Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

# Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

## Abstract

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit. ' Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula ' or تنظيم قاعدة الجهاد في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, "Organization of Jihad 's Base in the Arabian Peninsula"), abbreviated as AQAP, also known as Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة, Jamā‘at Anṣār ash-Sharī‘ah, "Group of the Helpers of the Sharia "), is a Sunni Islamist insurgent extremist group, which is part of the al-Qaeda network and primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It is considered the most active of al-Qaeda's branches that emerged after the weakening of central leadership.

The group established an emirate during the 2011 Yemeni Revolution, reaching its peak in 2015 after capturing the provincial capital of Mukalla. Its strength has since waned after internal struggles and foreign interventions in the subsequent Yemeni Civil War, and by the late 2010's they would only operate substantially in their strongholds, Abyan and al-Bayda governorates. Despite their losses, AQAP still remains as one of al-Qaeda's strongest affiliates. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE and several other countries.

## Ideology and formation

Like al-Qaeda Central, AQAP opposes the monarchy of the House of Saud. AQAP was formed in January 2009 from a merger of the Yemeni branch and Saudi branch of al-Qaeda. The Saudi group had been effectively suppressed by the Saudi government, forcing its members to seek sanctuary in Yemen.

The groups objectives include the overthrowal of Saudi and Yemeni governments and the establishment of an Islamic state in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2010, it was believed to have several hundred members. The group also seeks for the destruction of the Israeli state and the liberation of the Palestinian territories.

## Transformation into an active al-Qaeda branch

The number of terrorist plots in the West that originated from Pakistan declined considerably from most of them (at the outset), to 75% in 2007, and to 50% in 2010, as al-Qaeda shifted to Somalia and Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formally designated al-Qaeda in Yemen a terrorist organization on 14 December 2009. On 24 August 2010, The Washington Post journalist Greg Miller wrote that the CIA believed Yemen's branch of al-Qaeda had surpassed its parent organization, Osama bin Laden's core group, as al-Qaeda's most dangerous threat to the U.S. homeland.

On 26 August 2010, Yemen claimed that U.S. officials had exaggerated the size and danger of al-Qaeda in Yemen, insisting also that fighting the jihadist network's local branch remained Sanaa's job. A former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden warned of an escalation in fighting between al-Qaeda and Yemeni authorities and predicted the government would need outside intervention to stay in power.

However, Ahmed al-Bahri told the Associated Press that attacks by al-Qaeda in southern Yemen was an indication of its increasing strength. CNN analyst Paul Cruickshank asserted that several U.S. officials viewed AQAP as the branch of al-Qaeda which posed the most serious threat to American interests in the region.

## Operations and activities as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Al-Qaeda was responsible for the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 in Aden, killing 17 U.S. sailors. In 2002, an al-Qaeda bomb damaged the French supertanker Limburg in the Gulf of Aden.

The Global Terrorism Database attributes the 2004 Khobar massacre to the group.

In addition to a number of attacks in Saudi Arabia, and the kidnap and murder of Paul Marshall Johnson Jr. in Riyadh in 2004, the group is suspected in connection with a bombing in Doha, Qatar, in March 2005.

On 27 August 2009, Saudi-Arabian AQAP suicide bomber Abdullah al-Asiri attempted to assassinate Saudi prince Muhammad bin Nayef at a Ramadan gathering in his home in Jeddah. Al-Asiri was sent to Saudi Arabia from Yemen, and had previously expressed his intention to turn himself in to Saudi authorities. Though al-Arisi was killed in the bombing, Nayef was only slightly injured.

## Operations and activities during Yemen conflict

### 2009

On 15 March, 4 South Korean tourists were killed in Shibam, Hadhramaut by a suicide bomber. The Yemeni government blamed AQAP for the attack, as well as one on a South Korean delegation on 18 March that only killed the perpetrator.

### 2010

On 8 February, deputy leader Said Ali al-Shihri called for a regional holy war and blockade of the Red Sea to prevent shipments to Israel. In an audiotape announcement he called upon Somali militant group al-Shabaab for assistance in the blockade.

On 26 April, an AQAP suicide bomber attempted to assassinate the UK ambassador to Yemen, Timothy Torlot in Sana'a. Torlot was unhurt, but 3 others were injured in the attack. AQAP attempted again to kill a British diplomat, Fionna Gibb, in Sana'a on 6 October. An AQAP member fired a rocket-propelled grenade at her vehicle, injuring an embassy worker and 3 bystanders. Gibb was unharmed.

The Yemeni government launched an offensive on 19 August to secure the town of Lawdar, Abyan, which was an AQAP stronghold. The government announced on 25 August that they recaptured the town, repordetly killing 12 to 19 AQAP fighters and losing 11 soldiers.

On 24 November, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy heading to the funeral of Badreddin al-Houthi, father of the founder of the Houthis, killing 1 person and injuring 8. The incident occured in Dahyun while the convoy was on their way to Saada. AQAP was suspected of conducting the attack.

### 2011

On 6 March, AQAP claimed responsibility for two attacks which killed 5 Yemeni soldiers altogether. 4 soldiers apart of the Republican Guard were killed in an ambush on a convoy in Marib governorate, while an army colonel was shot and killed in Zinjibar, Abyan.

On 13 May, an AQAP ambush on a Yemeni army convoy in Marib left at least 5 soldiers dead. The attacker had fired an RPG at the convoy.

On 31 March, amid the chaos caused by the Yemeni revolution, AQAP declared an "Islamic Emirate" in the southern Abyan governorate. Just days before, the group had seized the town of Ja'ar as well as many other areas within the governorate.

On 27 May, AQAP affiliate Ansar al-Sharia captured the capital of Abyan governorate, Zinjibar. More than 200 militants seized the town, killing 16 soldiers and freeing dozens of prisoners. Ansar al-Sharia entrenched itself into the city in the following days, repelling attempts by the military to enter the city on 31 May and on 7 June, and forcing 2 brigades to retreat on 21 June. Multiple tribes changed their allegiance from the militants to the military as fighting raged on in Abyan and more civilians were displaced. The Yemeni army along with allied tribes launched an offensive on July 17 attacking the city from the west. On 22 July, the army established control over a sports stadium near Zinjibar and waged fighting near the entrance of the city, while allied tribes secured a main highway leading to the city. Though the city was declared to be retaken by the government on 10 September, the government only controlled the eastern portion while Ansar al-Sharia still controlled the west. A deal was reached on 12 January 2012 to allow residents to return.

A prison break in Mukalla occurred in mid-June, freeing 63 AQAP prisoners and killing a guard. The prison was attacked by militants with artillery, allowing the inmates to escape through a 35-metre long tunnel.

On 30 September, American-Yemeni cleric and alleged AQAP member Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike in the town of Khashef, al-Jawf governorate. The US government had previously placed Awlaki on a CIA kill list and froze his assets due to inciting and directing multiple terror plots in the United States, including the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253. The attack had also killed Samir Khan, an American citizen from Saudi Arabia who, along with Awlaki, was an editor and publisher of AQAP's magazine, Inspire.

On 12 December a prison break in Aden freed up to 15 AQAP members. The prisoners had escaped via a 40-metre long tunnel.

### 2012

On 16 January, AQAP seized the town of Rada'a, Al-Bayda, just 100 miles south of Sana'a. A group of 200 fighters had stormed the town, freed at least 150 prisoners, killed 2 soldiers in clashes with the army and secured multiple weapons caches and military vehicles. The group later withdrew from Rada'a on 25 January after they reached an agreement with the government to release 15 of their fighters.

On 4 March, Ansar al-Sharia launched an attack on military artillery units in Dofas, a town located on the outskirts of Zinjibar. Fighters had attacked the base from the east to draw a response from the army before launching a larger attack from the west. The battle killed 187 soldiers and injured at least 135, with the militants seizing weapons, heavy artillery and tanks from the military.

On 7 April, AQAP attempted to gain control of Lawdar, a town close to Zinjibar that possesses an important strategic position between multiple governorates. Fighters surrounded the town before invading it, but the military and allied tribesman maintained a stiff defense. By 13 April at least 200 were killed in the battle, with AQAP forces suffering repeated losses within the town, forcing them to retreat to the neighbouring mountains. Fighting resumed on 18 April when AQAP attacked the town with mortar shells, triggering air strikes from the government. The army captured the nearby Yasouf mountains on 17 May, forcing AQAP forces to flee.

The Yemeni government launched an offensive in Abyan on 11 May in order to drive out AQAP forces from key cities. Over 20 and 21 May, 33 AQAP fighters and 19 soldiers would be killed from clashes in Ja'ar. On 21 May, a man wearing a belt of explosives carried out a suicide attack on military personnel preparing for a parade rehearsal in Sana'a for Unity Day. The attack killed over 90 people and injured 200 more. Ansar al-Sharia claimed responsibility for the attack as a response to the government offensive in Abyan. On 24 May, AQAP launched a counter-attack on the army in Ja'ar through the Wadi Bana. The attack resulted in the deaths of 35 of their fighters, bringing the total count to 215. Yemeni forces then proceeded to take control of Wadi Bana. By 3 June, Yemeni forces had pushed into central Zinjibar, while clashes were occurring near the western edge of Ja'ar. On 11 June the Yemeni Air Force launched attacks on the north and west of Ja'ar, killing 16 militants, while land forces were preparing to capture a key hilltop factory overlooking the town. On 12 June, both Zinjibar and Ja'an were confirmed as completely recaptured by the Yemeni government. Mines placed by retreating AQAP forces lead to 73 civilian deaths in the cities by 26 June.

