It was there I met Katya Kuznetsova, a beautiful and confident advertising executive with a weakness for strawberry ice cream, although you would hardly know it from her slim figure.

Katya, who's 22, is dating Sasha, a drummer in a heavy metal band. This will be their second Valentine's Day together.

Last year he took her to see a romantic foreign film, which was rather more her cup of tea than his.

She also likes watching the TV comedy series "Sex & The City" about the seductive antics of some very liberated New York women.

There's a Russian equivalent, in which Katya says the characters want more than hot dates and casual sex. They're looking for marriage.

It's a silly programme, she says, but in a way very Russian.

Speaking of her parents' courtship back in the days of the USSR, Katya says: "They took everything very seriously back then.

White House Threatens Veto Over Spending Bill, Even After Democrats ...

The White House and senior Democratic leaders continue to butt heads over a massive spending bill that includes billions of dollars in Iraq war funding, even after Democrats indicated they would drop their demands for troop withdrawal timetables.

"Instead of trying to leverage troop-funding for more pork-barrel spending, Congress ought to pass responsible appropriations bills and the funding for the troops our commanders say they need to build on their battlefield successes," he said.

Enlarged prostate: An inevitable and treatable condition

Dear Savvy Senior: I have been seeing advertisements on television about older men who have erratic bathroom problems because of prostate enlargement. What can you tell me about this and can it lead to prostate cancer? -- Gotta Go Joe

How the spooks keep tabs on Scots would-be bombers

Many of the commentors here, should remember as christians we do not live with hate but with love. I would respectfully say to those who are not in the UK to visit our islands and live here for a few months then judge us. By live here i mean work, travel talk, not just stay at one friends house and lock the door.

Sideshow: Lawyer: Remove Brit's dad

Legal maneuverings in the world of Britney Spears continue to wend their Byzantine way. First, a child custody hearing was continued yesterday after a closed-door meeting of her lawyers, ex-husband and conservators. "In the end, no change was made," court spokesman Allan Parachini said. Another hearing was set for Feb. 19. Then, attorney Adam Streisand, saying Brit had authorized him to speak for her, asked the court to remove James Spears, the Disturbed One's father, as conservator of her estate. That estate, Streisand said, is worth $40 million. He also said Brit was in the middle of a $17 million IRS audit with her record label. Streisand asked that the court name Northern Trust Bank and Howard Grossman, Brit's business manager, as conservators. The problem for Streisand - second cousin to Barbra the diva - is that the court isn't convinced he was properly retained by Britney.

Out of control

The price of steel reached LE4,800 per tonne on 4 January, compared to LE3,700 in November 2007. Cement prices rose from LE330 to LE420 per tonne during the same period, while brick prices increased by 52 per cent in January, registering LE280 compared to LE180 per thousand brick in December 2007.

Steel prices began to rise steadily at the start of 2008 with weekly price hikes. On 12 January, Ezz Steel company, whose output accounts for 60 per cent of the total local market production, announced that the increase in steel prices was due to the unprecedented increase in the cost of pellets, the raw material used in manufacturing steel.

Egypt’s modern history told through Awraq Mas

Characters are either extremely wealthy or dying from poverty. They are corrupt businessmen from big families with lots of sons and daughters who face the usual emotional problems and psychological diseases; or they are intrepid journalists and revolutionary leaders who fight injustice. It is perfectly normal to notice one actor or actress playing three similar roles in three different series all of which are showing at the same time. (Last Ramadan Dr. Ezzat Abou-Ouf and Boshra both appeared in three series each.) It is thus not uncommon for a star or even a supporting actor to move between three sets and shoot for 24 hours in front of the rolling camera — every day. Due to their busy and crazy schedules, performers are usually worn out and extremely stressed. That doesn’t mean, however, they can’t manage to make time for (an often paid for) guest appearance on TV programs.

It's likeable Giants vs. villainous Patriots

What the Giants have done, besides reach the Super Bowl, is put the place of their birth in a whole new light. Everybody pulls for the underdog, and in this game, the Giants are downright Pekingese. Las Vegas already has given its verdict (12 1/2 points). The last time the odds were this steep against a New York team in the Super Bowl was in 1969, and we know how that turned out.

Any groundswell of support for the Giants wouldn't be without merit. There's enough to like about a team that somehow survived this long. We can start with the quarterback, Eli Manning, who never gets too down or up, and managed to withstand the heat that comes with playing quarterback in New York. Then there's the coach, Tom Coughlin, who cracked a smile Sunday for the first time since he was ordered to do so for the team picture.

FedEx Kinkos Hired Man Who Admitted Statutory Rape, Documents Reveal

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A print shop hired a man who later molested two boys in their homes even though he admitted on his job application that he had been convicted of statutory rape, according to documents obtained in a lawsuit.

Paul Sykes, who worked in a FedEx Kinko's print shop in Fairfield, solicited customers there for a computer repair business he ran called "Facts and Fantasy," according to the lawsuit.