It might look like an age old ritual, performed by lovers on the Ponte Milvio in Rome, but the Italian couples who throw keys into the Tiber are in fact following a scene from a recent book and film. Locking a chain to a lamppost on the bridge and throwing the key into the river was dreamed up by the author Federico Moccia in his book "I Want You."

He said: "In Italy, we had no ritual about love. So I decided to invent it."

In South Korea's capital, a department store has decided to go big on St Valentine's, with a 1.8-metre chocolate statue of the man himself. Other items melting the hearts of shoppers include chocolate earrings and chocolate clothes.

But there is a decided lack of Valentine vigour in Riyadh, where Saudi police have banned the sale of red-roses and other lovers' paraphernalia, saying celebrating the day goes against Islamic law.

The decree made it illegal for gift shops to sell anything red in the run-up to St Valentine's Day - and those which ignore it could be shut down and fined heavily.

http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=469982&lng=1

Happy Valentine everybody...