustain a ruling clique in power, are the main source of risk to our and our allies' security . . . So promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law is right at the heart of working for our interests."
The second quote is from one of our ambassadors, who said:
"We believe there to be between 7,000 and 10,000 people in detention whom we would consider as political and/or religious prisoners. No government has the right to use the war against terrorism as an excuse for the persecution of those with a deep personal commitment to the Islamic religion, and who pursue their views by peaceful means."
The Minister was speaking in general terms, but the ambassador was referring to a real situation—that in Uzbekistan. I want to examine the assessment that the ambassador made of human rights in that country in a speech that I understand was sanctioned by the Foreign Office. That assessment should be taken more seriously by the House and the Government in their dealings with the Uzbek authorities. I also want to ensure that, having captured one tyrant this week in Iraq, we do not allow or encourage another to rise in Uzbekistan.
Although, of the former Soviet Republics, it is Georgia that has captured our attention in the past few weeks, it is perhaps Uzbekistan that should give us the greatest concern about human rights and democracy in the long run. It is an authoritarian state with limited civil rights, and neither the January 2003 referendum to extend the president's term of office, nor previous elections, were judged to be free or fair by international standards. The Parliament consists almost entirely of officials appointed by the president and members of parties that support him, and meets for just a few days a year. The Government influence the courts heavily in both civil and criminal cases.
The human rights record remains very poor, with both the police and the national security service—the former KGB—committing numerous serious human rights abuses, including causing the death of several citizens in custody, torture and beatings. The UN special rapporteur on torture visited the country in November 2002 and found poor prison conditions and arbitrary detentions by the police, often for bribes, particularly of Muslims suspected of "extremist"—that is, non-state sanctioned—sympathies. There was also planting of evidence on persons. Some 6,500 persons were in prison for political or religious reasons.
The Government in Uzbekistan restrict freedom of speech and press, and ban unauthorised public meetings and demonstrations, and the police forcibly disrupt peaceful protests. Internal passports are required for movement within the country and permission is
required to move from one city or district to another. The Government restrict freedom of religion. Members of domestic human rights groups are abused and targeted for arrest. Only one such domestic group has been recognised to date. In short, citizens cannot exercise their right to change their Government peacefully.
That damning criticism comes not from Human Rights Watch or the much-maligned Amnesty International, but from the 2002 country report on Uzbekistan by the US State Department bureau of democracy, human rights and labour. Those are comments to which we should pay a great deal of attention. Perhaps we should add to them another matter that, for understandable reasons, may not concern the US Government so much: the use of the death penalty in Uzbekistan. Its use is a state secret, but Human Rights Watch has identified at least 22 people who were sentenced to death last year. When that is taken with the report of the UN special rapporteur on torture, who found that torture was systematic and that
"many confessions obtained through torture and other illegal means were then used as evidence in trials,"
"in trials that are leading to the death penalty or to very severe punishment",
its use becomes even more abhorrent.
Independent human rights organisations such Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have scores of examples of the abuses faced by peaceful opponents of the Uzbek regime. Let me share just two examples with the House. Two women, Larisa Vdovina and human rights defender Elena Urlaeva, were forcibly confined in a psychiatric hospital to stop their human rights activities. They were detained on 27 August 2002 during a demonstration outside the Ministry of Justice building to protest against human rights abuses. They were transferred to Tashkent City psychiatric hospital the next day. Elena Urlaeva was released at the end of December 2002. The whole episode is horribly reminiscent of the way in which the old Soviet system abused the psychiatric hospital system.
I will continue with the evidence that, at least in Uzbekistan, Soviet-style suppression continues under another name. The second example is even more grisly. In August 2002, the body of Muzafar Avazov was brought from Jaslyk prison to his family for burial. He had been imprisoned for membership of a proscribed Islamic party. In May 2002, Human Rights Watch reported that prison authorities had beaten Muzafar Avazov and put him in a punishment cell for stating that nothing could stop him performing his prayers. Prisoners are often placed in such cells for praying or refusing to ask for forgiveness from the Uzbek president. A 35-year-old father of four, Avazov's body showed signs of burns on the legs, buttocks, lower back and arms. Some 60 to 70 per cent. of the body was burned. Doctors who saw the body reported that such burns could have been caused only by immersing Avazov in boiling water. They also reported that there was a large, bloody wound on the back of the head, heavy bruising on the forehead and side of the neck, and that his hands had no fingernails.
Uzbekistan has perhaps a worse human rights record than Zimbabwe—I know that that will interest you, Sir Nicholas—but it has received little attention in this House. Its importance is due not only to the perspicacity of the Minister when he reworded John Donne for a globalised world, but to the fact that both the US Government and the UK Government have regarded Uzbekistan as an ally in their war on terrorism. I understand that, to that end, the country has received more than $200 million of aid from the US Government, including some $70 million used directly to support its state security system, which, as I have made clear, is oppressive to say the least. Uzbekistan has also been given favourable treatment under the UK arms sales regime, which I will consider later.
Hon. Members may well be aware that certain countries, such as Zimbabwe, Burma, Argentina, Cyprus, India and Pakistan, feature on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office list of territories in respect of which arms restrictions of one sort or another apply. All told, some 40 countries are on the list, but unfortunately Uzbekistan is not one of them. Indeed, despite the prevalence of internal repression, Uzbekistan is one of those favoured few countries for which open individual export licences are granted. In 2002, five such licences were granted, mainly for dual-use equipment.
Uzbekistan is also supported by EU overseas aid. The EU-Uzbekistan Co-operation Council implements a partnership agreement. However, the EU and the UK seem to have missed an opportunity to wring from the Uzbek Government specific commitments on human rights, allied to that partnership agreement. Similarly, both the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have seen their meek criticisms of the Uzbek Administration treated with disdain, to the extent that, at the meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development this year in Uzbekistan, the president did not condemn the use of torture, as he was expected to do.
Baroness Symons, in the other place, has described the relationship between the UK and Uzbekistan as one of critical engagement:
"We must proceed with the Government's policy of critical engagement; it is through such dialogue that we hope to bring Uzbekistan to a better understanding of its obligations."—[Official Report, House of Lords, 11 November 2003; Vol. 654, c. 1214.]
To date there has been precious little dialogue and little understanding of obligations, certainly on the part of the Uzbek Government. Only two weeks ago, they cancelled an expected conference on the use of the death penalty.
I conclude with some specific questions for the Minister on our relationship with Uzbekistan and offer some suggestions as to how we might improve that relationship to the benefit of human rights. First, I understand there will be a further meeting of the EU-Uzbek Co-operation Council early next year. Will the Minister confirm the location and date of that meeting and state what specific obligations under human rights he expects the council and the partnership agreement to set out as a condition of further EU support for Uzbekistan?
Will the Minister take the opportunity to look at the words of Baroness Symons, who said that
"the fact is that Uzbekistan has not been a traditional market for UK defence exporters—primarily because of its human rights record"?—[Official Report, House of Lords, 11 November 2003; Vol. 654, c. 1213.]
Although I accept the validity of those words, I ask the Minister to consider the fact that they are an inadequate safeguard against unwelcome exports under the open licence system. In other countries—Israel comes to mind—we have seen exports with dual use used in a military manner and an offensive way against a civilian population. We should not allow exports from this country to be used in that manner in Uzbekistan. Will the Minister review the open licence system and confirm that the Government find the Uzbek record on human rights so poor as to demand an arms embargo?
Will the Minister pressure the Uzbek Government to ensure that the conference on the death penalty, which is scheduled to take place on 5 December, goes ahead, and that civil rights groups in Uzbekistan have the opportunity to take part without harassment? Will he urge the Uzbek authorities to make public their statistics on the use of the death penalty and to disclose the locations of prisoners' burials, which are often withheld from families, and to release their bodies to their families?
Will the Minister ensure that the UK takes a leading role in the EU, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in setting firm standards and a timetable for improvement on the record of human rights, to be met by the Uzbek Government as a condition of any further aid? I believe that the answers to those questions are, at least in part, key tests of the Minister's claim, made in his speech on 25 November, that
"human rights and the rule of law is right at the heart of working for our interests."
I have yet to mention the name of the Uzbek President, Islam Karimov. He has dominated the leadership of Uzbekistan since 1989, when he was the Communist party leader of what was then the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. The following year, he became Uzbek president and he continued in the post after independence. He has won every election on grounds that are dubious by any international standards. He won his first election with 88 per cent. of the vote. In 2003, his Parliament, filled with his supporters, passed a law granting him immunity from prosecution for his activities as president should he cease to hold the post. The Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, maintains a Soviet-style dictatorship over his country. In Uzbekistan, we see the continuation of the malignant human rights record that existed under the USSR.
I hope that the Minister will assure the Chamber that in the future we will not have cause to be ashamed of our support of and co-operation with the Uzbek president, and that all steps necessary will be taken to ensure that the human rights record of Uzbekistan—which some would argue has improved slightly over the past few months—continues to improve and that Uzbekistan meets the standards that we should demand of it as a country that receives aid from both the UK Government and the EU.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell) : As I have indicated both to you, Sir Nicholas, and to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas), I apologise for the fact that I shall conclude my remarks before the normal end time of the debate owing to the fact that I have, for want of a better parliamentary phrase, to leg it to the Chamber to answer the first question at Foreign Office questions.
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on having initiated the debate. The discussion is timely, given that there has been significant parliamentary and media interest in Uzbekistan, and I welcome the opportunity to put on the record the Government's position and policy.
Our relations with Uzbekistan are generally constructive—the characterisation of constructive engagement put forward by my noble Friend Baroness Symons in the other place is correct. However, despite that constructive relationship, we have serious concerns about human rights and the lack of economic and political reforms. Uzbekistan became an independent state only when the former Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, so the relationship is relatively young and is developing.
Uzbekistan is developing its relations with us through multilateral forums such as the European Union. In addition, it is a member of international financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which held its annual meeting in Uzbekistan in May 2003. There was some criticism of that move at the time, but the meeting, chaired by our then Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Clare Short), provided an opportunity for a free and frank discussion between the international community, the Uzbek authorities and Uzbek civil society about the importance of economic and political openness. Before the meeting, the EBRD agreed a country strategy for Uzbekistan; it set seven key benchmarks for progress on economic, political and human rights reforms. The clear implication of the strategy is, rightly, to warn the Uzbek authorities that insufficient progress against the benchmarks could lead to the EBRD adopting a reduced lending strategy. We support that stance. The benchmarks are due to be reviewed by the EBRD in early 2004 and we are strongly encouraging the Uzbek authorities to make substantive progress against them.
The hon. Gentleman referred to our relationship with Uzbekistan and the war against terror. We are grateful for Uzbek support, particularly in relation to Afghanistan. Uzbekistan was also strongly supportive of the coalition efforts in Iraq. The important role that Uzbekistan has played in the war against terror is reflected in high-level exchanges of defence visits—most recently, that by the Uzbek Defence Minister in October. That provided an important opportunity for us to encourage further reform in the Uzbek armed forces and Uzbek participation in international peacekeeping operations. A memorandum of understanding that was signed will enable our armed forces to assist the Uzbeks with those goals. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would support that initiative.
Uzbekistan is a key player in a region of increasing strategic importance to the UK, so defence co-operation is important. However, while bilateral defence co-operation is effective, it is important to note that the Uzbek armed forces are not implicated in human rights violations.
The hon. Gentleman mentioned defence exports. Uzbekistan has not traditionally been a market for UK defence exporters. I have seen a number of press articles—I think that he quoted from them—accusing the Government of breaking their own arms export guidelines and selling weapons to Uzbekistan. It is necessary to answer that accusation by stating clearly that the UK has not sanctioned arms sales to Uzbekistan. The equipment covered in the export licences that have been granted consists of replacement components for civil passenger aircraft, goods for the oil and gas industry—those were sent for rental purposes only to companies operating in Uzbekistan—and goods to be used by a named UK exporter in Uzbekistan.
Relations with Uzbekistan are also developing well in a number of other areas—for example, education and culture. In May, we signed a memorandum of understanding on education at the opening of the British-Uzbek university in Tashkent. The British Council is also active in Uzbekistan: it has helped more than 200 Uzbek scholars to study in the UK. Through the Chevening scholarship programme, which is a flagship initiative for the Foreign Office, the Government have funded more than 40 Uzbek students to study in the UK.
Importantly, we are developing a dialogue on trade and economic issues. Uzbekistan is an attractive potential market and has substantial resources, including gas, oil, gold and silver. The previous high-level British visit to Uzbekistan, focusing on trade and investment, was undertaken in September by the lord mayor of London. As well as promoting the City of London's financial and business services, the lord mayor raised with Uzbek Ministers some challenges that face British businesses in doing business in Uzbekistan. In terms of deepening business-to-business contacts, which is a driver of necessary reform, that was an important initiative to undertake.
There has been progress. In October, the Uzbeks signed an agreement with the IMF that commits Uzbekistan to full current account currency convertibility. We welcome that, although for the move to bring benefits to the Uzbek economy the authorities need urgently to complement it with other essential economic reforms. We raise that issue in all our bilateral relations. A well managed and open economy is important not only for Uzbekistan and the prosperity of its people; it is equally important for its neighbours. Regional trade and transport co-operation need development. High tariffs and import duties, along with the unpredictable border closures that I mentioned, mean that Uzbek consumers are forced to pay higher prices for goods than they would otherwise have to. Those policies also adversely affect the well-being of Uzbekistan's smaller neighbours—the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan—yet creating the conditions that allow trade to flourish would benefit not only those neighbours but Uzbekistan itself. There is genuinely a mutual interest in these issues.
There has been progress on some issues of regional co-operation, notably security. An example is the establishment of the Shanghai co-operation council. Regional security is important in countering the threat posed by Islamic extremists in central Asia—a threat that we would do well not to underestimate.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has called for the overthrow of President Karimov's Government. In 2000, that movement made armed raids into Uzbekistan. IMU fighters received training and support from the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Although the IMU suffered serious losses during Operation Enduring Freedom, it is still active in central Asia. We support efforts to curtail the activities of the IMU, which we proscribed in October 2002. It is a threat to Uzbekistan's internal security and, through its links to al-Qaeda, to British interests and those of the wider international community.
It is important to point out that our concern about Islamic extremism in Uzbekistan and central Asia more generally does not mean that we turn a blind eye to human rights abuses or regard perceived threats to security as justification for imprisoning young men simply on religious grounds—far from it. On that point, I concur with the hon. Gentleman.
We want a prosperous and stable Uzbekistan, based on the rule of law and an open and democratic society, but Uzbekistan's respect for human rights has been poor. On that, I agree with some of the hon. Gentleman's comments. We acknowledge and support the small steps forward that the Uzbek Government have taken—for example, inviting the UN special rapporteur on torture to visit Uzbekistan. We now need to see the Uzbek authorities fully implementing his recommendations. It is welcome that the Uzbek criminal code has been amended to define torture and that a draft national action plan on torture is being drawn up. We shall look closely at the detail of that plan, and we hope to have open and constructive dialogue with the Uzbek authorities to ensure that it is implemented. I am also pleased that the Uzbek Government have granted access to prisons to western ambassadors and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
As the hon. Gentleman mentioned, there have been many well-documented cases of human rights abuses in Uzbekistan. We have used every opportunity to press those with the Uzbek Government. Earlier this year, I went into detail about the concerns over human rights in Uzbekistan at the Foreign Affairs Committee when it discussed the Foreign Office's international human rights report. I made it clear that we had
"concerns about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Uzbekistan, particularly in relation to torture".
We shall continue to press those issues at every opportunity.
I now move to another issue to which the hon. Gentleman referred. Last week, staff at our embassy in Tashkent publicly expressed concern that a scheduled conference in Tashkent on the death penalty, which we were jointly sponsoring with Freedom House, was not allowed to go ahead because the non-governmental organisation that was organising it was unregistered. We will continue to push for the abolition of the death penalty and the registration of political parties and NGOs.
We are also monitoring the persecution of religious minorities in Uzbekistan. We understand that there are 7,000 religious and political prisoners—that is 7,000 too many. Of those prisoners, many are simply devout Muslims, whom we believe are often unfairly convicted of being extremists. We will continue to stress to the Uzbek Government the fact that falsely accusing citizens of extremist activity is likely to foster rather than discourage extremism.
It is worth taking this opportunity to put on the record the situation with our ambassador. There has been much comment and speculation in the press, and it has been suggested over the past few months that we do not support our ambassador to Tashkent, and that we have recalled him from that post because of pressure from our allies. Neither assertion is true. The ambassador is in the UK for private medical reasons. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further, other than to confirm that he remains our ambassador and to say that we endorse his comments about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan; I explicitly endorsed them at the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.
I will now briefly deal with some questions raised by the hon. Gentleman. As regards the EU-Uzbek Co-operation Council, I am not yet aware of the date and place of that meeting. That has not been settled. Certainly, continuing European Union engagement depends on Uzbekistan's progress on human rights.
The hon. Gentleman asked about the death penalty conference. I have made clear our stance on the death penalty, both generally and with regard to Uzbekistan. We will continue to pursue that issue. He also discussed pressing the Uzbek authorities to publish statistics on the death penalty and burials. I will consider putting some of those points to them.
The subject of defence sales was also raised. I made it clear that the UK has not sanctioned arms sales to Uzbekistan. There have been indications to the contrary in some of our national newspapers, but it is important to make that point clear.
Both the Government and the EU continue to lobby for the abolition of the death penalty. With our support, the EU recently criticised six executions that took place in Uzbekistan. The EU, the UK and our embassy will continue to lobby for a moratorium on the death penalty.
To sum up, it is clear that Uzbekistan faces many difficult challenges. There is much work to do, but we should bear it in mind that it is only 12 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. We are engaging constructively with Uzbekistan, and will continue to press our human rights concerns and give what support we can to the Uzbek authorities. There are difficult concerns and challenges, and it is critically important that we remain engaged on them.
Sitting Suspended.


