Marc Piasecki / Getty Images Contributor

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 17: A man is taken away by the police after the reported sounds of gunshots were heard in front of the Martinez Hotel beach on May 17, 2013 in Cannes France.

CANNES, France -- A man was arrested at the Cannes film festival on Friday after firing a starting pistol during a live TV broadcast on the palm-lined waterfront, sending actors Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil running for cover.

French TV station Canal+ was interviewing Austria's Oscar-winning Waltz and French actor Auteuil live on its nightly news show from a beach-front set before a crowd of spectators when a man fired two shots into the air.

"The bodyguards jumped over the barriers into the crowd and pulled him to the ground. The police arrived and told everyone to run because there was a grenade in his hand," witness Arthur Laiguesse told Reuters.

Police arrested the man at the scene and found he was carrying a dummy grenade and a knife, authorities said.

"It really appears to be a crazy guy," said a police source.

After the man was taken away, the show's producers told the crowd the program would continue: "The show must go on."

Waltz, who has won two best supporting actor Oscars for "Django Unchained" and "Inglourious Basterds", and Auteuil, both of whom are serving on the Cannes jury, returned to the set.

The shooting was the second security incident on day three of the 12-day festival, the world's largest cinema showcase that attracts thousands of actors, directors, film executives, journalists and fans.

A police source said $1.4 million worth of Chopard jewelry intended to adorn movie stars had been stolen from a room at the Suite Novotel hotel overnight on Thursday.

But Chopard said the value had been exaggerated and the items were not for actresses to use, declining to give further details.

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DUBAI -- A driver opened fire on a car driven by a U.S. citizen in northern Saudi Arabia after crashing into his vehicle, but there were no casualties, Saudi state news agency SPA reported late on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the incident was a deliberate attack on the American or just a case of road rage.

"The Tabuk police received a report at around 1 p.m. (6 a.m. ET) that a car driven by a resident American citizen had been subjected to a crash and shooting from the driver of the other vehicle while driving on a road in the city of Tabuk," SPA quoted the local police chief as saying.

"There were no injuries but the car was damaged by the accident and shooting," it added.

The kingdom, a key regional U.S. ally and the world's top oil exporter, faced a campaign of attacks by al Qaeda militants targeting foreigners and government facilities between 2003 and 2006. Security forces crushed the militants, arresting and killing many and forcing others to flee the kingdom.

Giorgos Moutafis / Reuters

A Bangladeshi worker in the southwestern Greek town of Manolada is shown recovering in his tent Thursday, a day after three foremen at a strawberry farm allegedly opened fire on about 200 Bangladeshi immigrants who protested over unpaid wages.

ATHENS, Greece -- Greek police were searching Thursday for three foremen who were suspected of shooting and wounding more than 20 migrant workers at a strawberry farm.

The supervisors were believed to have opened fire on Wednesday at a crowd of about 200 mostly Bangladeshi immigrants who were demanding wages that had not been paid, police said. The wounded were taken to a hospital, but none of the injuries was believed to be serious.

Anti-foreigner sentiment has been rising in Greece, where one worker in four is unemployed after five years of recession.

Police said they had arrested the owner of the farm, in the southwestern town of Manolada, and were still hunting the foremen.

One of the immigrants involved in the protests told Greek Skai TV that they had been promised wages of $28.70 a day.

"They keep telling us that we will get paid in a month, and this has been going on for more than a year," said the worker, who was not identified. "We don't talk about it because we are afraid that we will be killed or kicked out."

Greece is a gateway for mostly Asian and African migrants trying to enter the European Union through its porous sea and land borders.

Most of those who find work in Greece are employed illegally; more than 40 percent of Greece's informal workers are migrants.

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, said after visiting Greece this year that he was seriously concerned about a rise in racist violence and urged authorities to get tougher.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou on Thursday condemned what he called an "inhuman attack."

"This unprecedented and shameful act is foreign to Greek ethics," he said.

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A 60-year-old man fatally shot 13 people, including a baby, in a house-to-house rampage in a quiet village in Serbia Tuesday, before trying to kill himself and his wife.

The gunman, identified by police as Ljubisa Bogdanovic - a former soldier and veteran of the early-1990s regional conflict– was in a critical condition in hospital along with his wife, Javorak, police told reporters.

