NEW YORK -- Shawn Kovell says she still loves Robert Chambers some two years after he was sent to prison in New York's "Preppie Killer" case. Kovell, 40, who was given probation Tuesday on a drug charge, told reporters she had been "hopelessly tied" to Chambers since 1986 when he was charged in the strangulation of Jennifer Levin in Central Park. "After 22 years, I don't love him any less than day one," Kovell said ... [full story]

CHICAGO -- Teen pregnancies and funding changes in Washington are prompting Illinois educators to examine how they teach sex education, officials say. Illinois law does not require sex education but specifies the emphasis must be on abstinence if it is taught, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. Nine of 10 Illinois health educators cover abstinence but how they do so varies, says a report in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "There's always a balancing act, ... [full story]

PERTH, Australia -- Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority says it is investigating the appearance of a model airplane near a jet at a Perth airport, a spokesman says. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the remote-controlled airplane incident, which was documented in a video placed on the Web site YouTube, is being investigated to determine what breaches of safety guidelines may have been broken, The Times of London said Wednesday. "There are a number of possible ... [full story]

MIAMI -- Florida wildlife authorities say they are trying to find a solution to a growing population of bears, which are creating a nuisance. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received 2,969 complaints about bears last year, compared to just 450 in 1998, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday. Bears once roamed the forested land now occupied by Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. With housing developments expanding into what's left of their ... [full story]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The pilot of a small plane ended up in Tampa Bay while trying to land his two-seater at an airport in St. Petersburg, Fla., authorities say. Gilbert Nadeau literally ran out of runway and his plane skidded into the water during a failed landing attempt at Albert Whitted Airport Tuesday night, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Nadeau, 58, of St. Petersburg, emerged without a scratch but firefighters say the plane was ... [full story]

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has firmly aligned himself with the United States in seeking a two-state solution for Palestinians, observers say. Speaking at a meeting Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported Barak saying, "An Israeli plan for a regional solution is a central axis of Israel's policy in the coming years and a key to ensuring Israel's future in the region. Israel must cooperate with the (United States) in formulating the details of ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., says President Barack Obama's plan for Pakistan is not adequate to address the issues facing the volatile country. "Pakistan is in a moment of peril," Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during a USA Today interview. "And I believe there is not in place yet an adequate policy or plan to deal with it." Kerry said he also advised administration aides to stop using "Af-Pak" to ... [full story]

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The Czech Republic's prime minister said the European Union and South Korea could conclude a free trade agreement by the end of June, Prague Radio reported. Outgoing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Czech President Vaclav Klaus will lead an EU delegation to Seoul for talks with South Korean leaders May 23, Prague Radio said Wednesday. Topolanek said the EU and South Korean leaders hope to seal the free trade agreement ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Plans are being developed to send former U.S. law enforcement officers to Mexico to train Mexican police in their battle against drug cartels, officials said. Up to 300 former U.S. law enforcement personnel would be sent to Mexico later this year to train about 9,000 Mexican police, USA Today reported Wednesday. The goal would be to quash official corruption and violence fueled by warring drug cartels. Officials said the plan would create a ... [full story]

OTTAWA -- Evidence is emerging the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.'s current financial shortfall was fueled by some lavish spending by executives three years ago. Documents obtained under Access to Information Act by Sun Media show the publicly funded broadcaster spent $61,500 on meetings at luxury resorts and hotels, limousines, expensive meals and sparkling wine in a six-month period. Some of the high-end hotel meetings between January and June 2006 were held just blocks from the CBC's ... [full story]