Teen who killed 3 girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance class sentenced to over 50 years

LONDON (AP) — A teenager who stabbed three young girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England has been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison. Judge Julian Goose said Thursday that 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana “wanted to try and carry out mass murder of innocent, happy young girls.” The judge said that he couldn’t impose a sentence of life without parole, because Rudakubana was under 18 at the time of the crime. But the judge said he must serve more than 51 years before being considered for parole and “it is likely he will never be released.” Rudakubana was 17 when he attacked the children in the seaside town of Southport in July.

Italy’s top court upholds Knox’s conviction for falsely accusing innocent man of murder

ROME (AP) — Italy’s highest court has confirmed a slander conviction against U.S. defendant Amanda Knox for accusing an innocent man in her British flatmate’s 2007 murder, a sensational case that polarized trial watchers on both sides of the Atlantic. Knox had appealed the conviction based on a European Court of Human Rights ruling that said her rights had been violated by police failure to provide a lawyer and adequate translator during a long night of questioning just days after Meredith Kerchers murder. The man she wrongly accused, Patrick Lumumba, said in reaction that Knox will have to live with the verdict for the rest of her life.

Ukraine is reforming its recruitment efforts to attract younger soldiers and boost forces

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is in the final stages of drafting recruitment reforms to attract 18- to 25-year-olds who are currently exempt from mobilization as it looks for ways to bolster its fighting force. The battlefield commander recently appointed to the President’s Office said in an interview that Ukraine is exploring new recruitment options because the current drafting system inherited from Soviet times is hindering progress. One initiative is what he described as an “honest contract,” a plan that includes financial incentives, clear guarantees for training, and measures to ensure dialogue between soldiers and their commanders. The effort could help respond to calls aired by both the Biden and Trump administrations that Ukraine could expand its manpower by lowering the conscription age.

Panic spreads in eastern Congo’s largest city as rebels battling the army close in on Goma

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Panic is spreading in Goma in eastern Congo as M23 rebels encircle the city, battling Congo’s army. Many civilians have been wounded in the crossfire, stretching the main hospital. The rebel group has been making significant advances in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, which is home to around 2 million people and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. The Rwanda-backed M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. More than 178,000 people have fled the group’s advance in the last two weeks.