KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine -- A longtime friend of former President George H.W. Bush suffered a fatal heart attack at the Bush summer home in Maine.John Jansing, whose wife Shelley is a first cousin of Bush, was pronounced dead at the Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, a spokesman for Bush said. He had a massive heart attack Tuesday evening at Walker’s Point."Jack was a wonderful man," Bush said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are ... [full story]

LAS VEGAS -- The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined a Las Vegas casino $185,000 for the deaths of two workers in a sewer line.The agency found nine violations at the Orleans, owned by Boyd Gaming, the Las Vegas Sun-Sentinel reported. An employee became trapped in the sewer line Feb. 2, and one of two workers who tried to rescue him also died.Boyd also agreed to update its worker safety programs.The fine is ... [full story]

NEW YORK -- At least two U.S. teenagers have suffered serious injuries, including one left paralyzed with permanent brain damage, by stunts done to imitate MTV’s “Jackass.”Marc Leroux actually returned to doing stunts for video after receiving serious burns when he poured gas on his pants and ran over a burning railroad tie when he was 14, ABC News reports. The video of his stunt showed him screaming in pain while the flames burned his ... [full story]

MARIETTA, Ga. -- A young Georgia woman admitted Wednesday that she was one of the “Barbie Bandits” who robbed a bank of almost $11,000.Heather Lyn Johnston, 19, pleaded guilty to theft by taking and to a misdemeanor charge of possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Johnston’s plea was “non-negotiated,” meaning that an agreement on a maximum sentence was not part of the deal.Johnston, Ashley Nicole Miller, Benny Herman Allen ... [full story]

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles city attorney's office has ruled that a restraining order allegedly violated by a self-proclaimed pedophile was defective.Jack McClellan was released from custody Tuesday after charges of violating the restraining order were dropped, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.Two Santa Clarita, Calif., attorneys had pushed for the restraining order to keep McClellan away from children. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Melvin Sandvig barred McClellan on Aug. 3 from coming ... [full story]

HUNTINGTON, Utah -- Rescue efforts at a Utah mine where six miners are trapped could soon end if the latest attempt proves fruitless, the mine's co-owner said Wednesday.Crandall Canyon mine co-owner Bob Murray said that if the latest planned effort doesn't reveal some sign that the miners may be alive after two weeks underground, the mine may be closed and the planning for a fitting honorarium will begin, CNN reported."We're already discussing how we might ... [full story]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- U.S. President George Bush used remarks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Missouri to reiterate support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki."Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy, good man with a difficult job and I support him," Bush said during the convention at Kansas City. "And it's not up to the politicians in Washington, D.C., to say whether he will remain in his position. That is up to the ... [full story]

TBILISI, Georgia -- For the second time this month, Georgia has accused Russia of violating its airspace, which Moscow again vehemently denied.Georgia's Foreign Ministry in Tbilisi said in a diplomatic protest note to Moscow two Russian "incursions" were noted Tuesday between 6:46 p.m. and 6:48 p.m., and demanded an explanation, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.The note specified altitude, speed and depth of travel into the country.Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky emphatically denied the claim."I ... [full story]

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly will seek a free-trade deal in India as part of his vision of an “arc of freedom and prosperity” in Asia.Abe’s India visit, starting Wednesday, will include an address to India's Parliament, Kyodo news service reported.Quoting Japanese officials, the report said Abe’s visit comes at a time when his country has ''rediscovered'' India as a partner, sharing the same values and interests.The report said Abe will call ... [full story]

BAGHDAD -- A U.S. helicopter apparently malfunctioned and crashed in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday, killing all 14 soldiers aboard, the military said.The statement said the dead were members of the Army's Task Force Lightning and included four crewmembers and 10 passengers, CNN reported."Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were on a night operation when one of the aircraft crashed," the statement said. "Initial indications are that the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction. ... [full story]