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Growth Mindset Advantage
Board Advisory
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Building the Modern Boardroom
by Daniel Murphy | Dec 14, 2020 | Board Appointments | 0 comments
Does it surprise organisations that having a group of individuals who look the same, think the same, and, have a similar career profile, more often than not leads to a collective group that make the same mistakes?
There are so many questions we should be asking shareholders, owners, investors and professionals in my industry around the future of board composition and how institutions are applying a future proof framework.
Let's look at a few interlinked areas where if we think differently, we can make a difference.
Diversity of People
I have grown up inspired by British Athletes of differing era's Daley Thompson, Colin Jackson, Denise Lewis, Linford Christie, Jessica Ennis, Kelly Holmes and Mo Farah…all pioneers, icons and role models.
The commonality being that all are obviously British Nationals of Jamaican, Nigerian or Somalian Heritage.
Fast forward to 2020 and Research by UK Sport and Sport England found that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people accounted for just 5.2 per cent of board members across the 130 sports they fund.
These numbers are not reflective of the concentration of BAME Athletes that wish to inspire the future generation of Athletes. The broader the diversity of a group of individuals at Board/Non-Executive level, quite simply the easier it becomes to recognise and address challenges that may exist within our system for differing races, sexes and genders.
So do we need to also think differently, YES, which is a natural segue to
Diversity of Thought
Cognitive Diversity is slowly being recognised as a value tool and I am pleased to advise it is becoming more sought after in the workforce and in the Non-Executive community, after all it wasn't a taxi driver who created Uber and it wasn't a retailer that started Amazon.
To further support this statement Shasta Ventures ran an analysis of 32 companies that we would deem 'high flyers', including Uber, Twitter, Dropbox, Twitch, etc. They looked at the company's when they were raising their Series A funding. They found a few different traits. One that stands out:
Three-out-of-four of the companies in our survey were built and run by people who were doing it for the first time. They did not have a win under their belt or deep experience in their field, but were passionate about their product and had a unique perspective on how to serve their target customer. Having a fresh perspective is important in tackling a category as people with industry experience are often constrained by what is 'not possible' and why it 'won't work'.
How we process and prioritise information differs from one person to another, for example many people will use historical data as a reference point and base line to support any decision on how they overcome a new challenge, whereas, others may request new data, ideas and new research/evidence to support their decision on how to overcome a new challenge.
Neither is right or wrong and the right decision-making framework will ideally provide a balance of the 2.
Diversity matters and we now have data that supports a clear statistical correlation where companies in the top quartile for gender, racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to generate financial returns above the national industry median.
Diversity + Opportunity = Growth & Return
Author: Daniel Murphy – Director and Co-Founder at www.teamecap.com
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: How to replace multiple rows, duplicated in one column, with a single row of nulls in a Spark dataframe I have a Spark dataframe like this:
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| name | metric1 | metric2 | metric3 | metric4 |
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| a    |       1 |       2 |       3 |       4 |
| b    |       1 |       2 |       3 |       4 |
| c    |       3 |       1 |       5 |       4 |
| a    |       3 |       3 |       3 |       3 |
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