On 18 June, an AQAP suicide bomber assassinated Yemeni general Salem Ali Qatan in Aden. Qatan had led the Abyan offensive which expelled AQAP forces from key cities in the governorate. The assassin detonated his explosive belt next to a vehicle transporting Qatan, killing him along with 2 other soldiers, along with injuring 12.

### 2013

On 17 July, deputy leader of AQAP Said al-Shihri was killed in a US drone strike in Saada governorate. Shihri had previously been declared "dead" by the Yemeni government on 10 September and on 24 January, though this was dispoven in both cases. In this case, an AQAP message officially announced that he had died.

On 5 December, an attack on the Yemeni Defense Ministry in Sana'a involving a series of bomb and gun attacks killed at least 56 people. After footage of the attack was aired on Yemeni television showing the destruction of a hospital within the ministry compound and the killing of medical personnel and patients, AQAP emir Qasim al-Raymi released a video message apologizing. Al-Raymi claimed that the team of attackers were directed not to assault the hospital in the attack, but that one had gone ahead and done so.

### 2014

On 9 May, at least 4 Yemeni soldiers were killed after a skirmish sparked when a vehicle attacked the gates of the Presidential Palace in Sanaa. Authorities claimed that AQAP was responsible.

On 26 November, United States Navy SEALs from DEVGRU collaborated with Yemeni special forces in a hostage rescue mission order to free American journalist Luke Somers, along with other hostages. The mission took place in Hadhramaut along the border with Saudi Arabia. The team engaged AQAP in a firefight near the cave housing the hostages, killing 7 militants. The raid rescued 8 hostages of various nationalities, but they did not include Somers, who was moved to another area alongside 4 other hostages days before the raid.

Later in December, AQAP published a video threatening to kill Somers within 72 hours. Another rescue mission occurred on 6 December in southern Shabwah. 40 SEALs backed by Yemeni special forces attempted to infiltrate the AQAP compound housing the targets, but they were spotted about 100 metres away, leading to skirmishes. 2 hostages, including Somers, were found shot within the compound, while the fate of the 3 others are unknown. Both hostages eventually died while being transported.

### 2015

#### Capture of Mukalla

On 2 April 2015, AQAP fighters stormed the coastal city of Mukalla, capturing it on 16 April after a two-week long battle. The seizure served as AQAP's larged success to date, being that Mukalla is the capital of Hadhramaut and the sixth-largest city in Yemen. The group seized government buildings and used trucks to cart off more than $120 million from the central bank, according to the bank's director. AQAP forces soon passed control to a civilian council, giving it a budget of more than $4 million to provide services to residents of the city. AQAP maintained a police station in the city to mediate Sharia disputes but avoided imposing its rule across the city. AQAP refrained from using its name, instead of using the name the 'Sons of Hadhramaut' to emphasize its ties to the surrounding province.

#### Fall of Zinjibar and Jaar

On 2 December 2015, the provincial capital of Abyan governorate, Zinjibar, and the town of Jaʿār were captured by AQAP fighters. Like Al Mukalla, AQAP forces soon passed control to a civilian council, police patrols and other public services.

### 2016

#### Southern Abyan Offensive

On 20 February 2016, AQAP seized the southern Abyan governorate, linking them with their headquarters in Mukalla.

#### Liberation of Mukalla

On 24 April 2016, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces entered Mukalla and commenced operations against AQAP, liberating Mukalla in 36 hours. The operation was hailed by US Defence Secretary James Mattis as a model of fighting terrorism.

Mukalla was then used as a base of operations by the UAE Armed Forces and Joint Special Operations Command, allowing the CIA to target AQAP strongest cells in Yemen.

### 2017

On 29 January, DEVGRU conducted a raid in al-Ghayil, a town in the Yakla region of al-Bayda. The raid was authorized in order to collect key AQAP documents and information, as well as the possibility of neutralizing AQAP leader Qasim al-Raymi, whom UAE intelligence suggested could be present. Originally meant to be unexpected, AQAP prematurely detected the SEALs, eventually leading to a heavy firefight in the village which claimed the life of 1 American soldier and wounded 5 others. 14 AQAP fighters were killed along with "valuable information" being gathered, but al-Raymi was not killed or captured in the raid. Additionally, at least 16 civilians were killed, including the eight-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, Nawar.

On 23 May, DEVGRU conducted another raid against AQAP in Ma'rib governorate, targeting a compound of the group. The US reported the deaths of 7 AQAP members and no civilians casualties, however, UK-based human rights group Reprieve reported that the raid had killed 5 civilians and wounded 6, with SEALs killing a blind villager as he walked out of his home and killing 4 more after they began arguing with them after the fact.

### 2018

In August 2018, Al Jazeera reported that the Saudi Arabian-led coalition "battling Houthi rebels secured secret deals with al-Qaeda in Yemen and recruited hundreds of the group's fighters.... Key figures in the deal-making said the United States was aware of the arrangements and held off on drone attacks against the armed group, which was created by Osama bin Laden in 1988."

According to the Associated Press, the Saudi-led coalition "cut secret deals with al-Qaeda fighters, paying some to leave key cities and towns and letting others retreat with weapons, equipment and wads of looted cash... hundreds more were recruited to join the coalition itself."

### 2019

On 7 April 2019, UAE and Security Belt forces launched a large anti-terror military campaign to clear a number of mountains and valleys located in the Mahfad town, then a key hideout of AQAP militants. UAE-backed Yemeni security forces succeeded in seizing arms and ammunition, including hand grenades, improvised explosive devices and communication equipment and AQAP militants fled to other areas.

On 2 August 2019, AQAP fighters stormed a military base in al-Mahfad district, remaining for several hours before military reinforcements drove them out. The attacks killed at least 19 soldiers.

On 30 August 2019, UAE airstrikes on AQAP in southern Yemen targeted a number of moving vehicles carrying AQAP members.

In September 2019, AQAP took advantage and deployed across Abyan and Shabwah in southern Yemen following the UAE draw down from Yemen and increased infighting between Houthis and Hadi forces. According to a local Yemeni official, the absence of the Shabwani Elite security units, that had been trained and equipped by the UAE, enabled AQAP to gain a foothold in the turbulent Shabwah again.

### 2020

On 31 January 2020, The New York Times reported three U.S. officials "expressed confidence" that Qasim al-Raymi was killed in an airstrike on 29 January in Yalka, al-Bayda. His death was later confirmed by the White House on 6 February and by AQAP on 23 February, with Khalid Batarfi being named his successor.

On 21 April, Houthi forces uploaded a video claiming to have captured a base of Ansar al-Sharia in al-Jawf governorate, amidst a wider offensive in the region against the Yemeni government. The video appeared to show explosive belts, ammunition, AQAP flags and documents.

The Houthis launched an offensive in al-Bayda governorate on 15 May as an extension of its offensive against the Yemeni government in al-Jawf. AQAP traditionally maintained a stronghold in the northwest al-Qayfa tribal area and wider al-Quraishyah District of the governorate. Due to this, AQAP shifted its main focus away from the Islamic State and towards Houthi forces, attempting to attract anti-Houthi tribes in the al-Bayda. By 11 August, the Houthis had been advancing rapidly towards northern al-Bayda, and by 19 August they had claimed to secure Wald Rabi' and al-Quraishyah districts. By the end of August, the Houthis had evicted AQAP out of many areas of al-Qayfa, dealing a major blow to the group.

On 15 August, AQAP killed and crucified dentist Motthar al-Youssoufi in As Sawma'ah, al-Bayda, accusing him of spying for the US government. On 25 August, they destroyed his clinic with explosives.

### 2021

Since AQAP was expelled from the al-Qayfa district in the northwestern region of al-Bayda in 2020, its activities in 2021 were largely confined to the Al-Sawma'ah, Dhi Na'im and Mukayras districts in the southeast, near the borders of Abyan and Shabwah. Despite their defeat in the governorate, almost 60% of AQAP activities were reported to be in al-Bayda. The group continued their campaign of retrenchment, reporting the lowest level of activity in several years.

On 4 February, a UN report indicated that Khalid Batarfi had been detained and imprisoned since October of the previous year after an operation in Ghayda City, Al-Mahrah governorate. AQAP later released a video featuring Batarfi to disprove their claim.