Serbian police official Milorad Veljovic said the victims included 6 women, 6 men and a two-year-old boy, according to Serbian news site Press Online and other reports.

The shooter came from a “quiet family” and had no criminal record, Veljovic said. “We'll see what the motive is for this gruesome murder, we're all just stunned,” he told reporters.

Marko Djurica / Reuters

A policeman stands guard in the village of Velika Ivanca, Serbia, on Tuesday.

Bogdanovic had lost his job last year, Veljovic said according to Reuters, and had a firearms permit for his CZ88 pistol, according to Press Online and Novosti.

"We have never seen a tragedy like this in Serbia, and for that reason a motive must be ascertained - what prompted this man to kill so many people in their sleep," Veljovic added, according to news site B92.

'Good neighbor'
Residents of the village of Velika Ivanca, 30 miles southeast of the capital Belgrade, said Bogdanovic first killed his son, before leaving the house and shooting his neighbors, some of whom were still asleep. 

The killings occurred between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m local time (11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. ET Monday), the AP said.

Nada Macura, an official at the Belgrade hospital in Belgrade where the two were being treated, told the AP that Bogdanovic had no history of mental illness. However, Kostadinovic's wife Stanica said the man's father had hanged himself when he was a young boy and his uncle had a history of mental illness. 

The AP added:

Although such apparently random shootings are rare in Serbia, weapons are readily available mostly from the regional conflicts that tore through the Balkans in the 1990s and there is a tradition of possessing firearms.

The last similar shooting spree happened in Serbia in 2007 when a 39-year-old man gunned down nine people and injured two in a village in the east of the country.

Bogdanovic served as Serbian army soldier in the war in Croatia that began in 1991 and lasted until 1995, Reuters reported.

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 9, 2013 3:21 AM EDT

MEXICO CITY -- Two men armed with a machine gun and a handgun opened fire in a bar on the outskirts of the Mexican tourist resort of Cancun on Thursday, killing six people and wounding five, the office of the state's attorney general said.

Cancun, a major tourist destination on Mexico's Caribbean coast, has largely escaped the drug-related violence that has racked Acapulco, a faded tourist hot spot on the Pacific coast.

Last month, six Spanish women were raped by hooded gunmen who forced their way into the Acapulco beach house the women had rented.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has vowed to reduce the violence that soared after his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, launched an assault on drug cartels.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2007.

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Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria on Feb. 19. His bail hearing continues Wednesday.

A South African judge will hear more arguments Wednesday before deciding whether Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius should be denied bail and sent to a prison where other inmates have complained about ghastly conditions.

A day after prosecutors and the defense presented clashing accounts of how and why Pistorius fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day, the two sides will spar over where he should spend the months before a trial.

Pistorius arrived in court Wednesday wearing a black suit and blue tie. Prosecutors alleged that a witness heard a "non-stop" argument coming from the Paralympian's home before the shooting.

South African legal experts say that after hearing from witnesses, the magistrate will be asked to evaluate the strength of the prosecution's case and consider whether the double-amputee is a flight risk, a danger to anyone, or likely to intimidate witnesses or destroy evidence.

"Personally, my view is he should get bail because he's got a fixed permanent residence, has no previous convictions, and owns assets in the jurisdiction of the court. He's disabled and easily recognizable," said Steve Tuson, a law professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

But bail could be a tough sell since the judge provisionally entered a charge of premeditated murder after Tuesday's hearing — where Pistorius claimed he fired into his bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler, while prosecutors alleged he calmly put on his artificial legs before he stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her.

Unless the magistrate, Desmond Nair, downgrades the charge after Wednesday's hearing, or the defense convinces him there are extraordinary reasons Pistorius should remain free, the trail-blazing runner is headed to lockup.

Since his arrest, Pistorius, 26, has been held at a local police station, but that's unusual and it's expected he would be transferred to Pretoria's central prison to await further proceedings, experts said.

"It's not too pleasant," Marius du Toit, a South African defense lawyer who has also been a prosecutor and magistrate, said of the central prison.

"I've represented people from overseas who were incarcerated in our prisons. One lost 20 kilos because the food and conditions are so bad. He said, 'I've been in prisons all over Europe and I've never seen anything like this.'"