For any duplicate names that appear, I want to replace the multiple rows with a single row containing nulls, so desired output is:
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| name | metric1 | metric2 | metric3 | metric4 |
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| a    |    null |    null |    null |    null |
| b    |       1 |       2 |       3 |       4 |
| c    |       3 |       1 |       5 |       4 |
+------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

The following works:
import org.apache.spark.sql.functions._

val df = Seq(
  ("a", 1, 2, 3, 4), ("b", 1, 2, 3, 4), ("c", 3, 1, 5, 4), ("a", 3, 3, 3, 3)
).toDF("name", "metric1", "metric2", "metric3", "metric4")

val newDf = df
.groupBy(col("name"))
.agg(
  min(col("metric1")).as("metric1"),
  min(col("metric2")).as("metric2"),
  min(col("metric3")).as("metric3"),
  min(col("metric4")).as("metric4"),
  count(col("name")).as("NumRecords")
)
.withColumn("metric1", when(col("NumRecords") !== 1, lit(null)).otherwise(col("metric1")))
.withColumn("metric2", when(col("NumRecords") !== 1, lit(null)).otherwise(col("metric2")))
.withColumn("metric3", when(col("NumRecords") !== 1, lit(null)).otherwise(col("metric3")))
.withColumn("metric4", when(col("NumRecords") !== 1, lit(null)).otherwise(col("metric4")))
.drop("NumRecords")

but surely there has got to be a better way...

A:     scala> val df = Seq(("a", 1, 2, 3, 4), ("b", 1, 2, 3, 4), ("c", 3, 1, 5, 4), ("a", 3, 3, 3, 3)).toDF("name", "metric1", "metric2", "metric3", "metric4")
    scala> val newDf = df.groupBy(col("name")).agg(min(col("metric1")).as("metric1"),min(col("metric2")).as("metric2"),min(col("metric3")).as("metric3"),min(col("metric4")).as("metric4"),count(col("name")).as("NumRecords"))
    scala> val colArr2 = df.columns.diff(Array("name"))
    scala> val reqDF = colArr2.foldLeft(newDf){
     (df,colName)=>
     df.withColumn(colName,when(col("NumRecords") =!= "1",lit(null)).otherwise(col(colName)))
     }.drop("NumRecords")

    scala> reqDF.show
    +----+-------+-------+-------+-------+
    |name|metric1|metric2|metric3|metric4|
    +----+-------+-------+-------+-------+
    |   c|      3|      1|      5|      4|
    |   b|      1|      2|      3|      4|
    |   a|   null|   null|   null|   null|
    +----+-------+-------+-------+-------+

Please try like above.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Many makeup fanatics who have a dry skin care routine forget to clean their brushes. However, cleaning makeup brushes is very important. There are many ways that you can benefit from cleaning your makeup brushes.
Makeup brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria. They touch your makeup, your face, and your dresser. That is why your brushes can gather a lot of bacteria that do not belong on your face. The bacteria can increase the risk of acne. You can also develop an infection if the bacteria gets inside of an open sore or cut on your face.
Your dry skin care routine will be in vain if you do not clean your brushes. Your brushes actually act as a mild exfoliant. This helps remove dead skin cells. However, these dead skin cells will accumulate in your brush if you do not clean it. This can increase the risk of acne.
Brushes that are caked with product and skin cells can irritate your skin. This can also cause your skin to look dull.
Cleaning makeup brushes will not only protect your skin, but it will also allow you to get more out of your makeup routine. Your brushes will not work properly if they are clogged with dead skin cells, bacteria, and makeup. Cleaning the brushes will make it easier for you to apply the makeup properly.
You will be able to keep your brushes for a lot longer if you clean them on a regular basis. This will help you save money.


