Browns kiss and make up with Obamas

Cold shoulder? What cold shoulder? There was plenty of warmth on display last night at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh when the first couples of Britain and the United States greeted each other with elaborate hugs and kisses.

Gordon Brown, not a man known for his air-kissing skills, gave an excellent demonstration of the art of diplomatic puckering-up when he planted a smacker on the cheek of Michelle Obama.

These public displays of affection came at the end of a week in which both sides were forced to deny a cooling in the special relationship following President Barack Obama's apparent "lack of diary time" for a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister.

But just to show that they do not reserve all their warmth for the Browns, the Obamas also did the hugging thing with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife. While Carla Bruni-Sarkozy appears genuinely in ecstasy at being wrapped in Mrs Obama's embrace, her husband gazes rather more enigmatically into the camera.

And Italian President Silvio Berlusconi seems to be saying "Come to Papa baby" as Mrs Obama approaches for a hug. Didn't anyone warn her..?