### 2022

Since 2022, AQAP has gradually shifted its activities towards the southern portion of Yemen after failure to regroup in the north, with more than 70% of the group's activities taking place in Abyan and Shabwah. After June 2022, there have been no recorded violent interactions between Houthi forces and AQAP. This may be the realization of a possible strategic shift within the group since 2020, whereby AQAP's main targets are now the Southern Movement and the Yemeni government, rather than Houthi forces. This change in strategy may be the result of AQAP's growing influence under Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian citizen based in Iran with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

AQAP kidnapped 5 workers a part of the UN Department of Security and Safety in Abyan on February 11. The group demanded a ransom and the release of numerous members imprisoned by the government of Yemen. The workers were eventually released in August 2023.

On 15 April, a prison break occurred in Seiyun, Hadhramaut governorate, allowing 10 AQAP members to escape. The prisoners collaborated with a few guards and AQAP militants from the outside, staging a fight before overpowering the guards and fleeing.

Large clashes occurred between AQAP and Security Belt forces on 6 May north of Dhale, Dhale governorate. AQAP members arrested by the Security Belt refused to disarm themselves once they arrived at Security Belt headquarters, leading to a battle which killed 2 Security Belt commanders and 7 AQAP fighters.

On 22 June, AQAP was suspected of launching attacks in both Abyan and Shabwah Governorates that killed 10 Yemeni army soldiers altogether. An ambush on a military convoy in Abyan killed 5, while an attack on a checkpoint in Ataq, Shabwah killed another 5.

In August 2022, the once-vaunted Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was shown to be greatly weakened when none of the group's leaders were deemed potential successors to Ayman al-Zawahiri as leader of al-Qaeda following his death. According to a UN report published in February 2023, Al-Adel is also said to have succeeded al-Zawahiri at al-Qaeda's center, likely further expanding his influence over AQAP.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched Operation Arrows of the East after the conclusion of a larger offensive against government allies on August 22, with the goal of expelling AQAP from Abyan governorate. The operation occurred amid a power vacuum within areas of Abyan which the pro-Yemeni government al-Islah party retreated from due to STC advances. The STC entered the governorate through Shuqrah and proceeded to push towards Lawdar as well as the border with Shabwah. In retaliation, AQAP activities surged heavily, with the group carrying out numerous attacks against STC forces, such as an attack on the Security Belt Forces in Ahwar district on September 6 which killed 21 STC soldiers and 6 AQAP fighters.

On 9 October, a roadside bomb detonated in Wadi Omran, leaving 4 Yemeni army soldiers dead along with several others injured. AQAP was responsible for the bombing, though authorities were unsure if the bomb was planted recently or before the group was defeated in the area.

### 2023

On 11 June, AQAP claimed responsibility for an attack on a military outpost in Shabwah, killing 2 Yemeni army soldiers and wounding 3. The attack was seen as a display of strength by AQAP despite its losses from the STC operation the previous year.

On 1 August, an AQAP attack in Wadi Omran left at least 5 STC soldiers and wounded another 4. The attackers utilized mortars, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades before retreating.

On 10 August, an AQAP bombing of a Security Belt convoy passing through Abyan left 3 soldiers and commander Abdullatif Al-Sayed dead.

### 2024

In an announcement on 10 March, AQAP reported the death of emir Khalid Batarfi, along the selection of his successor Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki. The announcement did not provide a cause as to how Batarfi died, leading to speculation that he had died by natural causes.

On 24 March, AQAP ambushed an STC patrol in Wadi Omran, triggering a firefight which killed 2 soldiers and wounded 4. The militants also burned the vehicle of the patrol group.

On 29 April, an AQAP IED attack targeted an STC military vehicle in Mudiyah District, Abyan. The blast reportedly killed six soldiers belonging to the Southern Armed Forces and wounded 11 others.

Ansar al-Sharia carried out a drone strike on UAE-backed forces in Wadi Omran. The attack was carried out with a UAV armed with a common modified air-dropped 40x53mm M430A1 pattern (HEDP) grenade on July 2024.

A suicide car bomb carried out by AQAP on 16 August against the STC targeted the military barracks of the Security Belt Backup and Support Forces' 3rd Brigade in Mudiyah, Abyan. The attack resulted in 16 soldiers killed and over 20 injured. The bombing served as the groups first suicide attack since March 2022.

## Operations and activities outside of the Arabian Peninsula

### 2009

On 1 June, American citizen Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad (formerly Carlos Leon Bledsoe) carried out a drive-by-shooting on a US army recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, killing a soldier and injuring another. Muhammad had moved to Yemen in 2007, accepting a job to teach English. He was arrested by Yemeni authorities in 2008 for overstaying his visa and forging Somali identification papers, potentially in order to train with al-Shabaab. He was deported back to America in 2009. In a note requesting a plea deal from the judge, he claimed to be a member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, though authorities and the lead prosecutor suspected that he had acted alone.

In the aftermath of the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas on 5 November, the FBI revealed that the shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, had communicated with Anwar al-Awlaki via emails from December 2008 to some time in 2009, though officials at the time didn't perceive it as a threat. The emails reportedly contained "social and religious guidance", but no evidence that the attack was directed by Awlaki or a foreign group.

On 25 December, Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to bomb Northwest Airlines Flight 253 while it approached its destination in Detroit, Michigan. As it prepared to land, Abdulmutallab tried to detonate PETN explosives attached to his underwear, but the device failed to detonate properly. AQAP took responsibility for the attempted bombing on 28 December, claiming that they supplied the explosives to the perpetrator along with instructions to detonate it. Abdulmutallab had previously travelled to Yemen multiple times before the incident, once in 2005 in order to study Arabic, and again in the fall of 2009, meeting with and likely planning the bombing with various AQAP members, including Anwar al-Awlaki.

### 2010

A cargo plane bomb plot was discovered on 29 October, when two packages containing plastic explosives were found on cargo aircraft, based on intelligence received from government intelligence agencies, in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The packages originated from Yemen, and were addressed to outdated addresses of two Jewish institutions in Chicago, Illinois, one of which was the Congregation Or Chadash, an LGBT synagogue. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took responsibility for the plot. It posted its acceptance of responsibility on a number of radical Islamist websites monitored by the SITE Intelligence Group and the Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation, and wrote:

We will continue to strike blows against American interests and the interest of America's allies.

It also claimed responsibility for the crash of a UPS Boeing 747-400 cargo plane in Dubai on 3 September. The statement continued:

...since both operations were successful, we intend to spread the idea to our mujahedeen brothers in the world and enlarge the circle of its application to include civilian aircraft in the West as well as cargo aircraft.

American authorities had said they believed that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was behind the plot. Officials in the United Kingdom and the United States believe that it is most likely that the bombs were designed to destroy the planes carrying them.

In November, the group announced a strategy, called "Operation Hemorrhage", which it said was designed to capitalize on the "security phobia that is sweeping America." The program would call for a large number of inexpensive, small-scale attacks against United States interests, with the intent of weakening the U.S. economy.

### 2012

American and Saudi intelligence agencies foiled an AQAP plot to smuggle a bomb onto a plane bound to the United States on 8 May. The CIA had detected the plot by mid-April, and dispatched an operative to pose as a suicide bomber for the group, requesting them to give him their explosives, which were promptly turned over to the CIA. The bomb was manufactured by Ibrahim al-Asiri.

### 2015

On 7 January, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi attacked the Paris headquarters of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 French civilians and injuring another 11. Before the shooting took place, the French-born brothers of Algerian descent stated they were members of "al-Qaeda in the Yemen", to an eyewitness. Reports after the event indicated that the brothers had previously visited AQAP in Yemen in for several months in 2011 and 2012. On 9 January, AQAP confirmed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo shooting in a statement from top Shariah cleric Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari. The motive for the attack was to "gain revenge for the honor" of Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was mockingly depicted in a cartoon published by the newspaper.

### 2019

On 6 December, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani attacked Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida, killing 3 people and injuring 8. The Saudi-Arabian gunman was a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force and was undergoing flight training at the base. AQAP released a message on 2 February claiming responsibility for the shooting. The FBI later confirmed these claims on 18 May 2020, after breaking into Alsharami's phone and uncovering significant connections between him and AQAP since 2015.

## Ansar al-Sharia

In the wake of the 2011 Yemeni Revolution and the Battle of Zinjibar, an Islamist insurgent organization called Jama'at Ansar al-Shari'a (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة; Jamāʿat Anṣār aš-Šharīʿa), also known as Ansar al-Shari'a, emerged in Yemen and seized control of areas in the Abyan and surrounding governorates in southern Yemen and declared them an Islamist al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen. There was heavy fighting with the Yemeni security forces over the control of these territories, with Ansar al-Sharia driven out of most of their territory over 2012.

In April 2011, Shaykh Abu Zubayr Adil bin Abdullah al-Abab, AQAP's chief religious figure, explained the name change as a rebranding exercise: "the name Ansar al-Sharia is what we use to introduce ourselves in areas where we work to tell people about our work and goals."

On 4 October 2012, the United Nations 1267–1989 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the United States Department of State designated Ansar al-Sharia an alias for AQAP, with the State Department describing it as an attempt to attract followers in areas of Yemen where AQAP had been able to establish territorial control and implement its interpretation of Sharia.

