A specially-made wall hanging, which features a Union Flag background and features the American Eagle, Stars and Stripes, as well as flowers, butterflies and marked with the date of the state visit of US President Barak Obama to the UK, was given to the Obamas by British Prime Minister David Cameron. (PA)

Caffeine fast-track

Making tea and coffee for office colleagues could help workers get on in their careers, a study suggests.

A survey of 1,600 office workers found most believed there was a direct correlation between making drinks and being promoted.

The study by office supplies firm Viking also found more than half of workers were reluctant to offer to make a round of tea or coffee because colleagues had become more demanding with their orders.

Brake, signal...

More than 300 learner drivers and examiners were injured during driving tests in Britain last year, figures reveal.

Five examiners suffered physical attacks and 209 reported being verbally abused as stress got the better of candidates, according to Driving Standards Agency statistics obtained by windscreen repair firm Autoglass.

There was even one death recorded, although it was the result of a heart attack which was not attributed to the test.

Digs ‘success’

The number of amateur archaeological finds has risen by more than a third in a year.

There were 90,146 finds recorded in 2010 – up more than a third on 2009.

They are recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) which is managed by the British Museum.

Director Neil MacGregor said the high number of finds was “testament to the tremendous success” of the scheme.

Here kitty

A Californian man searching his garage for what he thought was a racoon suddenly came face-to-face with a mountain lion.

Jesse Taylor ran for help after he discovered the big cat in the garage of his home in Hesperia, a Mojave Desert community about 80 miles north-east of Los Angeles.

Animal experts tranquillised the cougar and released it in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Jurassic spark

A dinosaur caught fire during work on a new amusement park in Ohio.

No one was hurt and the park’s new Dinosaurs Alive! attraction is still on course for its scheduled grand opening.

The cause was unclear, but the fire was confined to just one of the 60 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that move and make sounds.

Game over

America’s National Pinball Museum in Washington is being forced to close after just five months.

The museum features 200 pinball machines, some of which visitors can play, as well as displays detailing the art and history of the game.

Owner David Silverman said he was being asked to leave to make way for mall renovations.

Horse banned

A woman was refused service at a McDonald’s drive-through amid safety concerns over her vehicle – a horse and carriage.

Debbie Murden, 42, was turned away from a branch of the fast-food giant in Alfreton, Derbyshire, after staff said it was unsafe to serve her.

But she said she often took her Welsh Cob and carriage to other restaurants, and later the same day was served by a different fast-food chain. (PA)