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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban over the war in Afghanistan will likely be held “in the next few days,” a senior U.S. administration official told CNN on Wednesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer up a timeline for the discussions.

News the meeting was moving forward followed a tumultuous day that saw questions raised about the peace process after an angry Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was pulling out of the peace talks with the Taliban and canceling security talks with the United States.

Karzai was angered over reports the Taliban appeared to be offering its new office in Doha, Qatar, up as an alternative government, going so far as to put up a sign proclaiming it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the name the Taliban used during their rule.

Security handed over to Afghan forces

Inside a firefight with the Taliban

In a statement released by Karzai’s office, the president said “foreign powers” were behind Tuesday’s opening of the Taliban office.

Karzai appeared to renew earlier claims that the Taliban and Western officials want to destabilize Afghanistan.

Despite Karzai’s decisions to pull back, the United States continues “close coordination” with the Afghan government on peace and security talks, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jenn Psaki said Wednesday.

Karzai’s office said Taliban rhetoric about continuing to take the fight to Afghan and foreign fighters even as the group pursues a political solution was “completely in contradiction to the assurance that was given to Afghanistan by the United States of America.”

He used similar justification for suspending security negotiations with the United States over the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan past the scheduled pullout next year.

In March, Karzai appeared to accuse the United States and the Taliban of collusion, saying violent attacks by the group “show that the Taliban are serving the foreigners and are not against them.”

He later walked the remarks back, saying they were misinterpreted.

Speaking Wednesday in Berlin, U.S. President Barack Obama said he wasn’t surprised by Karzai’s response.

“We had anticipated that at the outset there were going to be some areas of friction, to put it mildly, in getting this thing off the ground,” Obama said.

But he said that he believes Karzai remains committed to political reconciliation, and that he needs to be.

“We don’t expect that it will be easy,” Obama told reporters at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “But we do think ultimately we’re going to need to see Afghans talking to Afghans about how they can move forward and end the cycle of violence so they can start actually building their country.”

The Taliban opened the Doha office with a promise to renounce international terrorism and commit to peace negotiations, conditions the United States had set before it would support establishing the office as part of peace talks.

But a Taliban spokesman also said the group would continue its military campaign, a promise soon followed by the group’s claim of responsibility for the death of four U.S. troops.

Psaki said the name of the Taliban office came as a surprise to U.S. officials and that Qatari officials took the name off the office door Wednesday, replacing it with the more neutral “Political Office of the Afghan Taliban.”

Karzai’s office said Wednesday that his administration wants peace with the Taliban.

“But the messages of continuation of fighting which were sent out during the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar are completely in contradiction with the peace-wanting spirit of the government of Afghanistan,” Karzai said.

He said the High Peace Council would not take part in the talks with the Taliban in Doha “until the process is completely left to Afghans.”

Karzai earlier Wednesday suspended talks with the United States over maintaining a troop presence in Afghanistan to help train Afghan forces past the scheduled 2014 pullout date for Western troops.

The agreement could provide the basis for any future NATO role in Afghanistan.

Karzai’s decision to suspend those talks came a day after NATO-led troops transferred security responsibility to Afghan forces.

The Afghan government suspended the talks “in view of the contradiction between acts and the statements made by the United States of America in regard to the Peace Process,” it said in a statement.

Jill Dougherty reported from Washington and Masoud Popalzai from Kabul. Chelsea J. Carter reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Mitra Mobasherat, Ed Payne and Michael Pearson contributed to this report.

London (CNN) — Prince William’s wife, Catherine, plans to give birth to their first baby in the same hospital wing where her husband was born to Diana, Princess of Wales, almost 31 years ago, sources familiar with the plans said Wednesday.

The first details of the protocol surrounding the announcement of the birth were revealed as the Duchess of Cambridge enters the final weeks of her pregnancy.

The baby — which, regardless of gender, will be heir to the British throne — is expected to arrive in mid-July.

