Firecracker

The İzmir Governor's Office banned the sale and use of fireworks as part of the state of emergency on Aug. 2.

Fireworks are commonly used in wedding ceremonies, football matches and some celebratory events across Turkey.

The governor's office stated some complaints were filed against the frequent use of fireworks and firecrackers, which could cause harm.

Police said on Tuesday they had confiscated more than 74,000 firecrackers and other fireworks following a raid on a large textiles manufacturer in Attica.

Officers, who carried out the raid following a tip-off from police in Patra, arrested the suspected owner of the business.

A letter bomb exploded March 16 at the French office of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), lightly injuring one person, according to Paris police.

Staff from the IMF office were evacuated and armed military officers and police guarded the area, in a chic district of western Paris. The World Bank office in France is in the same compound.

Belgian police and protesting off-duty soldiers clashed on Wednesday in Brussels.

AFP is quoting authorities as saying that 8,500 soldiers took part in the demonstration, and that riot police fired water cannon "after receiving projectiles of smoke bombs and firecrackers from the protestors."

Greek Police arrested more than 100 people across the country between March 24 through Easter Sunday for the illegal possession and sale of firecrackers, a police statement said.

Specifically, police conducted 30,000 checks during that time, seizing more than 11,000 firecrackers and 152,000 fireworks.

Police said they have confiscated more than 27,000 firecrackers and other pyrotechnics and arrested 10 people over their illegal possession in the last few days in the regions of Achaia, Ilia and Aitoloacarnania in the Peloponnese.

A group of Pakistanis and a Syrian were violently attacked by about 20 unknown assailants late on Jan. 10 in the German city of Cologne, police said.

Greek police found unexploded gas canisters outside of a house in the city of Iraklion, Crete, which was known to be used by Muslims as a prayer area.

Unknown individuals had placed four gas canisters and several firecrackers at the entrance of the house, but none of them were used.

Police is conducting an investigation.

A 25-year-old man was seriously injured by a homemade firecracker during Orthodox Easter celebration in Kalamata early on Sunday.

The man was taken to the hospital, where doctors had to amputate both of his arms. He also lost his eyesight during the blast.

Another 25-year-old man that was near him also suffered a light injury.

Fireworks illuminated the skies across China as millions around Asia ushered in the Year of the Sheep on Feb. 19, kicking off festivities with an annual televised gala that got a thumbs down on social media for heavy Communist Party propaganda.