## U.S. drone strikes

A CIA targeted killing drone strike killed Kamal Derwish, an American citizen, and a group of al-Qaeda operatives (including Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi) in Yemen in November 2002. Drones became shorthand in Yemen for a weak government allowing foreign forces to have their way.

On 30 September 2011, a US drone attack in Yemen resulted in the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the group's leaders, and Samir Khan, the editor of Inspire, its English-language magazine. Both were US citizens.

The pace of US drone attacks quickened significantly in 2012, with over 20 strikes in the first five months of the year, compared to 10 strikes during the course of 2011.

Over the period 19–21 April 2014, a series of drone attacks on AQAP killed dozens of militants, and at least 3 civilians. A spokesperson for the Yemeni Supreme Security Committee described the attacks, which included elements of the Yemeni army as well as US drones, as "massive and unprecedented". The attacks were alleged to have targeted AQAP leadership, with a major AQAP base in Wadi al-Khayala reported to have been destroyed.

From 1 through 8 March 2017, the US conducted 45 airstrikes against AQAP, a record amount of airstrikes conducted against the group by the US in recent history. The airstrikes were reported to have killed hundreds of AQAP militants. The US continued its airstrikes afterward. Around 1–2 April 2017, the US carried out another 20 airstrikes, increasing the total number of airstrikes against AQAP in 2017 to 75, nearly double previously yearly record of 41 airstrikes in 2009.

On 31 August 2019, at least 40 al-Qaeda operatives were killed in airstrike carried out by the United States on a training camp in presence of the leaders of Hurras al-Deen, Ansar al-Tawhid and other allied groups in Syria.

## Members

The group has taken advantage of Yemen's "slow collapse into near-anarchy. Widespread corruption, growing poverty and internal fragmentation have helped make Yemen a breeding ground for terror." More than two years later, on 25 April 2012, a suspected US drone strike killed Mohammed Said al-Umdah, a senior AQAP member cited as the number four in the organization and one of the 2006 escapees. He had been convicted of the 2002 tanker bombing and for providing logistical and material support.

Yemeni analyst, Barak Barfi, discounted claims that marriage between the militant group and Yemeni tribes is a widespread practice, though he states that the bulk of AQAP members hail from the tribes.

AQAP is a popular choice for radicalized Americans seeking to join Islamist terror organizations overseas. In 2013 alone, at least three American citizens or permanent residents — Marcos Alonso Zea, Justin Kaliebe, and Shelton Thomas Bell — have attempted to join AQAP. They count among over 50 Americans who have attempted to join terrorist groups overseas, including AQAP, since 2007.

Reportedly, as many as 20 Islamist British nationals traveled to Yemen in 2009 to be trained by AQAP. In February 2012, up to 500 Internationalistas from Somalia's Al Shabaab, after getting cornered by a Kenyan offensive and conflict with Al Shabaab national legions, fled to Yemen. It is likely that a number of this group merged with AQAP.The following is a list of people who have been purported to be AQAP members. Most, but not all, are or were Saudi nationals. Roughly half have appeared on Saudi "most wanted" lists. In the left column is the rank of each member in the original 2003 list of the 26 most wanted.


Clara Vale

# Clara Vale

## Abstract

Clara Vale is a village situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. Once an independent village in County Durham it became incorporated into the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in 1974 as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

## Location

Clara Vale stands on the south bank of the River Tyne in a low-lying and quite secluded spot. Crawcrook borders the hamlet to the south. Across the river (in Northumberland) are Close House to the north and the village of Wylam to the west. It is notable for being the first settlement in Tyne and Wear that the river Tyne passes after leaving Northumberland.

## Politics

In local government, Clara Vale is located in the 'Crawcrook, Greenside ward' of Gateshead Council. The ward is at the far west of Gateshead and borders part of Northumberland. The ward is served by three councillors (three Labour). Gateshead Council is Labour controlled.

Clara Vale is located within the parliamentary constituency of Blaydon. Its current MP is Labour's Liz Twist.

## History

Before the colliery and village were developed, a water-driven corn mill called Crawcrook Mill stood near the centre of the current village, with two small stone cottages and a mill dam apparently fed from Edington Well. This 'pot-pie' well is damaged but still stands near the road to the south of the village.

Stannerford Road is the only vehicular route into Clara Vale, named after a former ford across the River Tyne which it led to, linking Crawcrook to the south and Heddon-on-the-Wall to the north.

Maps from 1850 show a farmhouse called Stanner (or Stannar) House, which was later divided into two dwellings and demolished in the mid 1960s.

Clara Vale was purpose built as a colliery community by the Stella Coal Company around the time the coal mine was opened in July 1893. The colliery and settlement were named after the wife of colliery owner John Bell Simpson, Clara was Atkinson (née Draper). There are early references to Claraville and some old maps refer to the village as Claravale.

An Anglican 'tin tabernacle', the Church of the Good Shepherd stood in the centre of the village from 1886 to 1979. Two successive miners' institutes were on adjacent land, the last being demolished in the early 1990s. The village school educated children from ages 5-14 between 1898 to 1962. A community association took over the running of the building in 1967, establishing it as a volunteer-run community centre and village hall.

A peak of 1221 employees were recorded at the colliery in 1925, declining to 562 in 1965, shortly before closure in February 1966 (around the same time as many other nearby pits such as Emma, Greenside and Stargate).

Like many former pit communities, Clara Vale was then given 'Category D' status by Durham County Council, meaning capital investment was discouraged and the settlement was expected to decline over time.

Many derelict colliery buildings remained until demolition in the 1980s, though the original ambulance shed remains. The former pithead baths building was repurposed for use by a succession of light industrial companies, and was a sound recording studio for some years. It was damaged and ultimately destroyed by fires in the 2010s.

## Modern-day Clara Vale

By avoiding the suburbanisation experienced by nearby towns and villages such as Crawcrook, Greenside and Ryton. Clara Vale has largely retained its rural character, with farms and countryside surrounding the village. This includes a Local Nature Reserve on the site of the old colliery, actively managed by the volunteers of Clara Vale Conservation Group to promote biodiversity.

Clara Vale has very little in the way of modern development. A bungalow was built on the site of the former village shop in the 1980s and in 1997 a short terraced street was built, more in the traditional style of the village. The former Co-Op building stood empty for decades but was converted to flats in the mid 2010s. Also around that time, the Methodist chapel was converted to a private residence and the adjacent Sunday school was converted to an Airbnb holiday rental.

The former village school is well established as a community centre and village hall, offering a range of activities and amenities including sport and event hire, craft, fitness and wellbeing classes, community meals and occasional music and theatre events.

In the 2010s, part of the village hall was converted to small office units which are leased out, providing regular income to maintain the whole building.

Clara Vale has no shops, but Crawcrook, Ryton and Wylam offer a range of shops and services within walking distance; so whilst Clara Vale remains secluded, it is by no means isolated.

## Sport

The village recreation ground was originally provided by the pit owners for the miners' welfare, originally including a bowling green and tennis courts. These became derelict and were subsumed by the local nature reserve, but the football pitch, cricket pitch and pavilion remain in active use. Clara Vale Cricket Club play matches there on Saturdays during the Summer, with Ovingham Bridge End Cricket Club playing on some Sundays and Merz and McLellan Cricket Club on some Wednesday evenings. Ryton and Crawcrook Albion (Youth) Football Club also use the football pitch.

Ryton Golf Club, to the north edge of the village, was established in 1891 (on riverside land known as Doctors Stanners), expanding in 1982 to use the former sites of allotment gardens and colliery railway works. Tyneside Golf Club is based in Ryton but its course borders Clara Vale's eastern edge. Close House golf club is to the north, over the river.


Tatyana Karimova

# Tatyana Karimova

## Abstract

Tatyana Akbarovna Karimova (Russian: Татьяна Акбаровна Каримова) is an Uzbek economist who held the position of First Lady of Uzbekistan from 1991 until the death of her husband in September 2016.

The widow of former President Islam Karimov, she was a highly influential figure throughout her husband's rule. Karimova, together with Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the National Security Service, was expected to play a key role in choosing Karimov's successor.

## Early life and family

Born in the harsh years following World War II into a military family, Karimova, who is of Russian and Tajik origin, moved with her parents to the Fergana Region in 1952. Her family has been described as influential. She has a younger sister, Tamara Sobirova. Tatyana worked as a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.

## Biography

Islam Karimov was previously married to his first wife, Natalya Petrovna Kuchmi, from 1964 until their divorce during the mid-1960s. In 1967, he married Tatyana Akbarovna. Tatyana Karimova was working as a researcher at the Institute of Economics at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan at the time of her wedding to Karimov. They had two daughters, Gulnara Karimova (born 1972) and Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva (born 1978). Additionally, they shared five grandchildren: (Islam Karimova Jr., Iman Karimova, Mariam Tillyaeva, Umar Tillyaev, Safiya Tillyaeva).

In 2013, a feud between Tatyana Karimova and her elder daughter, Gulnara Karimova, spilled onto Twitter. Gulnara Karimova accused her mother of trying to "destroy" for attempting to prevent the arrest of her cousin, Akbarali Abdullayev. She also accused her younger sister, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, of sorcery. Gulnara Karimova's Twitter account was suspended shortly after the accusations and she is believed to have been placed under house arrest in 2014.