According to sources familiar with the plans, the birth will take place in the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London.

The first indication that the baby is on its way will be the announcement to the media that the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labor, royal sources told CNN.

How royal birth will be announced

Duchess’ last solo event before baby

Royal baby bump pics: Right or wrong?

The next public announcement is expected to be that of the birth.

It will be made in the form of a formal bulletin, signed by medical staff and rushed in a car with a police escort to Buckingham Palace.

There, the notice will be placed on an easel on the palace forecourt, the royal sources said. This will be the first chance for the nation and those watching around the world to find out whether the new baby is a boy or a girl.

William and Catherine don’t know the sex of their baby and want to keep the surprise until it’s born, the royal sources said. William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and other members of both families will be told of the birth before the public knows.

The next announcement will be that the Duchess of Cambridge and her baby are to be discharged from the hospital.

People are already laying bets on what the newest member of the royal family will be named.

Alexandra appears to be the favorite for a girl, with George the favored name for a boy, according to UK betting websites. Diana, Elizabeth and Victoria are also popular choices with punters.

The baby will be third in line to the throne after Prince Charles and Prince William.

Paternity leave

The royal couple will probably present their baby to the world on the same doorstep where a proud Diana and Prince Charles showed off William in 1982.

It’s not yet been disclosed where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge plan to spend the days and weeks following the birth, the royal sources said.

William, who will turn 31 on Friday, is expected to be given the usual paternity leave of two weeks by the Ministry of Defence, the royal sources said. He will then return to his job as a helicopter search and rescue pilot.

The revelation of the birth details may be cause for some anxiety, given the tragedy that followed Catherine’s hospitalization late last year for acute morning sickness.

In that instance, a prank call by an Australian radio station to nursing staff at King Edward VII’s Hospital, which sparked a media frenzy after details of Catherine’s care were revealed, resulted in a nurse’s suicide.

“We would appeal to all members of the media for an appropriate degree of sensitivity, dignity and privacy in their reporting,” a royal source said.

“With the events of the King Edward Hospital still strong in our memories, we would expect any media covering the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospitalization to ensure that the normal functions of the hospital are not impeded by any media presence.”

Champagne on ice?

According to the Lindo Wing website, it has been offering private obstetric and neonatal care for mothers and babies since 1937.

The private wing operates alongside the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which is part of the National Health Service.

“Over the years, we have gained an international reputation for clinical excellence in both obstetric and neonatal medicine which has made us the choice for thousands of mothers. But what really sets us apart is the discreet, traditional, individualised service we provide,” the Lindo Wing’s online brochure says.

According to the prices listed, a stay in the Lindo Wing doesn’t come cheap by comparison with National Health Service care, which is free at the point of delivery.

However, the mother can stay in a room with its own bath or private suite, with a range of facilities and services offered. Among them is “a comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby’s arrival.”

The care package for the first 24 hours with a normal delivery starts at £4,965 ($7,777), with the price increasing for a larger room or suite, or if a forceps delivery or caesarean section is needed. An additional night’s stay costs £900 ($1,400) or more on top of that price.

Los Angeles (CNN) — Paris and Prince Jackson made their first appearances Tuesday in the wrongful death trial against their father’s last concert promoter.

AEG Live lawyers played short video clips from the depositions of Michael Jackson’s oldest children in court to counter testimony from their chef.

Kai Chase, who cooked for the singer and his three children in the last months of his life, had described what she said was Jackson’s physical deterioration just before his death.

Jackson was strong, healthy and active in April, but was so weak by June that Prince, then 12, had to help his father walk up stairs, Chase testified.

Chase also repeated the testimony she gave in the criminal trial of Dr. Conrad Murray about the day Jackson died.

Paris Jackson’s ‘cry for help’

Randy Phillips: He’s president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his “This Is It” comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray’s treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson’s missed rehearsals and sought Murray’s help getting him ready.

