Quirky World ... Special forces close to functional ’Iron Man’ suit

USA: US special operations forces may be a few years away from donning a similar suit to the film character Iron Man, one that can monitor the user’s vital signs, give them real-time battlefield information and be bulletproof from head to toe-

It might eventually have other capabilities unheard of only a few years ago, including an exoskeleton made of liquid armour and smart fabrics that could help stop haemorrhaging.

The tactical assault light operator suit (Talos) project is co-ordinated through the Special Operations Command headquarters at MacDill air force base in Tampa, Florida. Some companies working on Talos are in Tampa this week for the International Special Operations Forces conference.

ENGLAND: A house whose previous owners are buried in the back garden has been snapped up in London for around three quarters of a million pounds.

The four-bedroom property, which also needs completely refurbishing, is likely to be worth an estimated £1m (€1.2m) once it has been spruced up, according to estate agent Gascoigne Pees.

The two former occupants of the house in Teddington, south west London, were thought to be artists and their last wishes were to be laid to rest in their large back garden.

The property, dating back to 1875, sat on the market for a couple of weeks before being snapped up. It received two offers, eventually selling for in excess of £730,000.

Neil Oates, the local branch manager at Gascoigne Pees, said potential buyers had not been put off by the previous owners’ unusual wish.

He said someone could now “put their own stamp on it”.

The literature added: “To the rear there is a private 50 foot garden with significant width.

“It is important to note that the previous owners’ last wishes were to be buried in this garden, which is where both currently rest.”

ENGLAND: Men wait up to 90 days to tackle odd jobs around the house, and often use the wrong tools, according to a report.

A survey of 2,000 adults found many were using screwdrivers to unblock a toilet, hammer nails into wood, or even check for faulty wiring.

Computer memory firm Crucial.com said its study found that the average person owns 20 tools, but only actually uses 12. The report listed top DIY jobs which needed doing, including painting, cleaning the oven, clearing out a garage, and removing limescale from kettles.

WALES: A 300-year-old country mansion is to get environmentally friendly heating from the ocean with the UK’s biggest marine source heat pump, the National Trust said.

The technology installed off the North Wales coast will provide all the power needed to heat the National Trust’s Plas Newydd mansion, which sits on the shores of the Menai Strait looking across the mountains of Snowdonia.

The 18th century stately home was the trust’s biggest oil consumer, using around 1,500 litres of oil on some winter days. Now it is switching to a £600,000 marine source heat pump, which will use sea water pumped to a heat exchanger onshore.

USA: A Massachusetts man drove through a stop sign and blew out a cloud of marijuana smoke when he was pulled over, police in Springfield said.

An officer saw a vehicle go through a stop sign. When the driver stopped and rolled down the window, police said, the officer was “covered in a plume of smoke”.

Sergeant John Delaney said the officer asked: “Are you smoking marijuana while operating this motor vehicle?” The driver allegedly responded: “Why, yes, I am, officer.”

The 30-year-old driver was scheduled for a court appearance.