Karimova served as the first First Lady of Uzbekistan from the country's independence until Islam Karimov's death in 2016. She was known to engage in charity work and official state functions. However, she was a highly influential advisor on many of her husband's policies.

Tatyana Karimova was expected to be a key figure in choosing her husband's successor in 2016 without being expected to seek the presidency herself. She was seen as an ally of Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the National Security Service, who was also seen as likely help choose Uzbekistan's next president. Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was subsequently elected president in elections held in December 2016.


Maximal-ratio combining

# Maximal-ratio combining

## Abstract

In telecommunications, maximum-ratio combining (MRC) is a method of diversity combining in which:

- the signals from each channel are added together,

- the gain of each channel is made proportional to the rms signal level and inversely proportional to the mean square noise level in that channel.

- different proportionality constants are used for each channel.

It is also known as ratio-squared combining and predetection combining. Maximum-ratio combining is the optimum combiner for independent additive white Gaussian noise channels.

MRC can restore a signal to its original shape. The technique was invented by American engineer Leonard R. Kahn in 1954.

MRC has also been found in the field of neuroscience, where it has been shown that neurons in the retina scale their dependence on two sources of input in proportion to the signal-to-noise ratio of the inputs.

This has the advantage of producing an output with acceptable SNR even when none of the individual signals are themselves acceptable.

## Example: Least Squares estimate in the case of Rx diversity

We consider an example of which the receiver is endowed with N antennas. In this case, the received vector y {\displaystyle y} is

where n {\displaystyle n} is noise vector n ∼ C N (0, I N × N) {\displaystyle n\sim CN(0,I_{N\times N})}. Following the ML detection criterion the detection procedure may be written as

where M {\displaystyle {\mathcal {M}}} is the considered constellation of s {\displaystyle s} and s ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {s}}} is the least square solution to the above model.

The least square solution in this case is also known as maximum-ratio-combining (MRC). In the case of N antennas the LS can be written as

which means that the signal from each antenna is rotated and weighted according to the phase and strength of the channel, such that the signals from all antennas are combined to yield the maximum ratio between signal and noise terms.


Dragan Antanasijević

# Dragan Antanasijević

## Abstract

Dragan Antanasijević (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Антанасијевић; born 19 July 1987) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Canadian Soccer League club Hamilton City.

## Club career

### Hungary

In 2010, he played abroad in Hungary's Nemzeti Bajnokság with Kaposvári Rákóczi.

### BASK

During his tenure with BASK, he was offered a contract from the Maltese side Valletta F.C. in the 2012 winter transfer market. He ultimately landed a trial run with Valletta.

### Albania

In the winter of 2014, he played in Albania's Kategoria Superiore with Partizani Tirana marking his second run abroad. In total, he would play in 17 matches. It was later announced that he extended his deal with Tirana in May 2014. However shortly after the contract was mutually terminated by both parties in the summer of 2014.

### France

Antanasijević went abroad once more in 2016 to play in the French fourth-tier league with Tarbes Pyrénées. In his debut season in France, he played in 19 matches. He re-signed with Tarbes for the following season. In his second season with Tarbes, he appeared in 15 matches.

Following his departure from Tarbes he remained in France the next season by signing with Trélissac FC. In his debut season with the club, he appeared in 29 league matches. He played in the 2019–20 Coupe de France where he participated in the match against Marseille where the result was determined in a penalty shootout.

After the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, he departed from Trélissac.

### Canada

After his stint in France, he secured a deal with BGHC 1 in the Canadian Soccer League. In 2023, he continued playing in the CSL by signing with Hamilton City.

## Honours

- Serbian First League: 2010–11


Pierre Koulibaly

# Pierre Koulibaly

## Abstract

Pan Pierre Koulibaly (born 24 March 1986), commonly known as Pierre Koulibaly, is a Burkinabé footballer who plays soccer for Saham Club in Oman Professional League.

## Personal life

Pierre's twin brother, Paul Koulibaly is also a professional footballer.

## Club career

### Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou (EFO)

Pierre began his professional footballing career in 2005 with his parent club, Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou. In his two-year spell with the Ouagadougou -based club, he helped them win the 2006 Coupe du Faso and also the 2005–06 Burkinabé SuperCup. In late December 2006, news speculated that Tunisian giants, Étoile Sportive du Sahel and Club Africain are interested in obtaining the services of the 19-year old Burkinabé footballer.

### Al-Ittihad

He first moved out of Burkina Faso in 2007 to North Africa and more accurately to Libya where he signed a three-year contract with Tripoli 's Al-Ittihad Club. In his three-year spell with the Tripoli-based club, he helped them win the 2008–09 Libyan Premier League and the 2009–10 Libyan Premier League, the 2009 Libyan Cup and the 2010 Libyan Super Cup.

### Al-Nasr

In January 2008, the Burkinabé international was loaned to his former club's rivals and another Libyan giants, Al-Nasr SC of Benghazi.

### KV Mechelen

Following a massive three-week-old uprising that had rocked the North African nation, Libya, Pierre fled the crisis in Libya and moved to Europe and more accurately to Belgium where he was immediately subjected to a trial at Belgian Pro League club, KV Mechelen.

On 28 January 2011, he signed a one-year contract with the Mechelen -based club. He made his Belgian Pro League debut and scored his first goal on 12 February 2011 in a 3–1 win over K.V.C. Westerlo. He scored 1 goal in 6 appearances in the 2010–11 Belgian Pro League.

He made his first appearance in the 2011–12 Belgian Pro League on 5 August 2011 in a 3–1 loss against Belgian giants, R.S.C. Anderlecht. He also made his Belgian Cup debut on 21 September 2011 in a 3–0 win over K.V. Oostende in the Round 6 of the 2011–12 Belgian Cup. He made 6 appearances in the 2011–12 Belgian Pro League.

### SK Sint-Niklaas

In December 2011, he moved to Sint-Niklaas where on 1 January 2012 he moved on loan on a six-month contract to Belgian Second Division club, Sportkring Sint-Niklaas, commonly known as, SK Sint-Niklaas. He made his Belgian Second Division debut and scored his first goal on 15 January 2012 in a 2–2 draw against R. White Star Bruxelles. He scored 5 goals in 12 appearances in the 2011–12 Belgian Second Division.

### Montegnée

Later in June 2012, he moved to Saint-Nicolas, Liège where he signed a six-month contract with Belgian Provincial League club, R.R.F.C. Montegnée.

### Al-Thaid

Later in 2012, he again made a move out of Burkina Faso and this time to the Middle East and more accurately to the United Arab Emirates where he signed a two-year contract with UAE First Division League club, Al-Thaid. He made his UAE First Division League debut on 10 November 2012 in a 1–0 win over Al-Fujairah SC and scored his first goal on 16 November 2012 in a 2–0 win over Hatta Club. He came into limelight after scoring a number of braces in the competition against teams like Al-Rams, Masafi Club, Al-Khaleej Club and Al-Jazira Al-Hamra. He also scored a hat-trick in the 2012–13 season in a 4–4 draw against Hatta Club. He scored 14 goals in 17 matches in the 2012–13 UAE First Division League.

He made his first appearance in the 2013–14 season and scored his first goal on 28 September 2013 in a 2–1 win over Al-Ittihad Kalba SC in the Preliminary Qualification for the 2013–14 UAE President's Cup. In the very next match in the competition, he scored a brace helping his side secure a 2–1 win over Dibba Al-Hisn Sports Club and helping them advance to the Round 8 of the Preliminary Qualification where too he scored a goal in a 3–2 loss against UAE Pro League side, Al-Nasr Dubai SC. He made his first appearance in the 2013–14 UAE First Division League on 16 November 2013 in a 3–1 loss against Dibba Al-Hisn Sports Club and scored his first goal on 27 December 2013 in a 2–1 win over Al-Tawoon CSC. The Burkinabé international earned the praise of many in the nation as he scored a total of 16 goals in six consecutive games towards the end of the season which included a brace on 25 April 2014 in a 4–3 loss against Al-Fujairah SC, 3 consecutive hat-tricks in a 5–0 win over Al-Tawoon CSC, 3–0 win over Al-Khaleej Club and a 4–1 win over Masafi Club within a span of two weeks and a super hat-trick on 2 February 2015 in a 4–0 win over Al-Rams. thus scoring a total of 24 goals in 23 appearances in the 2013–14 season of UAE's First Division League. He scored 4 goals in 3 appearances in the Preliminary Qualification for the 2013–14 UAE President's Cup.

In the 2014–15 season, he made his first appearance and scored his first goal on 13 September 2014 in a 2–2 draw against Al-Urooba in the 2014–15 UAE FA Cup. He made his first appearance in the 2014–15 UAE First Division League on 15 November 2014 in a 3–3 draw against Al-Khaleej Club and scored his first goal on 28 November 2014 in a 1–1 draw against Hatta Club. His goal tally also included a super hat-trick on 3 April 2015 in a 4–1 win over Al-Tawoon CSC. He scored 10 goals in 13 appearances in the 2014-15 UAE First Division League and 3 goals in 3 appearances in the 2014–15 UAE FA Cup thus ending his three-year long spell with the Sharjah -based club.

