Things to know about G20

　　US President Barack Obama (L) laughs with Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev as they pose for a family photograph at the G20 summit, in London on April 2. REUTERS

　　After a month of media buzz around the *VIP-studded one-day summit, the G20 leaders, last Thursday, promised an additional $1.1 trillion to restorehope in the world economy. That's good. But for ordinary folks, protectionism or capital injection may not be the major concern. What really interests us is who sits next to whom at dinner, and who stand where at a high-level photo shoot.

　　Quiet please

　　At the end of a family photo with the Queen and the world's leaders at Buckingham Palace, the Italian prime minister shouted: "Mr Obama!" Obama replied: "Mr Berlusconi!" – in a softer voice. The Queen, on hearing Berlusconi's strident tones, turned – seemingly to Obama – and exclaimed: "What is it? Why does he have to shout!"

　　This footage was broadcast and brought criticism from Italians. Berlusconi, 72, is well known for his social mistakes on the world's stage.

　　Last year he caused outrage by describing the US President as "suntanned".

　　Q: Why does Her Majesty appear so unhappy?

　　A: The Queen represents a formal culture. Anyone speaking rather loudly can be regarded as ignorant or hard of hearing. At the same time, speaking in a whisper, particularly for the purpose of excluding others from a conversation aside, is also rude.

　　The important thing is to be conscious of whom you're talking to and to aim to be understood more than to be heard.

　　Photo position

　　It's about as challenging putting together 30 world leaders and offcials for a *photo-op as it is to *herd cats. The traditional "family photo" of G20 leaders had to be restaged after Canadian PM Stephen Harper was missing from the line-up.

　　The *call of nature nearly wiped Harper out of the history books, but the leaders reassembled to put on their smiles for the cameras a second time.

　　This time, however, it was Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who went absent.

　　Q: How do you group world leaders for a "family photo"?

　　A: Protocol says that Gordon Brown, as host, be front and center, with the leaders *radiating out from him in order of seniority and length of service. That meant the positions to either side of Brown were reserved for the heads of state who had been in harness the longest – President Luis "Lula" Ignacio de Silva of Brazil and Hu Jintao of China.

　　Don't touch me

　　She's not known for her public display of affection. But at a Buckingham Palace reception, the Queen put her hand towards the middle of Michelle Obama's back.

　　Mrs Obama responded and even rubbed the Queen's shoulder before both women moved gently apart after about 10 seconds.

　　The sight of the Queen publicly touching another woman astonished the guests. It was the first time that anyone could remember in her long public life that she had put her arm around another woman. The British media criticized Mrs Obama for breaking *protocol.

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