Katherine Jackson: Michael’s mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son’s three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts.

Prince Jackson: Michael’s oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons’ case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent — he now has a driver’s license and jobs.

Paris Jackson: Michael’s daughter, who turned 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father’s death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.

Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael’s youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be “medically detrimental” to the child.

Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.

Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson’s personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son’s estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper’s death investigation.

Marvin Putnam: He’s the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is “media in defense of their First Amendment rights,” according to his official biography.

Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons’ witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.

Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG’s president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke’s e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson’s health are important evidence in their case.

Joe Jackson: Michael’s father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.

Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.

Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the “This Is It” shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson’s “Dangerous” and “HIStory” tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that “Jackson was frail” at a rehearsal days before his death.

Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson’s personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.

John Branca: He’s one of two executors of Michael Jackson’s estate. Branca was Jackson’s lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.

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Who’s who in Jackson trial

Paris Jackson made headlines recently when she was rushed to the hospital after she reportedly cut one of her wrists. Jackson is the second child of famed singer Michael Jackson and Deborah Jeanne Rowe. Click through to see more of the Jackson family tree.

Katherine Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson family. Here she attends the hand and footprint ceremony for son Michael at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in January 2012 in Los Angeles.

Joseph Walker “Joe” Jackson is the patriarch of the Jackson family. He’s pictured at a March 2011 press conference in Madrid, Spain.

Maureen Reillette “Rebbie” Jackson is Joe and Katherine’s oldest child. She scored a hit in the 1980s with the song “Centipede.” She has three children: Stacee, Yashi and Austin “Auggie” Brown. Here she attends the world premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon” in London in November 2011.

Yashi Brown, Rebbie Jackson’s second child, is a poet and advocate on mental health issues.

Rebbie Jackson’s youngest, Austin “Auggie” Brown, is a musician. He’s pictured at a December 2012 benefit in Hollywood.

Sigmund Esco “Jackie” Jackson, center, is the second of Joe and Katherine’s children. He has two children with Enid Spann: Sigmund Esco “Siggy” Jackson Jr. and Brandi Jackson. Here he performs with brothers Tito, left, and Marlon Jackson in Los Angeles in July 2012.

Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson, the third of the Jackson children, has three sons: Toriano Adaryll “Taj”Jackson Jr., Taryll Adren Jackson and Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson, who are members of the group 3T. Tito Jackson performs in Liverpool, England, in 2009.

Toriano Adaryll “Taj” Jackson Jr., Tito Jackson’s oldest son, is part of the group 3T. Here he performs in Cardiff, Wales, in October 2011.

Taryll Adren Jackson, Tito Jackson’s middle son, performs with his bothers in memory of his uncle, Michael, in 2011.

Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson performs in honor of his uncle, Michael.

Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is the fourth of Joe and Katherine’s children. He has seven children. With Hazel Gordy, Jackson had three children: Jermaine Lu Juane Jr., Autumn Joy and Jaimy. He had two children with Margaret Maldonado: Jeremy and Jourdynn. His two youngest children, Jaffar and Jermajesty, were born to Alejandra Oaziaza. He has no children with his current wife, Halima Rashid. Jackson and Rashid are pictured at the Royal Festival Hall in London in October 2010.

La Toya Yvonne Jackson, the fifth of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children, attends the world premiere of “Dancing In Jaffa” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April. She is one of the film’s executive producers.

Marlon David Jackson was born a year before brother Michael Jackson. He has three children with Carol Parker: Valencia, Brittany and Marlon David Jr.

Pop superstar Michael Jackson, the most famous of Joe and Katherine’s children, had three kids. He fathered his first two, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. and Paris Katherine Jackson, with Deborah Jeanne Rowe. His youngest, Prince Michael Joseph “Blanket” Jackson II, was born to an unidentified woman. The singer died in 2009.

Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. attends a baseball game in August 2012 during a visit to his late father’s hometown of Gary, Indiana.

