Mercury, the messenger of the zodiac, lines up with Mars, the warrior, to stir the pot and add some zesty spice to it, too. Heated words will be exchanged. Some will dish it out and others will be getting served. But the best person to be is the one who witnesses the controversy and, as seductive and dramatic as it may be, decides to stay away. All should be resolved by Thursday's healing conjunction of ... [full story]

BAGHDAD - Hundreds of Iraqi Shiites protested in Diyala province, alleging fraud in recent elections deprived Shiites of seats on the provincial council. The protest Sunday was the first major demonstration by Shiites against the election results, and brings to the surface simmering tensions in Diyala, where Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds struggle for control, The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported Monday. Shiite politicians won five seats on the council, while Sunnis won 14, Kurds, six, and ... [full story]

SEOUL - A parliamentary vote on controversial measures to allow simultaneous ownership of print and broadcast media in South Korea will be delayed, lawmakers said. In a dramatic, last-minute compromise in South Korea's National Assembly between the ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, bitterly disputed media industry reform bills will be set aside for 100 days for further discussions followed by a plenary session vote, the South Korean news agency Yonhap ... [full story]

LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he will discuss a "global new deal" with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington meetings this week. Brown was set to fly to the United States Monday, becoming the first European leader to meet with the new U.S. president, scheduling discussions with Obama for Tuesday and a Wednesday speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress, the BBC reported. Brown, who is coming off a European ... [full story]

MELBOURNE - The ongoing threat from Australian bush fires is great but authorities are ready to cope with the danger, Victoria Premier John Brumby says. As fire authorities indicated weather conditions would be extremely favorable for more fires over the next two days in the state of Victoria, Brumby said emergency services are prepared for the worst, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday. "We've got more people on the ground, more tankers, more resources, more ... [full story]

EXETER, England - A motorcyclist in Britain will spend six months in jail for going 122 mph on his vehicle while his 14-year-old son was a passenger, a court says. Britain's Exeter Crown Court ruled Monday that in addition to his jail sentence, Robert Bennett, 47, will be banned from operating a vehicle on British roads for 18 months, The Times of London said. Bennett pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving after he ... [full story]

SYDNEY - Beach-goers in Sydney say they are taking some precautions at area beaches following a third shark attack during the last month. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Monday this weekend's shark attack on a 15-year-old boy at Avalon Beach came in the wake of similar attacks on a 33-year-old surfer and a navy diver. Both the teenager and the surfer managed not to lose any appendages in their attacks, but a shark claimed a ... [full story]

NEW YORK - Police reported three storm-related traffic deaths from a snowstorm that blew into New England Monday after burying states along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Separate crashes on icy roads Sunday claimed the lives of Jose Fuentes, 57, in Greenlawn, N.Y.; Ray A. Charles, 23, in Medford, N.Y.; and an unidentified man on Route 78 in Newark, N.J., Newsday and The (Newark) New Jersey Star-Ledger reported. The storm left nearly a foot of heavy ... [full story]

PRINCETON, N.J. - A Gallup survey indicates Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress have seen a boost in popularity in recent weeks. While the approval ratings remain low, the increases suggest both parties have benefited from the change in government from the Bush administration to the Obama administration, USA Today reported Monday. In the survey, congressional Republicans garnered an approval rating of 36 percent -- the best Gallup has measured for Republicans in Congress ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - A Girl Scouts official says attempts are under way to modernize the U.S. youth organization in an attempt to stop a decline in enrollment. Eileen Doyle, the senior vice president of program development for the Girl Scouts, said with enrollment on the decline, Scout officials have begun changing the base activities of the group in order to appeal to modern young women, The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) said Monday. "We took a step back ... [full story]