Diary: France counts €80m G20 cost

Talk about a fiscal stimulus: the French newspapers say last week's G20 summit in Cannes cost the country €80m (£68.6m) , more than any summit ever held before in France. Much of the cost was generated by super-tight security arrangements, though the Hermes bags handed out to leaders' wives will presumably have cost a bit. To look on the bright side, some of the cost was defrayed by sponsorship from Societe Generale (that should put the bank back in the Government's good books).

The cash machine that bites back

Yikes. Spanish police, excelling in understatement, say a man in Llodio, northern Spain, was "shocked" when a snake came slithering out of a cash machine from which he was withdrawing money and tried to bite him. The gentleman escaped injury – police think that the snake may have slithered in from nearby countryside or, bizarrely, been put in the ATM for a joke.

FSA replaces invisible man

A warm welcome to Zitah McMillan, the new communications director at the Financial Services Authority. McMillan, who previously did the same job at the Department for Work and Pensions, begins her new role in the New Year. She's replacing Tom Kelly, the former spokesman for Tony Blair, but shouldn't have to work too hard to be more visible than her predecessor – Kelly's reign was remarkable for his complete invisibility.

Christmas panto offer from Crisis

A plea to businesses everywhere: homeless charity Crisis is launching a Christmas e-card campaign. It has persuaded celebrities including Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Matthew Kelly and Joe Swash (plus the boy band Blue) to star in an online pantomime. Businesses that contribute get to send out episodes from the panto to their key contacts. Festive fun in a great cause.