Two weeks before Pistorius' arrest, six inmates from the Pretoria prison petitioned the High Court to improve conditions, painting a grim picture of daily life behind its walls.

Their complaints included up to three inmates in single-person cells, dirty mattresses with no bedding, sweltering heat and poor ventilation, no time outside, rampant drug dealing and violent threats from fellow prisoners, according to the Pretoria News.

The court has not ruled on the application, which the government planned to oppose, the newspaper said.

Du Toit said that Pistorius' high profile and disability could be grounds for some kind of accommodation if he is sent to prison, but added that officials will be loathe to give him special treatment because the decision to hold him at the police station before the bail hearing was questioned.

If he does wind up behind bars, he could be there for months before a trial and verdict -- which is delivered by a judge since jury trial were done away with in 1969.

Prosecutors and the defense team will be given time to marshal evidence before a trial date is set in stone, Tuson said.

Before the constitutional changes that accompanied the end of the apartheid era in South Africa, prosecutors could keep most of their case under wraps until trial. Now, they have to share all their evidence, Tuson said.

While U.S. trials are often delayed by endless haggling over what evidence is admissible at trial, in South Africa those decisions are made by the judge during the trial.

Tuson said the timeline from charge to verdict normally depends on the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses and how crowded the court docket is. Because the country's judicial system is so clogged, run-of-the-mill cases can face "horrible delays," he said.

Pistorius, however, could be fast-tracked due to the high-profile nature of the case. Tuson predicted the whole thing will be over in six months.

"Because of the media coverage, the state will push for this cases to be held as quickly as possible," du Toit said.

This story was originally published on Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:12 PM EST

Denis Farrell / AP

Arnold Pistorius, right, uncle of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, comforts his niece after making a statement to selected press in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 16, 2013.

The uncle of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius said Saturday that the runner, who overcame physical disabilities to become a national icon in his native South Africa, was “numb with shock, as well as grief” after the shooting death of model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutors on Friday accused Pistorius of the “premeditated” murder of his girlfriend.

“As you can imagine, our entire family is devastated, we are in a state of total shock – firstly about the tragic death of Reeva who we had all got to know well and care for deeply over the last few months,” Arnold Pistorius said on Saturday, speaking to reporters at his home in Pretoria. The statement was later released by Pistorius’ agent.

“All of us saw at firsthand how close she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were,” the uncle said in the family’s first on-camera, in-person statement since the incident. “They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time.”

Prosecutor: 'Blade Runner' Pistorius committed 'premeditated' murder of girlfriend

The family “strongly refutes” any charges of murder against Pistorius, his uncle said. “We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegations and that the state’s own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all.”

An emotional Pistorius, 26, appeared in court on Friday accompanied by several family members. He at times appeared confused and sobbed during the hearing.

“Take it easy. Come, take a seat,” Magistrate Desmond Nair told the athlete, who was born without a fibula in both legs, according to Reuters.

Reeva Steenkamp was model, budding TV star

Pistorius was formally charged on Friday, and is slated to appear for a bail hearing next week. The court rejected an application by the media to broadcast the proceedings.

The charges were “disputed in the strongest terms,” a statement released by Pistorius’ agent after the hearing read: “[Pistorius] has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva. He would also like to express his thanks through us today for all the messages of support he has received – but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family – regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy."

Steenkamp, a model, law graduate, and aspiring television star, was found dead on Valentine’s Day of gunshot wounds in Pistorius’ home in a gated community. The model, 30, was shot four times, and authorities told the Associated Press that a 9mm pistol was recovered at the residence.

Speaking on NBC’s TODAY earlier this week, Steenkamp’s publicist described the incident as a “huge loss for everyone and too shocking for words.”

Calling it "devastating and shocking," the publicist for model Reeva Steenkamp, girlfriend of Olympic “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, confirmed she had died Thursday. Police in South Africa said that a 30-year-old woman had died of gunshot wounds at Pistorius’ home.

According to her Facebook page, Steenkamp was born in Capetown, South Africa, and raised in Port Elizabeth. The thirty-year-old earned a law degree at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University before moving to Johannesburg and earning a job as the South African face of cosmetics maker Avon.

