World's thinnest house built in Polish capital

The world's thinnest house opened up its doors for the first time this weekend, however it is unlikely there was enough room to throw a moving in party.

The 'world's thinnest house' has popped up in Warsaw (Picture: AFP)

Measuring just five feet at its widest point, the ultra-thin home was unveiled in the Polish capital of Warsaw on Sunday.
Squeezed into an alleyway between a pre-World War II house and a modern apartment block, the unusual property was originally due to be installed as an art installation.
The ground floor contains a kitchen, toilet, shower and eating area, while tenants can access the upstairs bedroom via a metal ladder.

Tiny: The house is just five foot wide (Picture: AP)

Tenant: Etgar Keret (EPA)

Polish architect Jakub Szczesny said the claustrophobic living quarters has all the basics a tenant could need.
'It contains all necessary amenities such as a micro-kitchen, mini-bathroom, sleeping cubicle and tiny work area, all accessible via ladders,' he said.
'I think plenty of light is most important in order to eliminate the fear of the small space.'

A 3D design of the house (Picture: AP/Foundation of Polish Modern Art)

He added: 'Research shows we are approaching a social disaster because too little living space is built.
'You don't need that much space to live in, so it is worth considering building smaller scaled, cheaper housing.'
Israeli writer Etgar Keret will be the first person to live in the property, which has been named Keret House in his honour.
Many members of Keret's family died in the Holocaust under Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland, with the house built at the point where one the largest Jewish ghettos in occupied Europe was created.
VIDEO: World's thinnest home unveiled

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/915731-worlds-thinnest-house-built-in-polish-capital#ixzz2AW86Qy00

Baby elephant rescue will steal your heart

A baby stuck in a well. A frantic mother crazed with worry for her off-spring. Anyone could relate, but these very human emotions came from the bond of an elephant baby and her mother. And a video capturing the rescued calf has captivated the Web.

Just your typical day on the Amboseli National Park in Kenya, where a team of elephant conservations from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants received a call about a baby stuck in an five-foot hole dug by Masai tribesman. They raced to the site of the accident.

The baby was fine, but the hole was too deep for the eight-month-old calf to climb out. And the mother was unable to help.

To complicate matters, the mother thought the rescuers were a threat, and almost sat on the Land Rover. The driver, Dr. Vicki Fishlock, resident scientist of the elephant trust, recognized the mother, Zombe, from a mark on her ear.

The scientist scared her away with a high pitched yell, maneuvered around her, as two men managed to get rope around the baby. By attaching the line to SUV and putting the vehicle into reverse, they were able to pull the elephant calf out.

A happy ending, but especially rewarding as the video captures the baby's sprint to its mother's side.

The rescue is a reminder of the challenges faced by humans and elephants that share the land. Without the rescue, the elephant would have died in the well, causing conflict with the Masai.

The organization's website noted, "Luckily the report came in early in the morning and we were able to get there quick before the mother was forced to leave by herders arriving to water their cattle. It was a happy ending as we were able to reunite the calf with her mother, Zombe."

The organization has a long-time relationship with the elephants, which they've been studying since 1972, as well as the Masai. Fishlock noted to Yahoo News in an email, "Our biggest fears for the elephants of Amboseli and elsewhere lie not with their sharing land with the Maasai, who we work with and who report elephant emergencies to us, but from the burgeoning ivory trade."

Indeed, thousands of elephants are slaughtered across Africa for their ivory tusks, used to make trinkets that are in high demand in Asia .

Fishlock added, " We are delighted by the web response to our video, and we hope it persuades people that elephants are special and deserve to be protected and cherished."

Lord Gibson Ambassador at Large

We typically define an ambassador as someone who brings goodwill and positive intentions to troubled situations, looking for compromises and solutions to problems that will ultimately benefit everyone involved. By that definition, it’s difficult to think of Lord Neil Gibson as anything other than a true ambassador—not only in his official, appointed position as an ambassador, but in other ways, as well. Indeed, Lord Neil Gibson continues to do good work on humanity’s behalf, and his role both as a diplomat and as a more general humanitarian make him a true unsung hero, someone worth knowing about and even celebrating.

But who is Lord Neil Gibson, exactly? It’s amazing to think that a man who has done so much in terms of diplomacy and humanitarianism in foreign countries—ranging from African nations to troubled Middle-Eastern states—is still unknown to so many of us. Here is a quick rundown of the roles in which he has served:

• Once named “Ambassador at Large” for West Africa, a role in which he served for several years, Lord Neil Gibson has dedicated a great amount of time and energy to collecting, packing, and shipping much-needed supplies, including books, clothes, and computers, into West Africa. He was able to develop his own method of doing so by building a relationship with local business partners, ensuring that these supplies were safely delivered to the folks who really needed them.
• Enacting positive change in a troubled nation is one thing, but what many of us forget is that it takes the concentrated efforts of economists to ensure that change is sustained. Lord Neil Gibson has used his knack for finance to teach international communities and their representatives how to manage their financial assets effectively and efficiently.
• Lord Neil Gibson has created new and improved shelters and infrastructures for people living in troubled or impoverished countries around the globe. From the creation of a new road between the Port of Belize and Guatemala to the construction of medical facilities in Iraq, Lord Neil Gibson has used his resources to create positive, lasting change on foreign soil.

As you can see, Lord Neil Gibson is a real agent for positive change; learn more about this humanitarian, and witness the good work he is doing both at home and abroad!