Prince Michael Joseph “Blanket” Jackson attends the Las Vegas premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World” by Cirque du Soleil in December 2011. He is Michael Jackson’s youngest son.

Steven Randall “Randy” Jackson is the second youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children. He has four children: Steveanna, Genevieve, Donte and Steven Randall Jr. Alejandra Oaziaza is the mother of the latter three. She later married and had two children with Randy’s brother Jermaine.

Genevieve Jackson, pictured in November 2011, is Randy Jackson’s second child.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children. The pop star has no children. She was briefly married to singer James DeBarge before secretly marrying dancer Rene Elizondo in 1991. The couple divorced in 2000, and she married businessman Wissam Al Mana in 2012. She’s pictured performing at the Sydney Opera House in 2011 in Australia.

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Photos: All in the Jackson family

The death in 2009 of superstar Michael Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, sent shockwaves around the world.

The Jackson 5 perform on a TV show circa 1969. From left, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Jermaine Jackson.

Michael Jackson quickly became the stand out star of the Jackson 5. Here he performs onstage circa 1970.

Michael Jackson poses during a portrait session in Los Angeles in 1971.

Michael Jackson performs with The Jacksons in New Orleans on October 3, 1979.

Jackson achieved superstardom with his solo career in the 1980s. Here Jackson is shown on stage in Kansas in 1983.

Michael Jackson performs on stage circa 1990.

Jackson broke a world record during the Bad tour in 1988 when 504,000 people attending seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London.

Jackson perfoms in concert circa 1991 in New York City.

Known for his dance moves, Jackson is seen here jumping in the air while performing during the Dangerous tour in 1992.

Michael Jackson performs in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Jackson performs with his brothers.

Jackson performs during the Bad tour at Wembley Stadium in London.

Jackson performs during the taping of “American Bandstand’s 50th: A Celebration” in 2002.

Michael Jackson earned the Legend Award during the MTV Video Music Awards in Tokyo in 2006.

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Photos: Michael Jackson, King of Pop

But her most dramatic words were about how Michael Jackson’s death affected his children — Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson, for whom she now cooks at their grandmother’s home.

“They talk about their father a lot,” Chase said. “It’s just something that they’ll never get over — the love and how much they miss their father.”

Jackson’s mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the concert promoter was liable in his death because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Murray told police he used the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat Jackson’s insomnia. The coroner ruled propofol killed him.

AEG Live lawyers argue Jackson chose and supervised Murray, and their executives had no way of knowing the doctor was using the dangerous treatment.

(CNN) — Fashion luminaries Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were sentenced to prison in Italy Wednesday for failing to pay 40.4 million euros in taxes to the Italian government, their lawyer and a prosecutor said.

“This time it was not the case like the invoice for car repair,” prosecutor Laura Pedio said of the crime for which the fashion duo was convicted. “This time it’s serious, complicated, sophisticated tax fraud crime.”

Both men were sentenced to one year and eight months in prison and, in addition to what they owe in taxes, told to pay a fine of 500,000 euros. Their lawyer, Massimo Dinoia, vowed that the defense plans to appeal the convictions as well as the related fines and sentences.

“Dolce and Gabbana will not go to jail now or ever,” Dinoia said.

Four others associated with the upscale Dolce Gabbana brand — including Domenico’s brother Alfonso Dolce and company tax consultant Luciano Patelli — also face prison time, though Dinoia and Pedio did not know the length of all their sentences. While the decision was announced Wednesday morning in a Milan court, authorities did not immediately release details to the media or public.

According to Pedio, investigators found that between 2004 and 2007 Dolce and Gabbana failed to tell Italian authorities about an offshoot company they’d set up in Luxembourg, costing Italy millions of euros in taxes.

“I’m very satisfied with the sentence,” the prosecutor said. “It was a very elaborate (use of an offshore company) that appeared legal, but was illegal.”