In an interview with South Africa’s The Times newspaper, the principal of Steenkamp’s high school said he was shocked by her sudden and seemingly violent death in Pistorius’ home in the South African city of Pretoria.

The couple had been dating for several months, and “seemed happy,” Steenkamp’s publicist Sarit Tomlinson told TODAY on Thursday. There was no sign of discord between the two, she said.

Mike Holmes/The Herald/Gallo Images/Getty Images file

Reeva Steenkamp was named one of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World for two years in a row.

“We were her agent and her publicist and to date we’ve seen nothing,” Tomlinson said. “It’s devastating and shocking for us, too. For everyone.”

Tomlinson said that Pistorius was a “charming, great guy.”

“She was a vibrant, friendly, diligent, and motivated student who was popular with and respected by staff and peers alike,” Greg Stokell, headmaster of St. Dominic’s Priory school in Port Elizabeth, told The Times.

From an early age, "Reeva had the full support of her parents who encouraged her to maximize her strengths and abilities to achieve her dreams,” Stokell told the paper. “She set high goals for herself in everything she did and she consistently converted opportunities into success.”

Steenkamp was featured in men’s magazine FHM in December 2011, and named one of the publication’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World for two years in a row.

Slain model’s publicist: She and Pistorius ‘seemed happy’

She was due to appear on the fifth season of South African reality show Tropika Island of Treasure, slated to premiere this Saturday. The show pits seven celebrities and seven other contestants against one another in exotic locales for a cash prize.

“We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva’s family and friends,” the show said in a message on its website.

Steenkamp had done promotional work for Toyota, Clover, and the Italian brand Zui, among other clients, according to promotional materials for Tropika Island of Treasure. She also worked as a live presenter for the country’s FashionTV.

“Reeva has a passion for cars and cooking and prefers to read a book on her days off and spend quality time with friends and family,” according to the show’s website.

Steenkamp posted a tweet mere hours before her Valentine’s Day death: “What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay”

A tweet from earlier on Wednesday read, “It’s a beautiful day! Make things happen. Starting my day off with a yummy healthy shake from my boo :) #healthyliving.”

“She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth who will be sorely missed,” her publicist said in a statement.

This story was originally published on Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:11 AM EST

GENEVA -- Three women were killed and two men were wounded late on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire in the Swiss village of Daillon, Swiss police and prosecutors said on Thursday.

The 33-year-old gunman, who has not been named, threatened police when they tried to arrest him and was shot in the chest before being arrested and taken to hospital, police in the Swiss canton -- or region -- of Valais said. No police officers were wounded.

Gun ownership is widespread in Switzerland and voters rejected a proposal in February 2011 to tighten the country's liberal firearms laws.

The women killed in Daillon were aged 32, 54 and 79. They were all shot at least twice, in the head and chest. The youngest was married to one of the injured men and they had young children together, regional public prosecutor Catherine Seppey told a news conference.

The injured men were aged 33 and 63, respectively.

The gunman was a local resident who had been in psychiatric care in 2005 and was unemployed and living on welfare benefits, police said. His only previous conviction was for marijuana use.

He used at least two firearms -- an old Swiss army carbine and a rifle capable of firing lead shot -- even though his weapons had been seized and destroyed in 2005, and he was not currently listed as having any guns.

He began firing from his apartment, shooting at people in the street and in neighboring buildings, but later came out into the street, police said, adding that he appeared to have fired more than 20 shots.

French-language Swiss website 20minutes.ch quoted villagers as saying the gunman had been drinking heavily. It also said he was armed with an assault rifle, but the public prosecutor did not confirm that information.

Police were alerted by a caller who said several people were lying wounded on the ground at about 8:50 p.m. local time (2:50 p.m. ET) on Wednesday.

Daillon is close to the town of Sion, the capital of the canton Valais.

Mass shootings are rare in Switzerland, although gun possession is widespread -- some estimates run to at least one for every three of its 8 million inhabitants. Many are stored in people's attics, a legacy of Switzerland's policy of arming its men to defend its neutrality.

Denis Balibouse / Reuters

Police officers stand near a crime scene in the Swiss village of Daillon on Thursday after a gunman shot five people.

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