### Saham

In January 2015, he again moved out to the Middle East and this time to Oman where he signed a six-month contract with Oman Professional League club, Saham Club. He made his debut and scored his first goal for the club on 14 January 2015 in a 2–2 draw against Al-Shabab Club in the Round of 16 of the 2015–16 Sultan Qaboos Cup which was later won 5–3 on penalties by Saham, which included a penalty from the Burkinabé international. He made his Oman Professional League debut on 18 January 2016 in a 0–0 draw against Al-Khabourah SC and scored his first goal on 23 January 2016 in a 3–1 loss against Al-Nahda Club.


Bhutan Biodiversity Portal

# Bhutan Biodiversity Portal

## Abstract

Bhutan Biodiversity Portal (འབྲུག་སྐྱེ་ལྡན་རིགས་སྣ་འཆར་སྒོ།) is a consortium based citizen science website comprising key biodiversity data generating agencies and can be used by anyone. The portal is an official online repository of data on Bhutanese biodiversity.

## History

Access to the updated and reliable information on the biodiversity of Bhutan for effective conservation was a major problem. The Bhutan Biodiversity Portal was created to address this issue.

In 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, a project agreement was initiated under the framework of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was formalized in 1994. Bhutan Integrated Biodiversity Information System(BIBIS) was created subsequently in 2002. The aim of the information system was to create a biodiversity platform which will be accessible to anyone interested in the biodiversity of Bhutan.

The BIBIS was later upgraded and developed into a web-based web portal in 2008. Since 2011 the portal have been upgraded and developed into the present form. This gave birth to the present Bhutan Biodiversity Portal. The Present portal was officially launched on 17 December 2013 coinciding with the National Day of Bhutan by the then Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Lyonpo Yeshi Dorji.

## Features

### Species pages

The species page feature of the Portal provides curated and updated information on various taxa found in the country. Editing and creation of the species pages is limited to approved curators and admins only.

### Observations

The observations feature of the Portal provides platform to the users to record observation of various taxa from within the country. This section of the Portal promotes the participation from the users to document the biodiversity of Bhutan in the form of images, audios and videos. As on 08-03-2020 the portal has a total of 64585 observations. Users can add to the observations through the contribute link in the menu. Besides the image, sound and video observations, users can add checklist, documents and datasets.

### Maps

The Maps module of the Portal provides various geo-spatial information through an interactive user interface. They are displayed in the form of layers. Currently the Portal provides the following map layers.

### Contribution

Contributions to the portal can be made in the following

- Adding/Editing a species page (needs special permission)

- Add an observation can be done through multiple observations

- Adding a list

- Adding documents

- Adding dataset

- Add a trait/Value

- Add a fact

- Add a data package

## Technology

The portal uses the opensource Biodiversity Informatics Platform codebase developed and maintained by Strand Life Sciences. The Strand Life Sciences and the India Biodiversity Portal provides all the technical backstoppings assisted by the Information and Communication Services Division under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.

## Platforms

Users of the portal can interact with the portal in various ways. They can access or contribute to the portal through:

- the web based portal accessible at https://biodiversity.bt

- Android app available on playstore

- iOS app available on appstore

## The Consortium

The consortium is supported by the following national and international organizations.

### National Biodiversity Centre (Bhutan)

The National Biodiversity Centre (Bhutan) is the secretariat for the consortium. The National Biodiversity Centre is a government institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests of Bhutan.

### Information and Communication Services Division

The Information and Communication Services Division under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests was established under the Ministry in 1992. The Division currently provides technological backstopping to the Portal.

### College of Natural Resources

The College of Natural Resources (Bhutan) is a college under the Royal University of Bhutan.

### Department of Forests and Park Services

The Department of Forests and Park Services of Bhutan is represented by the following institutions.

#### Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research

The Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research is a research based training institute under the Department of Forests and Park Services of Bhutan.

#### Nature Conservation Division

The Nature Conservation Division is one of the five functional divisions under the Department of Forests and Park Services established in 1992. It currently acts as the focal of the protected areas and biodiversity conservation in Bhutan.

## Awards

The National Biodiversity Centre (Bhutan) as the secretariat to the consortium received the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Mountain Development Award 2018 on the occasion of International Mountain Day on 11 December 2018.


The Matchbreaker

# The Matchbreaker

## Abstract

The Matchbreaker is a 2016 American romantic comedy film produced and directed by Caleb Vetter, and starring Wesley Elder, Christina Grimmie, Osric Chau, Victoria Jackson, and Tessa Violet. The film follows a man whose occupation is breaking up girls' relationships for their deploring parents, and at the same time trying to win over a girl he had a crush on in grade school.

The film premiered at Arclight Cinema Dome in Los Angeles on October 4, 2016, and was released in selected theaters on October 7. The film was released for digital download on December 6.

The film features the only motion picture performance by American singer Christina Grimmie, who was murdered four months prior to its release; it is dedicated to Grimmie's memory.

## Plot

The film opens with Ethan Cooper, a clerk at a computer repair shop, retelling a story to his roommate, Sam, about his long-lasting infatuation with a girl, Emily Atkins, whom he knew in elementary school.

One day, while visiting his sister Lexy, a florist, Ethan gets an offer from Mrs. Taylor to get rid of her daughter Veronica's boyfriend in exchange for money. He succeeds but accidentally causes Veronica to become infatuated with him. Mrs. Taylor recommends Ethan to other disapproving parents, thus making him a match-breaker and making his "business" prosperous.

Sometime later, he gets a yet another offer from a dissatisfied parent. Ethan meets her at a jazz club, where she apparently sings at nights. It turns out that the daughter is actually Emily Atkins, the same girl whom Ethan was gushing about to his roommate, Sam. Ethan decides to meet up with her again, this time at an art gallery, where Emily works.

Meanwhile, a puerile rich young man named Mitchell becomes interested in a waitress named Tricia. Unfortunately, his parents do not approve of his new-found love interest and they hire Ethan to dismantle the couple. Ethan goes on a double date with the couple, bringing Lexy along to act as his girlfriend. They try to make Mitchell and Tricia dislike each other but are unsuccessful.

Sometime after, Emily invites Ethan to a restaurant where Ethan learns Emily's apparent displeasure with her boyfriend. Later, Ethan gets a surprise visit from Emily's mother, from whom he learns that Emily has broken up with her boyfriend on her own. Her mother offers Ethan a reward, but he declines.

Ethan and Emily decide to hang out. Emily learns that Ethan had and still has a crush on her. Also, Ethan learns that Emily is not as flawless as he made her out to be. Despite her flaws, Ethan kisses Emily, but Emily disapproves of the kiss.

Emily gets a call from a friend who is in need of help and asks Ethan to come. It turns out that Emily is close friends with Tricia. Ethan learns that Tricia and Mitchell broke up. Annoyed with Veronica's affection with him, Ethan decides to tell her that he has no interest in her.

Sometime later, at a formal party, Emily notices a check written by her mother for Ethan in her mother's handbag. Ethan rushes over to the party as Sam texts him to let him know that someone is trying to move in on Emily. When he arrives, Emily, who is infuriated, confronts Ethan about the check. Ethan notices that Veronica has followed him. Engulfed with emotional trauma, Veronica exposes Ethan to be a match-breaker in front of a crowd, as she has stalked him since they first met.

The next day, Emily's mother tells Emily that Ethan refused to take the check for the assumed dismantlement of the couple. Meanwhile, overwhelmed with guilt, Ethan gets Mitchell back together with Tricia, and offers Mitchell's father, a record producer, to visit the jazz club tonight, where Emily will be performing. Later, Tricia informs Emily that Ethan helped Mitchell to win Tricia over again.

Six months later, Tricia and Mitchell have gotten engaged, and Ethan has written a relationship book and started a romantic relationship with Emily.

## Cast

- Wesley Elder as Ethan Cooper

- Christina Grimmie as Emily Atkins

- Osric Chau as Sam

- Olan Rogers as Mitchell

- Shawna Howson as Lexy Cooper

- Tessa Violet as Tricia

- Victoria Jackson as Mrs. Taylor

- Torry Martin as Tully Flanagan

- Ashley Shelton as Veronica

- Ben Davies as Brian

- Reylynn Caster as Lemonade Stand Girl

## Production

The shooting principally took place in Kansas City, Missouri, whose some of the landmarks can be seen, such as the Kauffman Center, The American, and the Green Lady Lounge, and in Leavenworth, Kansas. Leavenworth's landmarks were also featured in the film, such as the Leavenworth theatre and the Tampico Restaurant. The gas station, FavTrip, on the 4th street was also used during the filming, and some of the interior houses as well.