How does your own private butler sound?
As everyone's favourite newlyweds, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, gear up for their first state tour down under later this year, we've been daydreaming about travelling like royalty.
Imagine having a personal secretary on hand to buy your holiday outfits and pack your suitcase. Or an open-top carriage to whisk you through the crowds. And don't even get us started on the accommodation — five-star suites in the best hotels as standard? Yes please.
Not a Duchess? No problem. Traveling in luxury isn't just reserved for royalty. We've teamed up with Flight Centre to show you how to travel like a royal in real life — starting with a 14-night APT Magnificent Europe River Cruise. Fit for a Queen, you'll cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, enjoying luxurious sights and your very own private butler. Plus, when you book at Flight Centre, you'll get a free flight to Europe*.
The Queen's luggage arrives at JFK airport in New York.
When we say 'carry', we mean get your chauffeur to do the heavy lifting (obviously), but when the royals travel they do so in style — right down to their monogrammed luggage.
On a major royal tour, like Prince William and Kate Middleton's state visit to Canada in 2016 or the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's 2007 trip to the US, the bags are colour-coded by family member. The Queen's luggage is always tagged yellow (and unloaded from the plane first), Prince Charles and Prince William opt for red and Princess Anne goes for green.
Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace is just one of the regal sights you'll see on APT's Magnificient Europe River Cruise.
When your royal counterparts reside in some of Europe's most breathtaking buildings, you can expect the red carpet to be rolled out on your arrival.
The Queen is no stranger to playing host. Her first guest at Buckingham Palace was King Gustaf VI of Sweden, arriving for a four day stay a year after her Coronation in 1954. Now, she hosts a state banquet twice a year for a visiting dignitary. The preparation is awe-inspiring: the 19th century table must be polished by foot (yep, two men in socks climb on top), the silver-gilt serving set takes a team of eight three weeks to clean and the chairs are placed exactly 27 inches from the table.
As part of the Magnificient Europe River Cruise, you'll also be treated like a VIP. Enjoy signature invitations to exclusive events including a cocktail reception on arrival in Vienna, followed by a private concert at the stunning Schönbrunn Palace. Germany's enchanting Namedy Castle is on the itinerary, too. Dating back to the 14th century, it's home to a real-life royal: Princess Heide von Hohenzollern. You'll be treated to a private tour before taking your seat at the table for a very special banquet dinner.
The Queen and Meghan Markle arrive on the Royal Train.
No matter where in the world the Queen is, she always ensures there's enough time in her itinerary to break for afternoon tea. Staff reportedly pack English Breakfast tea, freshly-baked scones, Cornish clotted cream and her favourite Dundee cake in the royal luggage to keep HRH happy.
When she travels on the Royal Train, her aides also know to serve her four favourite daily tipples at set times. Her Majesty enjoys a gin and Dubonnet with a slice of lemon before lunch, followed by a glass of wine with her meal and a dry gin Martini to round things off. A glass of Champagne is her preferred drink before bed.
Prince William, Prince George, Duchess Kate and Princess Charlotte on the tarmac.
You'll never catch Kate stepping off a plane in sweatpants, or Meghan touching down at the airport in slippers. When the royals travel, they do so in style — right down to the outfit they fly in.
For Princes Harry and Wills, that's usually a Savile Row suit and for the Duchess', a bespoke designer dress (knee-length), heels and a bouncy blow dry. Prince George is the only one who's allowed to rock shorts!
There's no need to compromise on comfort once you're on board. All the royals have items they can't travel without. The Queen reportedly always packs a hot water bottle, while Meghan once revealed she needs "a thin cashmere blanket that feels like a hug". The perfect accessory for a long-haul flight.
Prince William helps Princess Charlotte board a plane bound for London on the last day of the Cambridge's royal tour of Poland and Germany.
Unless you're Queen Elizabeth II. HRH is the only member of the royal family who can travel without her passport (they're issued in her name across the Commonwealth), but Her Majesty still has to adhere to a strict set of airport rules.
Before she boards any plane the Queen must confirm her name, date and place of birth, age and address to immigration officials.
Brought to you by Flight Centre. Explore the APT cruise range to find your perfect holiday.
*Valid for an Economy Class airfare on an airline of APT's or Travelmarvel's choosing departing ADL/BNE/MEL/PER/SYD. Valid for new bookings only & available until sold out. Includes air taxes up to the value of $300 per person. Further conditions apply, please ask your consultant for more information.
British Royal FamilyThe Queen has a cushion that reads "It's good to be Queen"


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FilmoFilia
'Blindness' Premiere – Cannes Film Festival
First NON-STOP Action Thriller Trailer
First Teaser Trailer For FOXCATCHER
Julianne Moore Cast In THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PARTS 1 & 2
Two New FOXCATCHER Stills
The Cannes film festival opens tonight with 'Blindness', an apocalyptic nightmare adapted from the 1995 novel by Nobel laureate José Saramago and directed by Fernando Meirelles. The film is superbly photographed by Cesar Charlone.
In an unnamed city of the near future, a terrifying epidemic of "white blindness" – the sufferers seeing only milky white light – spreads like wildfire. The infection's ground zero is a Japanese businessman (Yusuke Iseya) who staggers sightlessly from his luxury automobile which is promptly stolen by an opportunist thief who also goes blind.
The man finds himself in the offices of an eye doctor (Mark Ruffalo) who is also treating a high-class prostitute (Alice Braga) in the business of servicing clients in a hotel, with the help of a discreet barman (Gael García Bernal). All go blind and from this nexus, the disease spreads.
The city of the blind opens its inhabitants' eyes to their former civilisation's brutality and indifference. What is fascinating to see is how the blind prisoners are admitted to the quarantine camp in the order in which they made fleeting contact in the preceding narrative: a pharmacy clerk, a cop, a hotel maid, all connected via the fleeting and heedless contact of the modern, uncaring city, and now joined in a chain of terrible significance.
As the shuffling inmates become used to their blindness, they experience a crisis, being and being perceived: they see no one and no one sees them. Do they exist? Did they exist before? Other inmates, however, see a new equality or democracy in blindness: young and old, ugly and beautiful, all are levelled.
And all the time Julianne Moore, exiled from the community of suffering, must endure a vision of horror from which everyone else is spared.
'Blindness' starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Gael Garcia Bernal, Yusuke Iseya, Yoshino Kimura and Alice Braga.
More photos at FF Cannes Film Festival gallery HERE
Related Topics:Alice Braga., blindness, Danny Glover, fernando meirelles, Gael Garcia Bernal, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo
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Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All right reserved. Photos & certain artwork used on FilmoFilia are copyright protected and are the property of their respective owners & other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.


Be The Straw: NTS: Easter Tuesday Collect - "...perfect freedom."
NTS: Easter Tuesday Collect - "...perfect freedom."
New Translations Spotlight is a quick look at some of the particularly beautiful prayers of the Roman Missal, Third Edition. As we come across them throughout the year, we'll post them.
On Good Friday, as Christ climbed the Cross we see what he did with his own freedom. Love. On Easter we celebrate the victory of that truly free act. In the shadow of the Cross, and filled with the joy and hope of Easter, what shall we do with our very own freedom?


Sartonk announced it two days ago, and now it's time. Friday's weigh-in for May 2 was the world premier glimpse of the "Man of Triumph." Commissioned by the WBA, on the occasion of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, this intricate bronze sculpture is SARTONK's latest offering to boxing.
Our express goal was to capture the spirit and magnitude of this fight. Truly a modern sculpture, "Man of Triumph" reveals a series of angles and planes which, together, illustrate the archetypal posture of triumph. Man of Triumph's front and back reveal rich anatomical detail, while his generic facial structure represents the universal character of international boxing. By use of super stylization, the 16″ sculpture is designed to transmit details and remain perfectly readable in the MGM Grand arena.
The sculpture's hexagonal base features the iconic WBA emblem on the front, along with two inscriptions at each side. To the left, details of the event, and to the right: "One man defines his era. Man of Triumph." More than victory over another fighter,tomorrow's winner will be defining his pound-for-pound place in this era of boxing.
We at SARTONK, and on behalf of the WBA, are deeply proud of this creation, and hope that the boxing public embraces it. Follow @SARTONK and let's launch #ManofTriumph.We wish all of the fighters health and safety.
Click here for a gallery of "Man of Triumph" as well as the gold and rhodium plated WBA Super Champion belts.