The fashion magnates’ defense team said this wasn’t a sweeping verdict. In a statement, the lawyers said the court found Dolce and Gabbana innocent “of the accusation of having unfaithfully declared their earnings,” even as the two men were convicted on a “taxes declaration omission.”

It’s not clear how the court ruling will impact the storied Dolce Gabbana company, if at all.

The two stylists debuted their brand in an October 1985 show in Milan. Since then, they have exploded to become one of the world’s most recognizable and desired fashion companies, with an array of products and stores from Azerbaijan to Qatar to Singapore to the United States and many places in between.

Journalist Livia Borghese reported from Rome and CNN’s Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.

London (CNN) — The families of three British soldiers killed in Iraq can sue the Ministry of Defence for negligence over their deaths, the UK’s highest court ruled Wednesday.

The Supreme Court ruling represents a defeat for the Ministry of Defence, which had filed a challenge to an earlier Appeal Court judgment.

The legal firm representing some of the claimants, Leigh Day, said the ruling would force the ministry to recognize “that it owes a duty of care to provide adequate equipment to service personnel engaged in military operations.”

The claimants it represents include the widow of Cpl. Stephen Allbutt, who was killed when the Challenger II tank he was in came under fire from another British Challenger II tank on the fourth day of the Iraq war in 2003.

Prince Harry speaks of loss, honors vets

Leigh Day also represents Cpl. Dan Twiddy and Trooper Andy Julien, who suffered severe injuries in the incident. They are known as the “Challenger claimants” for the tank in which they were traveling.

A separate group of claimants are the relatives of Pvt. Phillip Hewett and Pvt. Lee Ellis, who were killed in separate incidents in 2005 and 2006 when lightly armored Snatch Land Rovers hit roadside bombs.

The vehicles were not fully equipped to detect roadside bombs or protect soldiers from a blast, the court heard.

The claimants’ negligence claim is based on the argument that the soldiers were not properly trained or equipped by the Ministry of Defence for their deployment in Iraq.

In the case of the Challenger group, the claimants argue that the ministry failed to equip the Challenger tanks with technology that would have confirmed their identity as friend or foe, and failed to provide the soldiers with “adequate recognition training” before they were deployed or in the combat theater.

In the claim involving the Snatch Land Rovers, the claimants say the ministry breached European human rights law because it failed to take measures that it “might have been expected to take in the light of the real and immediate risk to life of soldiers who were required to patrol in Snatch Land Rovers,” according to the court ruling.

The Ministry of Defence argued that no duty of care was owed to the claimants by virtue of “combat immunity,” because their deaths and injuries were suffered on the battlefield.

But the Supreme Court dismissed that argument, on the grounds that decisions about the provision of equipment and training are made far from the battlefield.

Lord Hope, delivering the majority judgment, said: “The Challenger claims are about alleged failures in training, including pre-deployment and in-theater training, and the provision of technology and equipment. They are directed to things that the claimants say should have been done long before the soldiers crossed the start line at the commencement of hostilities.”

Lawyer Shubhaa Srinivasan, of Leigh Day, said they were “extremely pleased” with the decision.

“The highest court in the land has now ruled the MoD, as employer, must accept that it owes a duty of care to properly equip service personnel who go to war,” she said.

The ministry’s position is “morally and legally indefensible,” she said, adding that some soldiers had felt compelled to buy their own GPS devices and other tracking equipment to try to ensure their safety and that of fellow servicemen.

UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he was concerned about the wider implications of the judgment, “which could ultimately make it more difficult for our troops to carry out operations and potentially throws open a wide range of military decisions to the uncertainty of litigation.”

But, he said, his thoughts remained with those who were injured and the families of those who died.

“The most important priority is the protection of our troops, and since this litigation started, a wide range of protected vehicles, including Mastiff, Ridgeback, Husky, Wolfhound, Jackal and Foxhound, have been available to commanders to match the most appropriate available vehicle to specific tasks,” he added.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the court acknowledged that the uncertainties of war have to be recognized and that the work of the armed forces should not be impeded by the threat of legal action.