## Release

The film's first premiere was held at the Arclight Cinema Dome in Los Angeles on October 4, 2016. The premiere had an immense focus on honoring one of the lead stars of the film, Christina Grimmie, and it was attended by her family and friends. The second premiere was held in Caleb Vetter's home town of Kansas City, Missouri, at the Alamo Drafthouse. The film was released in selected theaters across the United States on October 7.

### Home media

The film was released for digital download on December 6, 2016. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7, 2017. The film was released on Netflix in 2017. The film was released on Amazon Prime in 2018.

## Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released on November 29, 2016, in the U.S. by Vetter Brothers Filmworks. The soundtrack features songs whose vocals were provided by the actors themselves. The music was composed by George Pauley.

On December 6, 2016, a music video for the song " My Buddy " was released.

### Track listing


The Memory Thief

# The Memory Thief

## Abstract

The Memory Thief is a 2007 American independent drama film. It was written and directed by Gil Kofman and features Mark Webber and Rachel Miner in the leading roles. The film chronicles the experiences of a young man who becomes involved in documenting the experiences of survivors of the Holocaust, as his commitment turns into obsession and madness. The film, which was Kofman’s feature debut as a feature director, was shot on DV. Critical reviews of the film were generally favourable.

## Plot

Lukas is a young man who works as a tollbooth operator. He does not have much of a social life and spends much of his free time visiting his catatonic mother in the hospital. One day, one of the tollbooth customers tosses him a copy of Hitler 's Mein Kampf, and Lukas reads it, prompting a Holocaust survivor to berate Lukas as he drives through Lukas's booth. The next day the old man gives him a videotape containing his testimony from the concentration camps. Watching the tape, Lukas becomes captivated, not less so when he spots the old man's obituary in the newspaper, and decides to attend the funeral. He is confronted by Mira, a young medical student, for attending a funeral without knowing the deceased. They argue. Lukas shows her the witness tape.

While visiting his mother in the hospital, he again meets the medical student Mira, whose father is also a camp survivor. Lukas asks Mira to go out with him. She agrees, but is upset by his obsession with holocaust memories, especially since he is not Jewish. She wonders if he is a voyeur. He insists the memories are important. She asks him about his own childhood, and Lukas replies that he cannot remember one good memory from his own childhood.

Lukas gets a job working for the Holocaust organization that makes the interview tapes with the survivors. At this point, Lukas's behavior becomes obsessive. He hoards interview tapes, watching several simultaneously on different television sets. He wears a yellow star, plasters his wall with pictures from holocaust camps, and buys lottery tickets based on the interviewees tattooed identification numbers from the camps. He writes long letters to the filmmaker Horowitz, who has made a movie about the Holocaust. He gives a pink triangle to his transgender co-worker, Dominique. Eventually he persuades Mira's father to record an interview. The Holocaust foundation fires Lukas for doing an interview before he is trained. The burden of recalling the memories is too much for Mira's father, who kills himself. Mira blames Lukas for her father's death, and Lukas is devastated.

Lukas buys his own camera and wanders the streets pushing the camera in people's faces, asking them if they are Jewish, and telling them that they are lucky to be alive. He demands that all German cars use a different lane at his tollbooth. His erratic behavior gets him fired. He comes to believe that he himself is the last Holocaust survivor. He shaves his head and gets an identification number tattooed on his arm. He picks a fight with a group of neo-Nazi skinheads, and is beaten. The woman in the next bed to his mother in the hospital confronts him, accusing him of not being her son at all, and he does not deny it. He gives away his shoes to his co-worker, and dons a home made concentration camp prisoner uniform, as he embarks on, what he describes as, a death march.

## Cast

- Mark Webber as Lukas

- Rachel Miner as Mira

- Jerry Adler as Mr. Zweig

- Allan Rich as Zvi Birnbaum

- Peter Jacobson as Mr. Freeman

- Douglas Spain as Dominic

- Stella Hudgens as Amanda

- Carlos Gomez as Amanda's father

- Karen Landry as Mother

- Mary Pat Gleason as Hospital patient (Mary)

- Richard Riehle as Judaica store clerk

- Carlucci Weyant as Chris

- Blu de Golyer as Skinhead

## Production

The Memory Thief was the first feature film directed by the Nigerian -born playwright Gil Kofman. Kofman himself had married into a family of Holocaust survivors, so the topic of the film related to his personal life. In the interview sequences shown, the movie makes use of the testimonies of actual Holocaust survivors.

## Reception

The Memory Thief received mostly favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 79% fresh rating, based on 14 reviews. Jeannette Catsoulis, writing for The New York Times, called it "a strange and melancholy journey to the heart of madness," and she commended the way the movie presented a counterbalance to formulaic Hollywood movies about the Holocaust. Maureen M. Hart of the Chicago Tribune wrote that Kofman had "crafted an unusual tale of post-traumatic stress and pain and the ownership thereof," and she singled out for praise Jerry Adler's performance as an old Holocaust survivor. Leba Hertz, on the other hand, in a review for the San Francisco Chronicle, complained that "something rings false" about the movie. For instance, she had difficulties understanding why a girl like Mira should be attracted to someone such as Lukas.


Sonic Explorations

# Sonic Explorations

## Abstract

Sonic Explorations is the debut album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp and alto saxophonist Rob Brown, issued on LP in 1988 on Cadence Jazz.

Both musicians played together for about 5 years before. "Sonic Explorations" is a suite in 6 sections (including a piano solo and a sax solo section). The duo also plays jazz standards Oleo by Sonny Rollins and Blue in Green (credited to Miles Davis on Kind of Blue, but Shipp believes that Bill Evans wrote the piece). "I love Bill Evans even though a lot of people don't connect my playing with him at all. I learned a lot from him about phrasing, harmonic possibilities of the piano", Shipp says. The 2000 CD reissue adds additional takes of both standards.

## Reception

In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek states "This duet by Matthew Shipp and Rob Brown from the late '80s offers a slice-of-the-pie view of Shipp's rethinking his own approach to improvisation and ensemble playing." The Penguin Guide to Jazz says that "there's much detailed interplay between piano and saxophone, with Brown's beautiful tone and ripping phrasing pushing the pianist into an accompanying role at times."

## Track listing

- "Sonic Explorations Section 1" - 8:07

- "Sonic Explorations Section 2" - 4:10

- "Sonic Explorations Section 3" - 5:46

- "Sonic Explorations Section 4" - 4:08

- "Sonic Explorations Section 5" (Rob Brown) - 5:21

- "Sonic Explorations Section 6" - 9:44

- " Oleo " (Sonny Rollins) - 3:32

- " Blue in Green " (Miles Davis / Bill Evans) - 6:10

- " Oleo - take 2" (Sonny Rollins) - 3:37

- " Blue in Green - take 2" (Miles Davis / Bill Evans) - 4:10

## Personnel

- Matthew Shipp - piano

- Rob Brown - alto sax


Andrew Baines

# Andrew Baines

## Abstract

Andrew Baines (born 1963) is an Australian artist based in Adelaide, South Australia, known for his "quasi-surrealist" paintings of politicians in exposed positions and bowler-hatted office workers on beaches, and " living statues ". He does a lot of work for charities, particularly those focussed on the plight of homeless people.

## Early life and education

Baines was born in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1963, then migrated to South Australia with his parents as an infant.

Baines grew up in the beachside suburb of Grange, spending school holidays at various other coastal places, including Coobowie on the Yorke Peninsula, Rapid Bay, Normanville and Kangaroo Island. His father was a semi-professional soccer player and electrician. His mother was a housewife, who loved painting, reading and music. He has two younger brothers. His mother placed drawing materials in his hands as soon as he could sit up and Baines showed great aptitude, astonishing a kindergarten teacher with his aerial perspective drawing of the area they lived in.

He attended Grange Primary, and attended painting classes at the Henley and Grange Art Society when he was ten years old. Baines became the cartoonist for the Western Suburbs Schools Soccer Newsletter that same year, earning two dollars a cartoon. He was also an unpaid profile artist for the Grange Primary newsletter. By age eleven, he was selling pencil sketches for A$5 to teachers and parents at the Grange Primary School.

He then went to Seaton High School, developed a passion for soccer player and worked for John Martins after finishing school at the age of 16, in 1979. There he produced artwork for the "Magic Cave" and backdrops for window displays, and met his future wife, Jacqueline.

In 1980 and 1981 Baines spent two years at the South Australian School of Art at Underdale, but clashes with his soccer training schedule caused him to drop out and he returned to work at John Martins.

## Career

In his twenties Baines discovered the works of Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Pro Hart and Ken Done, and saw the life he wanted.

In 1984, he resigned from John Martins to start Baines Graphics (set up in 1983), producing murals, cartoons, and other artworks for high-profile companies, such as BP Australia, Australian Grand Prix, and the S.A. Soccer Federation.

In 1999, he became a full-time painter, on the advice of his wife Jacqueline.

During the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Baines accumulated a lot of debt, and almost found himself homeless.

Baines's work has attracted media attention through his "human sculptures" on coasts around the country, which have parallels with the work of Storm Thorgerson, known for his Pink Floyd album covers.