After all this isn't a simple interior design for small houses, this interior dwelling painters encompasses a charming upper-class beauty. The overall small house interiors is white it has stunning natural scenery. The thought of white-style home is definitely customized with need fanatics, this design has a implausible value. With this white colour design you'll feel comfortable and enjoy each element are presented.
The first confirmed white painting home interior that is a residence designed by the architect manuel aires mateus and positioned in excessive level in portugal, overlooking town of leiria. Minimalist and up to date, the house is divided into two distinct areas one for socializing and one for sleep.
The bed room is positioned under the ground, with access to a private terrace that leads into the back yard. So you possibly can benefit from the gorgeous views. Subsequent up is the villa p is an original mission developed by studio austria love architecture. The outside of this residence is truly spectacular from its authentic type as an entire to be completed and the colors chosen by the architect.
The overall white dwelling portray concepts inside which displayed on the villa is certainly very superb and might be one in all inspiration villa. A lovely design ie ysy again, this house was designed by ysy studio based mostly in nagoya auau and situated in seto japan, in an exquisite forest but its inhabitants on top of a small hill. All house interior paint colors show designs that you would be able to see by means of quite a lot of images that we share.
Tags : 2 bedroom house plans. 2 story house plans. 3d home design. 4 bedroom house plans. 5 bedroom house plans. 6 bedroom house plans. architectural designs. architectural house plans.


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People with covid should 'go about their normal lives' as they would do with the common cold
The professor of medicine, based at the University of East Anglia has said that people with covid should 'go about their normal lives' as if they have the common cold.
Nightclubs in Scotland are to close for at least three weeks in a bid to curb the spread of covid and the new variant omicron.
There has been record high cases this month and numbers are expected to peak even further according to Professor Leitch around "mid to late January, maybe even pushing into February."
But despite the restrictions that are currently in place, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, Paul Hunter, has said that restrictions, at some point, must come to an end so we can carry on our with normal lives.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said: "This is a disease that's not going away, the infection is not going away, although we're not going to see as severe disease for much longer.
"Ultimately, we're going to have to let people who are positive with covid go about their normal lives as they would do with any other cold. And so, at some point, we've got to relax this."
Discussing the self-isolation rules for those who test positive, the university professor added: "If the self-isolation rules are what's making the pain associated with covid, then we need to do that perhaps sooner rather than later."
He then suggested that this might be able to happen "once we're past Easter" depending on the effects of the disease at that time.
He continued to tell BBC Breakfast: "Covid is only one virus of a family of coronaviruses, and the other coronaviruses throw off new variants typically every year or so, and that's almost certainly what's going to happen with Covid – it will become effectively just another cause of the common cold.
"We're not going to be doing daily reporting on cases of the different causes of the common cold going forward, of which Covid is one.
"So personally, I think it would be unlikely that we are going to do anything like that whilst we're still coping with Omicron, but once we're past Easter, perhaps, then maybe we should start to look at scaling back, depending on, of course, what the disease is at that time."
Huge drive to get Scots 'boosted by the bells' as covid rates soar
Scotland covid cases to peak in 'mid to late January', warns Jason Leitch


Saxophone Blog – Saxquest News | Saxquest | Busy End to the Year at Saxquest!!
We have several exciting events lined up the next couple months at Saxquest! Tentatively, we've got Terell Stafford, the Oasis Sax Quartet, and Dan Thomas all lined up in November, Leo Saguiguit in December, and just next week we'll have Victor Goines on Saturday October 20th. Please check back for times and more details here or on our facebook page. And follow us on twitter to keep up to the minute!
Once we get through November, it is trade show time! This season we'll have booths at Midwest in Chicago, JEN in Atlanta, and of course MMEA here in Missouri. If you are attending any of these please stop by the booth.
We just got done posting a literal ton of new mouthpieces and horns for sale up on our website, including a couple Mark VIs and some gently used and excellent condition newer Selmer Series IIs and IIIs. Check them out online or visit the store for a play test!
Just as a cool note for the shop, we got a call yesterday from Branford Marsalis. We had worked on his horn about 7 months ago at a gig, and he was in town and wondering if we could look it over again. What a nice treat to hang with Branford for the morning! It was his first visit to our shop, so of course we snapped some photos of him trying a horn in our museum. You can see a couple up on our facebook page.


This is my second time shooting Tau lodge – a favourite of mine. The last time I visited the lodge I saw 2 lionesses hunting a warthog at the dam in front of my room which was pretty incredible. Anybody who is keen to visit Madikwe will love the lodge. Tau has quite a lot of rooms and all of them look onto the water which makes for amazing game viewing right from the moment you wake up in your bed. One evening I photographed elephants outside my room at around 11pm, which was a beautiful experience for me. Just the elephants and I and the night sky.
Game viewing is always great in Madikwe and I truly believe it's one of the best parks in the country – I can't wait to go back. Enjoy the virtual trip to this stunning lodge.


water quality has not yet been analyzed even though it is traditionally believed that it has quality problems.
pH, and turbidity), major cations and anions, minor anions and trace metals using standard procedures.
and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) that would make it unfit to use for irrigation.


Every pastime has a host of accessories to enhance it, and yarn crafting is no exception. Everyone knows you need yarn, and you need needles and/or crochet hooks – but did you know that there are literally thousands of fun, pretty, clever and cute accessories that can make your experience even better? It's true – and I am going to share just a few favorites from Laurel Hill.
Clover Chibi with Darning Needles – for fixing, seaming or weaving in – not only are these the perfect solution, but the cute little case and lid make this a nice accompaniment to your collection of crafty goodies.
Now your yarn can stay smooth, beautiful and neatly wrapped into easy-to-use cones.
Clover Katcha Katcha Counters – whether in the mini or regular version, this tool is essential to any yarn crafting that involves a pattern that requires counting. No more worries about keeping count in your head and losing that train of thought as soon as someone starts a conversation. No more wondering where you left off. Wouldn't this make your life so much easier?
You have to admit that accessorizing makes yarn crafting even more fun, and there's a myriad of options to explore at Laurel Hill. With everything online, you can take your time to browse and shop without any pressure.
Personally, I love the darning needle sets and the colorful, clever locking stitch markers from Clover – these accessories add a contemporary flair to an ancient art.
Please tell us more about your favorite yarn crafting tools and accessories. We would love to hear from you!
All the best from the Laurel Hill family!
We all make New Year's resolutions related to our health, breaking bad habits, exercising more, and other such matters. As fiber artists, we make resolutions, too.
Whether you want to learn something new, finally use up some old yarn or finish and old project, there are many great resolutions for fiber artists.
As fiber artists, we love to buy yarn; it's sort of a guilty pleasure. This year, make a goal for yourself to use up your old yarn before you purchase new yarn. Go through your yarn stash and evaluate each thing you have purchased. Obviously, you only want to use yarn that is still in good condition.
Every fiber artist has a pile of unfinished projects. It is human nature to lose interest in something as new opportunities are presented.
This year, go through each unfinished project and figure out why you abandoned it in the first place. Was it the yarn you didn't like? The pattern? We feel a sense of accomplishment when we complete old projects.
Every fiber artist, no matter what level, has something he or she has not tried before. We tend to get in a rut with what we create if we do not challenge ourselves.
Take the initiative to learn new patterns that challenge you. Purchase a book full of interesting patterns or take a new knitting or crochet class.
Most knitters and crocheters would like to knit or crochet more but just simply lack the time. Take an hour out of your day to sit down and work on your current project. If this is difficult for you to do, join a knitting or crochet group! Besides, knitting and crochet offer many health benefits.
Remember every once in a while, between projects for family, friends or charities, to make something for yourself; it's ok to flaunt your talent every once in a while!