One of the judges, in a dissenting judgment, warned that the ruling would make extensive litigation against the British armed forces almost inevitable.

(CNN) — Vacationers at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks this summer should make extra efforts to wash their hands, the National Park Service urged Wednesday, after noting a spike in sicknesses among visitors so far.

In a news release, the park service noted “greater than normal reports of gastrointestinal illness” among those visiting the park in northwestern Wyoming as well as areas in Montana outside the two parks.

That includes an incident June 7, when members of a tour group visiting Mammoth Hot Springs — a part of Yellowstone that’s located on the Montana/Wyoming border — began complaining of stomach and other issues. Park employees who had been in contact with this group reported similar symptoms within 48 hours.

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(CNN) — Italy’s supreme court on Tuesday explained its earlier ruling that American Amanda Knox be retried in the 2007 death of her roommate, saying the jury that acquitted her didn’t consider all the evidence, and that discrepancies in testimony need to be answered.

The high court also said evidence could support prosecutors’ initial argument — that Meredith Kercher was killed in a twisted sex misadventure game at Kercher and Knox’s home in Italy, the high court said, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

The appeals court jury that acquitted Knox and her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, in 2011 “neglected significant evidence” and theories, the high court said in a 74-page explanation.

American college student Amanda Knox spent four years in jail because of murder charges in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. She and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in 2009 to 25 years in prison (Sollecito got 26 years). The conviction was overturned in 2011. Here’s a look at the characters in Knox’s trial:

Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found dead with her throat slit in an apartment she shared with Knox on November 2, 2007. The police initially brought Knox, her former boyfriend and another man into custody for questioning.

When Knox was detained for questioning in 2007, she implicated Patrick Lumumba, the owner of a bar where Knox worked. Lumumba was taken into custody and released after two weeks in prison when his alibi is corroborated. He later won a libel suit against Knox.

Raffaele Sollecito, Knox’s boyfriend at the time of the murder, was convicted in December 2009 with Knox and released when their cases were overturned. Prosecutors testified that police scientists found Sollecito’s genetic material on a bra clasp of Kercher’s found in her room, while his defense claimed there wasn’t enough DNA for a positive ID.

Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivory Coast native raised in Perugia, was convicted separately from Knox and Sollecito and is now serving 16 years. Guede admitted to being with Kercher on the night she died but said he didn’t kill her. Both Knox and Sollecito argued that he was the killer, and Guede suggested the couple took Kercher’s life.

Meredith Kercher’s family lawyer Francesco Maresca, left, argued in court in 2011 that the multiple stab wounds implied that there was more than one aggressor who killed Kercher. Pictured from left are Maresca, Kercher’s father John, sister Stephanie, brother Lyle and brother John at a press conference in 2008.

Carlo Dalla Vedova, one lawyer on Knox’s defense team, argued in court that “the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox” in his closing argument for her appeal hearing.

Carlo Pacelli represented Patrick Lumumba in his civil suit case. He called Knox two-faced and a “she-devil.”

Giulia Bongiorno, the lead lawyer on Raffaele Sollecito’s defense team, compared Knox to Jessica Rabbit on the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” Knox is not bad, just “drawn that way,” Bongiorno said in her closing statements in the 2011 trial.

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Photos: Amanda Knox case

Amanda Knox: ‘I’m afraid to go back’

Amanda Knox: I still have panic attacks

Knox: ‘I feel bad for my younger self’

Knox and Sollecito’s retrial, which could start as soon as the fall, should examine discrepancies in testimony, the high court said. These include differing witness accounts of when screaming could be heard from the home, ANSA reported.

The high court overturned the acquittals in March, but withheld its full reasoning until Tuesday.

Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found stabbed to death in November 2007 in the villa she rented with Knox, then 20, in the central Italian university town of Perugia.