checkpoints
came under assault; and in one incident, an army base was attacked by mortars and then machinegun fire, killing 15 soldiers. Security forces
bore the brunt of
the casualties, but many civilians were also hit in attacks on markets, roads and local government buildings.
The man accused of killing 12 people in a shooting at a midnight screening of the new Batman film in Colorado last week has appeared in court. The suspect, James Holmes, faces more than 70 charges. Alastair Leithead is in Colorado.
James Holmes looked tired – almost slipping into sleep and seemingly unaware of his surroundings as he made his first court appearance since 12 people were killed and 58 injured in the shooting at the cinema on Friday. His hair was dyed a bright red – said to
resemble
Batman's evil on-screen enemy, the Joker. This initial hearing was to show the court police had enough evidence that he was the lone gunman, to keep him in custody and solitary confinement, and to outline to him the gravity of the accusations.
One of the most successful college football teams in the United States Penn State has been fined $16m by the sports governing body. This follows an investigation showing that officials at the university had
colluded
in concealing child sex abuse allegations against the team's former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. He was found guilty of
molesting
a number of boys for over a decade.