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Syria Writes
Political Transition
Sovereignty and Identities
Kurds in Syria
Cities in Revolution
Civil activism
Syria WritesTestimonies
Life of A Mother Fleeing Bombardment In Idlib
Fleeing the intense recent bombardment campaign by the regime and Russia, three hundred thousand civilians fled their towns and cities nearer the frontline in Idlib. With the lack of infrastructure and housing needed to offer them shelter, the prices and rent soared, and two-thirds of those ended up living in olive groves.
A banner carried by protesters in Kafr Nabl, 2011
With the news of the Battle for Idlib covering the pages of newspapers and featuring in news report, we read and heard about how intense the battles are, How many airstrikes the Syrian regime carried and how many hospitals have been targeted by the regime and its Russian ally. After nearly two months of battles, the Syrian regime doesn't seem to be able to advance or take more land. We read extensive analysis about the opposition factions and about the Jihadi coalition lead by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham HTS. But what about the civilians who live in Idlib today? The UN estimated that there are 20,000 HTS fighters in Idlib, few thousands more of the other brigades and nearly 3 million civilians in the last opposition stronghold.
Soud Al-Asowad is a mom of six from the town of Kafr Nabl, and she told SyriaUntold what life is like for her and her family, and for many other civilians stuck in the area.
It was Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, people abstain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk, and as the maghrib prayer is announced from minarets, families gather around Iftar tables having spent the day preparing varied meals and salads. It is a time of worship, but most importantly, it is a time when the family comes together. Or so was the case before the Syrian war.
"After we had eaten some food to break our Ramadan fast, two missiles hit the street we lived in. I saw shrapnel flying around my children like knives. Moments later, when I realized we had all survived, I decided to leave my town, despite refusing to do so before."
Souad's house after a strike hit nearby
Souad is from Kafr Nabl, the small town in north Syria joined the uprising against the Syrian regime in its early days, and the demonstrations in the town became best known for the political cartoons carried by the protesters week after week for years. The cartoons were sharp political commentary; against the crackdown of the Syrian regime, about the war and criticizing the reactions of the international community towards it, and later against the Islamists when they took over the town and started expelling the other factions out of Kafr Nabl and the opposition-held North generally.
But long gone are the days of cartoons and demonstrations. Since the collapse of the de-escalation agreement between Russia and Turkey on April 30th, the town has witnessed heavy bombardment, and Souad, like many of the town residents had to flee her home.
A fire near Souad's family house as a result of an airstrike
Aware of how acute the danger to her children lives is, Souad and her husband decided to leave. But her elderly father refused to accompany them, "we tried our best, but he persistently refused to leave his home, I will not leave my house except to my grave he told me". They left in a hurry and didn't carry much with them.
They spent their first night away from home in a damp basement in Sarmada town. The basement belonged to a friend and was empty, and they slept on the cold floor. In the morning her children were sick, and she decided she needed to go home to bring warm clothes and blankets from her house.
In a testimony written on Facebook she said, "My husband wanted to go with me but I refused; I didn't want my children to lose their both parents in an air strike. I left in a hurry; I held my tears in front of my children, the last thing I heard was them begging me not to go"
"When I arrived at Maraat Al-Nu'man, about 15km from my town, I asked the driver to turn his walkie talkie on so we could hear of incoming airstrikes. I told him, 'keep driving, if death is destined for me, so be it.'
When she finally reached her town, she was saddened to see buildings destroyed by airstrikes. She first went to check on her father who stayed in town, and then later that evening she went to her house where she collected the essential things she needed. Souad struggled to find a truck to help her move her things, people are afraid to drive around.
She and her family went to a town closer to the Turkish border; Salqin, where they are safe from shelling but they now face different fear: are they going to be able to continue providing for their children? As Souad arrived to the town, she saw people sitting in the streets and learned they are living in olive orchards near the town. They simply couldn't afford to rent, there are not enough places and the rents are exorbitant, many simply can't afford it. For Souad and her family, they had to share two rooms flat with 38 other members of her extended family to be able to afford having a roof over their heads.
"In earlier waves of displacement from Ghouta and Aleppo, they have prepared tents for the displaced. In Idlib, things are different this time around, and there are no preparations and no safe camps to host the displaced", Souad said that she, and all the others who had to flee their towns affected by the bombing nearer to the frontline, were left to their own means. They had to chose which town to go to and try to arrange housing for themselves.
Unsure of the future, Souad and her family are managing one day at a time, "we arrived there not knowing what the future holds, will we be able to find shelter for us there? How would people treat us? In Salqin, we found the locals were extremely ruthless. The rents they are asking the displaced to pay is very high, the prices of everything is exorbitant, even vegetables! They put all the prices up, as if we are here as tourists!",
Souad is angry about the regime's bombardment and the world lack of action to protect them, but the way she was treated in Salqin added insult to her injury, "people have no empathy with your ordeal, as if they are not Syrians!". Salqin is closer to the border, the area didn't witness the heavy battles they in Kafr Nabl had to endure, and that might be why "thay can't empathize with what we went through" Souad said.
Souad sighed, "there is an entire family who went back to our town, they couldn't afford renting, and they all died under the rubble of their home after it was hit by an airstrike'.
War is the ultimate test for human nature, and Souad and her husband are aware of that. In these times of difficulty and uncertainty, they made a choice. They believe it is the ethical choice to make, but their choice will only add to their insecurity. Afrin is a town in Aleppo governorate in north Syria. The Opposition-held Syrian north is now divided into two zones: one is a Turkish influence zone; where a coalition of rebel factions supported by Turkey controls the area. Souad refers to these areas as the Daraa Al-Furat area, Arabic for Euphrates Shield zone, after the name of the battle these factions launched to take these areas. When they attacked Afrin to expel the Kurdish YPG forces out of the town in an attempt to solidify their power and prevent the Kurds from establishing an autonomous rule close the border with Turkey, Turkish military forces spearheaded the attack. Amnesty accused these brigades of human rights violations in Afrin, one of which was the acquisition of the houses of the local Kurdish population who fled the area.
That was Souad's ethical choice.
The second zone is Idlib city and Hama northern countryside, and it under the control of a coalition of Jihadi groups lead by HTS. That is the zone being bombarded now, and that is where Souad's town is. Military leaders in Daraa Al-Furat area offers those displaced from bombed areas in Idlib one of the appropriated houses in exchange for one-off payment of 1000 dollars. "You go to a house, and they say to you, give us a thousand dollars and it is yours, ok, well, I thought about it, and I said that is haram, how is that different from stealing?!". Souad and her husband dismissed the idea, "Yes, it would be cheaper for me than paying rent, but in principle if I behave wrongly and others allow themselves to behave like that as well, our society is lost!".
Photo taken from the internet and published under Creative Commons
And while those who should share her cause are being exploitative of her ordeal, the regime and its Russian backers are showing no mercy. The Syrian Observatory for human rights says 512 civilians died since the beginning of the bombing campaign, including 130 children. Opposition sources says more than 20 hospitals have been destroyed and Amnesty accused the Syrian regime of not sparing civilian infrastructure including schools and hospitals.
After fleeing to make sure their children will be safe from bombing, Souad is now concerned for the future of her children, two of her six kids had to leave before the end of year exams. They are a 9th grader and a high school graduate and these exams are vital for their future. The Interim Government who runs the civil affairs in Idlib said it will ensure all students sit their end of year exams and that no student will miss a year as a result of the last wave of bombardment, "even if it had to run these exams in the olives groves" one statement said.
Souad and her husband travelled to Idlib city to register their new address and have their kids reallocated to new schools and exam centers, "despite our poverty and our displacement, despite all the challenges we had to survive, they are still very determinant that their education is their only weapon". When They left their home in a hurry, her daughters asked their mom to take one thing with them, all their school merit certificates. "This is what gives us strength, to see our children still have the will to continue".
Souad's children school merit certificates
No school are still functioning in Kafr Nabl, and in most of the areas under bombardment.
Souad says securing a prospect for her children education might be the only reason why she might take the jeopardous journey of being smuggled to Turkey, "many people got killed while crossing the borders.". Souad is hoping the bombardment will stop soon and they can all go home, but "if the situation continues as it is now, there are no prospects for their education. So if I ever consider the dangerous crossing to Turkey, it would be for their education."
Turkey's borders are closed, in fact Turkey says that the two main aims it has in Syria right now are to prevent the formation of an autonomous Kurdish state, and to prevent more refugees crossing into its land, it already hosts 3.5 million Syrians.
In Salqin, the rent is not the only financial challenge the family face, there is so little services infrastructure they have to buy electricity and drinking water from private contractors, and the prices are unaffordable for most. "You pay a subscription to get electricity, you pay per Ampere, and we can hardly afford turning the lights on.". There is one public clinic still working in Salqin, and it hardly has any equipment or medicines left, private care is still available, though limited and beyond the means of the displaced.
But is there a way out of this deadlock? Souad thinks this battle is existential. "In Ghouta, the regime wanted a demographic change. But here the war is a war of extermination". In Ghouta and other formerly opposition-held towns, the regime besieged these areas for years and eventually offered the rebels a way out as part of their surrender, they were sent in convoys of public transport green buses to Idlib. But this time around, and while Turkey doesn't seem willing to open the borders, there are no areas in Syria left for them to go. "There is no such option, no green buses, It is the rebels last refugee, and that is why it is an existential battle for them and for us."
A Timeline
-Idlib joined the protests in 2011, the city and its countryside witnessed many demonstrations calling for freedom and political change. The regime cracked down arresting hundreds and soon after clashes with the security forces started.
-June 2011, the Free Syrian Army FSA was established by army defectors.
- Early 2012 Idlib witnessed many confrontations between the opposition fighters and the regime forces. Scores were killed in the city by regime's crackdown and the opposition attacked regime checkpoints and advanced into the city. The regime launched a battle to retake the city and in April 2012 it retook the city center, but the rebels continued guerrilla warfare, attacking regime's posts.
-In March 2015, Rebel fighters from Jubhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda Affiliate in Syria, and Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic movement launched an attack on the city and captured it after few days of intense battles.
-Between 2016 and 2018, opposition fighters from different areas across Syria were displaced to Idlib from their towns according to "reconciliation agreements" by which these rebels surrendered the areas they once controlled in East Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Eastern Ghouta and other various locations across the country back to regime control. The rebels handed back their heavy weaponry and accepted the regime political and military control over their towns, even serving in its army. Those who refused the terms of surrender, whether combatants or civilians, were bussed with their families to Idlib. One-third of the population of Idlib today are those who were displaced from elsewhere in Syria.
-Between 2015 and 2018, inter-rebel fighting broke out, Jubhat Al-Nusra, which later rebranded itself as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham HTS, gradually expelled all other opposition and rebels groups, it first fought the American backed FSA Division 13 in March 2016.
- On 4 September 2018, at least ten Russian aircraft launched dozens of air strikes over the southern and western part of the governorate of Idlib, which led to the large bombing campaign in Idlib Governorate. Turkey started sending more troops and boosting defences in the frontlines and warned the regime and Russia of a humanitarian disaster. An estimated 20,000 HTS fighters are in Idlib, and 3 million civilians.
-On 17 September 2018, the Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached an agreement to create a demilitarised buffer zone in Idlib. The deal included that the buffer zone will separate the two sides and stretch from about 15 km to 25 km. Troops from Russia and Turkey will patrol the zone, and Jihadist rebels have to abandon the areas, and retreat further in the Idlib province. The agreement also stated all tanks, artillery and mortars belonging to conflicting parties will be withdrawn from the demilitarized zone. It also included that the M4 and M5 highways are to be open by end of the year, linking respectively Latakia, Damascus and Aleppo.
- Many in the International actors involved in the Syrian war welcomed the deal including Iran, Turkey and the US. Locally the Syrian regime welcomed the agreement. However, its officials still vowed to the press to retake "every inch of Syria".
The Syrian opposition welcomed the deal . While Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham HTS rejected some of the conditions of the deal. Many other Jihadi factions rejected it completely, including Ansar al-Din front and Hurras al-Din.
-According to the deal, Turkey tried to convince HTS to dissolve itself and allow its local fighters to become part of an umbrella group supported by turkey, while its foreign fighters will be guaranteed safety. All these efforts ended with HTS takeover in Idlib. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime resumed shelling and attacked positions held by HTS and its allies, in the Hama-Latakia-Idlib axis.
- In Januray 2019, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham HTS staged a violent takeover, expelling the remaining Turkish-backed rebels from south-west Idlib. HTS is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. The Turkistan Islamic Party, mostly Chinese Uighur group is closely allied to HTS and is estimated to have a few thousand fighters. Hurras al-Din, which is considered al-Qaeda's new Syrian branch have several hundred fighters.
- Nearly 300,000 people are displaced by the latest fighting. Two-thirds of whom are living in open fields or sheltering under trees.
-The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 1906 died in opposition held-Idlib since the collapse of the de-escalation agreement in April 30th, this number includes "130 children and 102 women killed in aerial bombardment and missiles strikes". The observatory noted that the casualties on the regime side were "36 civilians, including 15 children and 8 women".
-The Syrian Network for Human Rights has reported that 24 hospitals and medical centres have been targeted since the beginning of the battle.
Kafranbel: The Conscience of the Revolution
Mohammad Dibo |
Ahmad Jalal: 'Peaceful protests ail but do not die'
The banners of Kafr Nabl became a symbol of the Syrian uprising over the years and gained international recognition for their sharp satire and the bravery of taking on both...
Tags: Idlib Russia Turkey
This work is under a Creative Commons license. Attribution: Non commercial - ShareAlike 4.0. International license
Illustation by Dima Nechawi Graphic Design by Hesham Asaad


