News Monday, February 8, 2010 D No SMS please, be romantic . . . MEN are struggling when it comes to modern chivalry. Despite 78 per cent of women saying they would love to receive a romantic letter or poem, only half of men have penned either, a study has found. Men are more inclined to send a text (21 per cent) or an e-mail (11 per cent) to loved ones, according to the report from chocolatiers Lindt. While most of the women questioned used Twitter and Facebook, 56 per cent said they would feel disappointed to receive a wall message or tweet instead of a card on Valentines Day. Corkonians claim title for nice cup of tea and a chat By Con Doherty Tea: Irish institution SOME people claim its a certain brand of stout, and some say its the GAA results, but it seems the thing that really gets Irish people talking is a nice cup of tea. The top three conversation topics over a cuppa are family (20 per cent), gossip (19 per cent) and work (18 per cent). And Cork people are thought of as the biggest talkers in the Republic (36 per cent). They were followed by Dublin (25 per cent), Kerry (10 per cent), Donegal (4 per cent) and Galway (2 per cent). One in ten of those questioned said, if they could meet anyone in the world for a cup of tea, they would choose US presi- dent Barack Obama, although ten per cent said they would prefer to meet a member of their own family. With 86 per cent of Irish people con- firmed tea drinkers, the cuppa permeates every facet of national life. Some 97 per cent of tea drinkers enjoy a cup at home, more than half of full-time workers drink tea in the office and 16 per cent normally drink tea in cafs and restau- rants. Liz Finlay, marketing manager of Lyons Tea, which commissioned the research, said: Its no secret that Irish people are both big talkers and big tea drinkers. Dress in Venice Bianca Brandolini DAdda poses as the angel who traditionally opens the Carnival of Venice, at the Italian citys Piazza San Marco. The carnival runs until February 16 Picture: EPA THE naming of seven-year-old Julia Lira as queen of a dance troupe taking part in the Rio carnival has sparked outrage in Brazil, with critics saying she is being exploited. Allowing Julia (pictured) to take centre stage would increase the treatment of children as sexual objects in Brazilian society, said Carlos Nicodemos of the Council for the Defence of Children and Adolescents. The girls father rejects the claims: Any man who looks at a seven-year-old child and feels any sort of excitement should go see a doctor, he said. A judge at Rios Family Court is currently considering whether to block Julias participation in the parade. 7-year-old dancing queen Julia sparks carnival row index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html