fireworks

Japan launches surprise fireworks to lift spirits amid pandemic

The shows were held at secret locations, each lasting five minutes from 20:00 local time (12:00 BST).

Organisers set a time limit for the displays to avoid crowds gathering.

Initially, they said the time and date of the event would not be revealed but later reversed course, deciding a sudden pyrotechnics show could cause distress to some.

Filling the skies with a burst of light, the fireworks lasted long enough for people who did not know about it in advance to view them from the street or their homes.

Fire damages New Caledonia top resort

The blaze at the Sheraton Deva prompted a call-out of firefighters from nearby Bourail as well as from Kone and La Foa.

The president of the southern province Philippe Michel said tourists had caused the fire.

He said cleaners had seen them ignite fireworks despite a formal ban on their use.

There was no report about how costly the damage to the resort, which opened in 2014, would be.

     

Mexico fireworks blast: Dozens killed in Tultepec explosion

More than 70 others were injured as the blast hit the San Pablito fireworks market in Tultepec, about 20 miles (32km) outside the city.

Video from the scene showed a large number of fireworks rocketing into the air as they caught fire.

Dozens of paramedics and police attended the scene. The cause of the explosions is not yet known.

Locals have been told to avoid the area and keep roads clear.

Fireworks of the future? Japan to create fake shooting stars

But come 2018, these fleeting fireballs will no longer be left to chance.

Japanese space start-up ALE is developing the technology to deliver on-demand man-made meteors, which could turn the night sky into a blank canvas.

"Imagine a future, where you can use our meteors for international fireworks displays, a proposal for marriage, or a special memorial," says Shinsuke Abe, ALE's research director and Nihon University aerospace engineering professor.

Fireworks light up Nauru skies for Independence Day

Families came from all around the island and spread mats and set up chairs while others came in their cars or on their motorbikes well before 9pm to get a good view.

Children watched in awe as each firework exploded and lit up the skies with an array of colours. Some toddlers though clung to their mothers in fright during the 15 minute display.