text:
Q: Counting dates in a range set by pandas dataframe I have a pandas dataframe that contains two date columns, a start date and an end date that defines a range. I'd like to be able to collect a total count for all dates across all rows in the dataframe, as defined by these columns.
For example, the table looks like:
index        start_date         end date
     0         '2015-01-01'    '2015-01-17'
     1         '2015-01-03'    '2015-01-12'

And the result would be a per date aggregate, like:
    date           count
'2015-01-01'     1
'2015-01-02'     1
'2015-01-03'     2

and so on.
My current approach works but is extremely slow on a big dataframe as I'm looping across the rows, calculating the range and then looping through this. I'm hoping to find a better approach.
Currently I'm doing :
date = pd.date_range (min (df.start_date), max (df.end_date))
df2 = pd.DataFrame (index =date)
df2 ['count'] = 0

for index, row in df.iterrows ():
    dates = pd.date_range (row ['start_date'], row ['end_date'])
    for date in dates:
        df2.loc['date']['count'] += 1

A: After stacking the relevant columns as suggested by @Sam, just use value_counts.
df[['start_date', 'end date']].stack().value_counts()

EDIT:
Given that you also want to count the dates between the start and end dates:
start_dates = pd.to_datetime(df.start_date)
end_dates = pd.to_datetime(df.end_date)

>>> pd.Series(dt.date() for group in
              [pd.date_range(start, end) for start, end in zip(start_dates, end_dates)]
              for dt in group).value_counts()
Out[178]:
2015-01-07    2
2015-01-06    2
2015-01-12    2
2015-01-05    2
2015-01-04    2
2015-01-10    2
2015-01-03    2
2015-01-09    2
2015-01-08    2
2015-01-11    2
2015-01-16    1
2015-01-17    1
2015-01-14    1
2015-01-15    1
2015-01-02    1
2015-01-01    1
2015-01-13    1
dtype: int64

A: I think the solution here is to 'stack' your two date columns, group by the date,and do a count. Play around with the df.stack() function. Here is something i threw together that yields a good solution:
import datetime
df = pd.DataFrame({'Start' : [datetime.date(2016, 5, i) for i in range(1,30)],
                  'End':[datetime.date(2016, 5, i) for i in range(1,30)]})
df.stack().reset_index()[[0, 'level_1']].groupby(0).count()

A: I would use melt() method for that:
In [76]: df
Out[76]:
      start_date   end_date
index
0     2015-01-01 2015-01-17
1     2015-01-03 2015-01-12
2     2015-01-03 2015-01-17

In [77]: pd.melt(df, value_vars=['start_date','end_date']).groupby('value').size()
Out[77]:
value
2015-01-01    1
2015-01-03    2
2015-01-12    1
2015-01-17    2
dtype: int64


