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AMMAN — With the intention of drawing the world’s attention to children living in war, five Ukrainian photographers on Monday exhibited their work from the Donbass war, depicting the physical and psychological state of children on the frontlines.

The “Children in War” photo exhibition, held by the Ukrainian embassy in cooperation with the Cote d’Ivoire embassy at Broadway Gallery, displayed 25 photographs of children who have experienced war firsthand, to show the dangers of war beyond the physical world, organisers said.

Ukrainian photographer and vice president of the Volunteer Help International Foundation, Olena Prokopenko, said the most interesting part of working on the project was capturing the images of children who were “not posing”.

“The most difficult part was the conditions we worked [in], filming and [taking] pictures was... 1km or 2km from the frontline under the shelling,” she told The Jordan Times.

“Photographers were living under the constant threat of being shelled… We were also unofficial photographers, so we were [not] protected with any signs… We were risking a lot,” Prokopenko added.

The artist said the photographers involved in the project “rethought their lives after the experience”.

“We understood that our daily problems are incomparable with the problems those kids are experiencing in their everyday lives,” she added.

Yevgen Rokicki, president of the International Charity Fund and the Baltic-Black Sea Security Confederation, said the tragedy of children who experience war is depicted in the exhibition.

“The idea of the exhibition... appeared a-year-and-a-half ago, once our foundation started supporting children who were on the frontline area of war. Over the last two years, we have refurbished three schools that were demolished during the war,” Rokicki added.

“The tragedy of children depicted in the photo exhibition is because they are residing in the suburbs of big cities Luhansk and Donetsk, they are either from families with either father or mother, or both parents missing,” he said.

The confederation president noted that the children captured in some photos might even have psychological problems as post-war traumas.

“Those two big cities were captured by the Russians and… have no access to medical institutions, no possibility to go to hospitals; they can only go 300km from their home village to other regional centres, that is why we wanted to attract attention to the tragedies of children who suffer from the war,” Rokicki explained.

He added that medical and psychological support is also offered to children who require it, while “those talented people who… sing, paint, or dance” are brought to the capital so that they can demonstrate their talents and be exposed to TV channels and other institutions.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday hosted an iftar banquet in Al Hussein Youth City on Sunday attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, according to a Royal Court statement.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Senate President Abdur-Ra’uf S. Rawabdeh, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, Judicial Council President Hisham Tal, former prime ministers, senior officials and officers as well as Royal Family members, clerics, MPs and members of diplomatic missions in the Kingdom attended the iftar.

The King and Crown Prince performed maghrib prayer with the attendees.

AMMAN — The Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) on Wednesday called on municipalities with buildings that violate the National Construction Law to rectify their situation.

JEA President Majid Tabba said the law requires pre-construction building designs issued from a JEA-certified engineering firm, as well as the association’s accreditation.

 However, “a few” municipalities issue building licences without consulting certified engineering offices, a matter Tabba described as “illegal and unsafe” with potential defects in construction.

The phenomenon decreased after the JEA signed an agreement with municipalities in June 2014 to put an end to these violations, but some municipalities are still violating the law, he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“Some are not aware of the importance of obtaining proper building designs, as violations often transgress construction standards as well as the allowed dimensions for buildings,” he said, adding that some violations involve buildings encroaching on streets. 

Contractors and housing developers tend to consult uncertified engineering firms to save money, especially since they receive “reduced fines” when they issue permits for already established buildings, according to Tabba.

“In fact it is cheaper to follow the law in consulting professional and competent engineers and obtaining an official permit, as it saves developers the burden of expensive defects that could result from unprofessional assessments,” he said.

“This is not the place to save money,” the JEA president stressed, explaining that violating construction standards jeopardises the safety and quality of a building, especially the ability to add floors or incorporate electromechanic facilities.

AMMAN — The interests of the country and citizens represent the ultimate goal the Interior Ministry and its security and executive institutions seek to achieve under all circumstances, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said Wednesday. 

At a meeting with heads of security services, Hammad, who was sworn in before His Majesty King Abdullah on the same day, said that unifying efforts and coordinating among security institutions will help overcome security challenges the Kingdom is facing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Civil Defence Department Director General Lt. Gen. Talal Kofahi, and acting directors of the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Gendarmerie Department, Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Abu Jumaa and Brig. Gen. Atef Hajaya, attended the meeting. 