Baines' work is represented by many major commercial galleries and is held in many collections across Australia and abroad, but as of July 2022 Baines his work has not made it into the Art Gallery of South Australia. A solo exhibition, The Search for Sanity, is mounted by BMGArt in July–August 2022.

As of July 2022 Baines lives and works in Grange, with his wife Jacqueline.

## Art practice and works

Baines describes himself as a "quasi-surrealist painter and installation artist". He particularly admires the work of Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ken Done, Pro Hart and Jeffrey Smart.

He has put Alexander Downer in a red door on the beach; Natasha Stott Despoja, Steven Marshall and Kirsten Alexander, mayor of the City of Charles Sturt in full mayoral gown and gold chains, in the sea, drinking tea; two dozen leaders of various faiths holding hands along the water's edge, including both the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops; arranged for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to play a symphony in the sea; put a herd of cows in the Indian Ocean; stood former prime minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and over 100 suited volunteers holding umbrellas aloft in the dawn surf at Bondi Beach, then replicated this with former Western Australian premier Colin Barnett and suited volunteers at Cottesloe beach; seated twelve suited volunteers on toilets reading papers along the water's edge, including Australian politician, Amanda Vanstone; and provided brightly coloured sheep to the SA branch of the United Nations Association of Australia "to mark the International Year of Family Farming". Since 2005, he has created dozens of installations on Australian beaches, collaborating with Hills Hoist, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Leigh Warren Dance Company, Holstein Australia, the Western Australian State Gallery, Anglicare, Flinders Medical Centre Foundation and Wirra Wirra Vineyards. Volunteer subjects have included Sir James & Lady Hardy, and Sir Eric & Lady Neal, among many others.

Busselton Bovines (February 2011) involved placing five Holstein Friesian cattle in the sea at Busselton, Western Australia. It came about when Baines was approached by representatives of the national Dairy Innovators' Forum at a gallery opening in Perth. A few local dairies agreed to take on the challenge of introducing their cows to the sea. Two months later the cows stood happily in the shallows, long enough for photographs to be taken. Local media embraced the event and news of the installation went global.

Post Modern Backyard (May 2011) involved transporting eight full size Hills Hoists to Bondi Beach, New South Wales from Adelaide, and have them erected. Hills loved the concept and organised two professional erecters and eight Hills hoists to be in place at 5 am on Bondi beach.

In Waiting for the Bus (September 2012) one hundred " bowler hat -wearing, classic 'Englishmen'" lined up along Henley Beach and struggled to read the newspaper in the wind.

The Coalition of the Constipated (August 2012) at Henley Beach, South Australia was a political statement, made to highlight the need for toilet facilities at the popular beach. Amanda Vanstone and radio personality, Bob Francis, were involved in the installation. Vanstone had purchased his paintings, for herself and the Australian Embassy in Rome, when she was Ambassador, and Baines had painted Bob Francis' portrait as an entry in the Archibald Prize competition. Soho Galleries Sydney described it as his " most famous installation/photo shoot... a guerrilla protest that featured 12 suited people sitting on toilets reading papers, on the water's edge at Henley ".

Doorways to Potential (January 2013) was a fundraiser, developed to raise awareness for non-profit charity Common Ground Adelaide, which provides assistance and aid to homeless people in the area. Local men, including former politician Alexander Downer, contributed A$1,500 each to the charity to participate, dressing in suits and bowler hats and gathering together on the beach, as a symbol of the possibilities that the future holds.

Sea of Knowledge (February 2014) gathered people aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s on Henley Beach for a photoshoot to "portray their lives, roles and sea of knowledge in a bid to challenge the stereotypes of ageing".

### Commissions

Amongst others, Baines has been commissioned to paint a book cover for Surf Life Saving in S.A., a wine label painting for Wirra Wirra Vineyard, a CD cover painting for ABC Classics, featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 's Principal tuba player Peter Whish-Wilson, and the cover for Steven Ogden's book I Met God in Bermuda.

He cites his favourite commission as a portrait of John Dawkins, former Liberal member of the South Australian Legislative Council, which hangs in Parliament House, Adelaide.

In January 2023, after being commissioned by Lutheran Care to create a work of art that would highlight the plight of homeless people in Adelaide, Baines created a "living art installation " featuring seven well-known South Australians covered in gold paint, as living statues in Rundle Mall in Adelaide city centre. Baines chose gold as a mark of irony, as it is associated with wealth. The subjects represented various forms of homelessness experienced by a variety of people, played by AFLW player Erin Phillips; Adelaide Fringe director Heather Croall; Kaurna elder Uncle Mickey O'Brien; Human Services Minister Nat Cook; and former A-League striker Bruce Djite.

## Other activities

Baines was appointed as an art advisor to the UN, and as of July 2022 is working on a project about micro-plastics in the ocean, for Harmony Day. He commits himself to two charities per year, in particular those which assist the homeless. He has imagined the concept of statues of homeless "trolley women" in the city, with QR code that lead to the stories of their lives.

## Film, video and TV

A 2009 episode of Landline features Baines's interest in painting cows.

Ash Starkey uploaded a three-minute screener to YouTube in 2010, which contains scenes from a half-hour documentary, Edge of Nothingness, that he made about Baines.

In 2013, Photography Life released a one-minute time lapse film on Vimeo of Baines setting up his installation, Doorways to Potential, on Henley Beach in South Australia.

Anna Creoddity released a short film (2014) on YouTube called Art Day! Andrew Baines, in which she shows and discusses his art work.

In 2014, Baines, Aaron Schuppan and Carlo Petraccaro, produced a short film called Escape of the Corporate Battery Hens, which shows many South Australian identities in unguarded moments, including Amanda Vanstone, Steven Marshall, Vickie Chapman and Kirsten Alexander, former mayor of the City of Charles Sturt. The film, along with a short documentary, The Existentialist, about Baines' philosophy on life and art, were screened at The Arts Theatre in Angas Street, Adelaide, on 18 January 2015.

## Awards

As of 2022 Baines has not yet won a major art prize, but has been a finalist in several, including:

- Adelaide Cathedral Art Prize, SA (2006)

- Adelaide Fringe Festival Poster Competition, SA (2006)

- Corangamarah Art Prize, VIC (2008)

- Cromwell's Art Prize, NSW (2004)

- Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, NSW (2004 & 2006; semi-finalist, 2013)

- Fleurieu Art Prize (2004, 2006 & 2008)

- Gray Mast Art Prize, SA (2004)

- Heysen Prize for Landscape, SA (2005)

- Maritime Art Awards, VIC (2009)

- Mortimore Art Prize for Surrealism, NSW (2012)

- Nora Heysen Art Prize for Still Life, SA (2011)

- Spirit of the Outback, QLD (2005)

- Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, SA (2004, 2006 & 2007)

- Whyalla Art Prize, SA (2007 & 2009)

## Collections

Baines' work is held in various collections, including:

- University of Adelaide

- Advertiser Newspapers

- ANZ Bank, Singapore

- Australian Embassy, Rome, Italy

- National Dairies

- Nichi Engineering, Malaysia

- Roseworthy College

- St Aloysius College

- St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls

- State Emergency Service South Australia

- Smorgan Collection

- Wirra Wirra Winery, South Australia

## Exhibitions

His paintings have been exhibited in many private galleries, including

- Accent Fine Art, NSW

- Accent Fine Art, WA

- Adelaide Hilton International Gallery, SA

- Art Images Gallery, SA

- Aviva Fine Art Gallery, Vic

- Axia Modern, VIC

- Bay Discovery Gallery, SA

- BMG Art, SA

- Framed the Darwin Gallery, NT

- Gallows Gallery, WA

- Glenn Gallery, SA

- Greenaway Gallery, Vic

- Greenhill Galleries, SA

- Greenwood Gallery, VIC

- Harrison Galleries, NSW

- Hester Gallery, NSW

- Jahroc Gallery, WA

- Jenny Pihan Fine Art, VIC

- Lombard Art Gallery, SA

- Lynne Wilton Gallery, VIC

- Maree Mizon Gallery, NSW

- Monsoon Gallery, WA

- Paint Box Fine Art, ACT

- Pilbara Fine Art Gallery, WA

- Pivotal Gallery, VIC

- Raglan Gallery, NSW

- Red Dot Gallery, SA

- Redhill Gallery, QLD

- Rembar Gallery, Vic

- Richard Martin Gallery, NSW

- Rushcutters Bay Gallery, NSW

- Stafford Studios of Fine Art, WA

- Xanadu Gallery, WA

- Shayne Gallery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

- Karin Weber Gallery, Hong Kong

- International Surrealism Now, Lisbon, Portugal

- Artery Gallery, St Andrews, Scotland

- Red Sea Gallery, Singapore

- Galerie TOAAC Switzerland

- Dart Gallery Devon, United Kingdom

- Blackheath Gallery, London, United Kingdom

- Susan Street Fine Art Gallery, California, US

- Gallery Diamante, California, USA

- Joanne Coia Gallery, Florida, USA

## Publications

Baines is listed in the Lexikon der phantastischen Künstler.

His paintings have appeared in such publications as ArtSlant New York, and Glow Magazine.