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text:
Q: Realizar consulta muchos a muchos laravel Tengo las siguientes tablas:
La tabla de operations sirve de vinculación entre las otras dos.
Necesito realizar una consulta para imprimir todos los datos de la tabla operations, pero en vez de mostrar los id de los usuarios, necesito el nombre. Y en vez de la id del tipo de operación, necesito el name.
Además también necesito imprimir el created_at.
Así tengo armada la relación en el model del operation_types:
public function user()
    {
        return $this->belongsToMany(User::class);
    }

Así tengo armada la relación en el model del user:
public function operationstype()
    {
        return $this->belongsToMany(OperationType::class);
    }

Esta es la consulta que intento hacer, dentro del operationscontroller, pero no funciona:
return Operation::all()->map(function ($operation) {
            return [
                'id' => $operation->id,
                'operationtype' => $operation->operationstype->name,
                'user' =>$operation->user->name,
                'created' =>$operation->create_at
            ];
        })->toArray();

A: Puedes hacer uso de eager loading para hacer una carga ambiciosa de los usuarios con
sus tipos de operaciones,
Tu consulta debería ser de esta forma:
$data = User::with('operationstype')->get();

Ahora si solo quieres aquellos usuarios que si tienen algún tipo de operación asociado entonces has uso del método has así:
$data = User::has('operationstype')->with('operationstype')->get();

Por otro lado tu tabla pivote no sigue las convenciones de Laravel que espera tenga los
2 nombres de las otras 2 tablas que la alimentan en orden alfabético así que deberías
pasar el nombre de la misma como segundo argumento en tus 2 métodos belongsToMany así:
Modelo operation_types.php
public function user()
{
    return $this->belongsToMany(User::class, 'operations');
}

Modelo User.php
public function operationstype()
{
    return $this->belongsToMany(OperationType::class, 'operations');
}

A: asi quedaron los modelos:
user:
public function operationstype()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(OperationType::class, 'operation_type_id', 'id');
    }

operationtypes:
public function user()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'user_id', 'id');
    }

operations:
public function operationstype()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(OperationType::class, 'operation_type_id', 'id');
    }
    public function user()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'user_id', 'id');
    }

esta es la consulta en el controlador:
public function index()
    {
        $operation= Operation::with('user')->with('operationstype')->get();

        return $operation->map(function ($operations) {
        return [
            'id' => $operations->id,
            'operationtype' => $operations->operationstype->name,
            'user' =>$operations->user->name,
            'created' =>$operations->created_at
            ];
        })->toArray();

    }


text:
Tag Archives: Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR)
Twitter Inc (TWTR) Worthy Of an Entry In 2015
January 26, 2015 on Business & Finance by Vinita Basu
If you already do not have Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) in your portfolio, then it might be time for you to start thinking in terms of making an entry. On Friday, 23rd January, 2015, the micro-blogging site announced the launch of Flock, a platform meant for facilitating interaction between the organization and developers. It is the…
Tags: Twitter, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), TWTR
CENTCOM Twitter Inc (TWTR) Account Hacking Dismissed As 'Cybervandalism'
January 13, 2015 on Business & Finance, Services by Vinita Basu
At 12.30 pm EST, on Monday, 12th January, 2015, US Central Command (CENTCOM)'s account on Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) began to display the name 'CyberCaliphate' against a black background followed by the slogan 'i love you isis' in white lettering. Signed by ISIS, synonymous with Islamic State, it also featured military documents believed to have been…
Twitter Inc (TWTR)'s Sudden Spike Sparks Curiosity
After a fairly difficult 2014, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) augured 2015 with plenty of hopes and plans and much of this optimism stood vindicated when the stock registered a sharp rise of 2% during Friday's trading session. 'ClassCurious' was how this increase was termed on CNBC and questions were posed to Aaron Kessler, senior analyst with…
Tags: Twitter Inc, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), TWTR
Twitter Inc (TWTR) Stock Up Today, But What About Tomorrow?
December 16, 2014 on Business & Finance, Services by Vinita Basu
Monday, 15th December, 2014, was a good day for Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR)'s stock since it recorded an increase in value courtesy of a positive rating by JMP Securities. As per JMP, the go-ahead was based on six major factors and an upside target of $49 was also mentioned in the report, causing the stock to…
Bankers Being Trained To Handle Twitter Inc (TWTR) Correctly
With it upper limit of 140 characters, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) may describe itself as a micro-blogging site but that does not take away anything from the intensity of impact which its messages can cause. For any professional, especially bankers and financial experts, 140 characters are more than enough to bring about a financial debacle or…
Twitter Inc (TWTR)'S Downward Trend Justifies Going 'Long'
As Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) closed below $37 for the first time on Wednesday, 10th December, 2014, analysts could not help putting the stock under the scanner, considering that it has tumbled by over 30% during as short a time-frame as the last three months. At the end of the trading session, the stock was poised…


text:
Squre Enix Taps Bon Jovi for Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers
Square Enix + Bon Jovi = Awesome! To help promote Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Square Enix has enlisted the help of the New Jersey rockers. According to Andriasang:
Square Enix announced today that it will be tapping none other than Bon Jovi for the new Wii Crystal Chronicles game.
Commercials for the game will make use of 'We Weren't Born to Follow' off the band's new The Circle album. The commercials will start appearing later this month.
I love Bon Jovi and I love Square Enix games, so I'm thrilled by this partnership. I can't wait to see the Japanese commercials online!
What do you make of the Square Enix/Bon Jovi pairing? Do you think Sega will try to get Cinderella to help them out? Maybe From Software will use Dokken. Also, isn't this the same song MLB is using to promote the playoffs?
Author RPadTVPosted on October 13, 2009 October 13, 2009 Categories Music, Today's Specials, Videogames, WiiTags Music, Videogames, Wii13 Comments on Squre Enix Taps Bon Jovi for Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers
Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Revealed
Michael Jackson's single "This Is It" was released through his official site. The song kicks off a series of posthumous works from the King of Pop. Coming October 26 is an album called This Is It, a This Is It movie on October 28, and a vinyl release on November 10 (guess what it's called).
Jackson wrote and recorded several songs that he wanted released after his death. The rumor was that he wanted to beat out Tupac in posthumous sales. (Okay, I totally made that last part up.)
Let me know what you think of the song. I need to listen to it about a dozen more times before I can form an opinion. I'm sure the single will top the charts and the album will do crazy numbers, but I'll always prefer the Off the Wall and Thriller days.
Author RPadTVPosted on October 11, 2009 October 11, 2009 Categories MusicTags Music7 Comments on Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Revealed


My lillies are looking absolutely ravishing this year if I do say so myself! My roses are doing ok, but dislike the heat and sadly, the sunflowers I planted died as mere sprouts.
and fruit cannot grow without water.


This week we're going for a 3-for-1 theme: Politics, Love and Fashion. With the primaries in full swing, Fashion Week taking over NYC tomorrow and Valentine's Day around the corner, they all kinda go together in some strange way, don't they? Just ask Derek Zoolander and Hansel who explained this eloquently on Weekend Update ("Bernie's a big fan of the 99%. 99% off at J.C. Penny.").
We love — or love to hate — our candidates, and we are so wrapped up in the way they present themselves. A comfy mauve pantsuit, a stacked high heel cowboy boot, a fluttering orange toupee. One minute a candidate is in vogue, the next she's yesterday's SNL skit. But we do our best to avoid the 24-hour Twitter-induced panic and remember who really deserves our vote. We travel to far-flung places to do the right thing, buck trends to stay true to the styles we love and share a stylish obsession with a candidate we'd never vote for.
Hailing from a family of staunch Republicans, I left for college with a (teeny) Ronald Reagan sticker on my boombox, only to have my artsy liberal radio station pals ridicule me as I argued the virtues of George H.W. Bush. (But I mean, come on, Dukakis??) Eventually, campus shantytowns, "Take Back the Night" marches, a mock trial with a friend portraying the anti-ERA Phyllis Schlafley and, I don't know, punk rock all served to change my mind drastically.
When we truly understand what we love and treasure, our fashionable fads fade and our true beliefs take hold. And hopefully that helps us make the right political choice.
Lauren Young loves a good Sharpie — and so does W.