The newly appointed minister also commended the high level of proficiency of security personnel and their ability to deal with security challenges.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour attended Hammad’s swearing in ceremony at Al Husseiniya Palace, according to Petra.

Hammad was appointed as interior minister on Tuesday, replacing Hussein Majali, a former PSD director, who resigned on Sunday. 

Police and Gendarmerie chiefs, Gen. Tawfiq Tawalbeh and Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sweilmin were also referred to retirement the same day.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said in a statement that the minister’s resignation was a result of “the lack of coordination among security organisations that include the public security and the Gendarmerie departments”.

The new minister, Hammad, is known for administering the landmark 1989 parliamentary elections when he was secretary general of the Interior Ministry.

Born in Amman in 1944, he served as interior minister from 1993-1995 and 1995-1996.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Baghdad University and two higher diplomas in public administration from France. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, attended the ceremony to mark Jordan’s 79th Independence Day, held on Sunday at Al Husseiniya Palace.

During the ceremony, attended by HRH Prince Hashem, heads of authorities delivered speeches expressing deep pride in Jordan and highlighting the significance of the occasion, which serves to reaffirm Jordanians’ devotion to their homeland, and their determination to support its continued advancement under the Hashemite leadership.

The prime minister, Senate president, House of Representatives speaker, and president of the Judicial Council expressed pride in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies for their role in safeguarding the Kingdom.

They also emphasised Jordanians’ steadfast support for the Hashemite leadership in defending Arab causes, and supporting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as safeguarding Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

During the ceremony, His Majesty bestowed Royal medals upon a number of distinguished Jordanian individuals and leading national institutions in recognition of their significant contributions and services to the nation and its people.

The ceremony highlighted the achievements of Jordanians who have distinguished themselves in different sectors, including filmmaking, media, economics, vocational training, literature, education, technology, culture, medicine, science, and sports.

Royal family members, senior officials and officers, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, and professional associations attended the ceremony.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi joined a high-level ministerial meeting of the Madrid Group (Madrid +), hosted by Spain, to advance efforts toward implementing the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The meeting brought together the ministerial committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha, and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, along with other Arab and European officials.

The talks in Madrid focused on the war in Gaza and the international efforts to end the worsening humanitarian catastrophe there, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

Ministers also discussed preparations for a high-level international peace conference, set to take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York in June. The conference is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France.

The committee members underlined the need for intensified cooperation to ensure the success of the upcoming conference aimed at pushing for a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state formula, the statement said.

They called for establishing a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international resolutions.

The ministers also expressed support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States aimed at securing a ceasefire, releasing hostages and prisoners, and lifting the blockade on Gaza. They called for the immediate and unconditional opening of all border crossings to allow humanitarian, medical, and relief aid to reach civilians, according to the statement.

The committee condemned continued Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza and urged international accountability for breaches of international and humanitarian law.

They also underlined support for “early recovery and the reconstruction of Gaza, in line with the Arab reconstruction plan adopted at the Cairo summit. They also voiced support for Egypt’s upcoming international conference on Gaza reconstruction.

AMMAN — The Southern Military Zone on Sunday thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics using two drones along its western front.

A responsible military source from the General Command of the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) said that Border Guard forces applied the rules of engagement after detecting and tracking the two drones.

They were intercepted and brought down inside Jordanian territory, and the seized materials were handed over to the relevant authorities, the source said.

The source stressed  that the JAF continue to act with strength and determination, mobilising all available resources to counter such activities and prevent all forms of infiltration and smuggling to safeguard the Kingdom’s security and stability.

AMMAN — The Jordanian national jiu-jitsu team on Sunday secured a total of seven medals, one gold, three silver, and three bronze, on the third day of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, currently taking place at Prince Hamzah Hall in Al Hussein Youth City in Amman.

Mohammad Hamdan clinched the gold medal in the under-62kg category, while Khaled Harahsheh and Shujaa Harahsheh earned silver in the under-62kg and under-69kg categories, respectively. Yaman Ismail also claimed silver in the under-85kg division, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Othman Yaseen won the bronze medal in the under-94kg category, and Abdelkarim Mukhalba secured bronze in the under-77kg category, all within the jiu-jitsu contact competitions.  Additionally, Zeina Saleh won a bronze medal in the under-70kg category in the jiu-jitsu division.