A lighter look – in pictures

Quick, give it a fresh lick of paint, George, and hopefully no one will spot the moneybox is empty. The chancellor of the exchequer gets busy at his annual Christmas party for the Starlight charity Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/PA

The gloves are off, but it's just another day in the office at the Ukrainian parliament Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Who's that skulking in the back row? European leaders and, er, Nick Clegg are snapped in Oslo after the Nobel peace prize award ceremony Photograph: Lise Aserud/AP

All hands on duck – a 50ft rubber bird bobs past HMS Belfast on the Thames Photograph: Jackpotjoy.com/PA

Anyone recognise this royal couple? No, neither do we, but they're on sale in a market shop in Naples, Italy Photograph: Demotix/Corbis

Do they know it's Christmas? Kate Winslet does. She's gone to the Hong Kong international races in seasonal style ... as a Christmas decoration Photograph: Antony Dickson/AFP/Getty Images

Ed Miliband's wife Justine, aka Santa's little helper, knows too Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

This is no time for napping, Santa! St Nicholas is caught having 40 winks before an appearance in Brussels Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

The macaques are in a spot of hot water with their "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" approach to life at the Jigokudani monkey park in Yamanouchi, Japan Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

Look who's having the last laugh. It's a baby hippopotamus at Berlin zoo Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images