Got an Axe to Grind? Throw it Instead at Jordan Rage Room

A Jordanian girl collects an axe from the target at a store, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Amman, Jordan August 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A Jordanian girl collects an axe from the target at a store, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Amman, Jordan August 4, 2020. (Reuters)
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Got an Axe to Grind? Throw it Instead at Jordan Rage Room

A Jordanian girl collects an axe from the target at a store, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Amman, Jordan August 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A Jordanian girl collects an axe from the target at a store, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Amman, Jordan August 4, 2020. (Reuters)

Had it up to here with your boss, the lockdown?

Throw an axe to get it all out. “Axe Rage Rooms” are all the er, rage in Jordan as people seek release during the pandemic.

While you’re at it, have a smashing time with TVs, plates and electronics as well, in this cathartic form of entertainment at a time when theaters and sports venues are closed. Do it with family, friends or colleagues to celebrate or mourn an event like a birthday, wedding, divorce or your sports team’s outcome in a tournament.

“We’re used to throwing darts at targets to get points. But the idea of throwing an axe at the same target is quite new,” said Nour Mohaib, wearing a helmet with a face shield to enjoy her new therapeutic pastime.

“This is a great way to spend your surplus energy.”

The AXE rage room entertainment center in Amman features five themed experiences, such as classrooms and kitchens.

“(F)ulfil your darkest pleasures of smashing things up by a baseball bat, or throwing dishes to the wall rather than washing them, or destroy the whole office electronics with your co-workers... like a team for once rather than shouting at each other in boring meetings,” says its website.

Safety rules must be followed and players must sign a waiver of liability.

“No one can enter the area where the axes are thrown, and there’s safety gear for the face and the eyes,” said founder and director Aladdin Attari.

The cost is 15 Jordanian dinars ($21) per person to smash an unlimited supply of items for an hour, which is “more than enough for most people,” a customer service representative said by phone.



Greece Battles Wildfires Across Country, Evacuates Villages

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
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Greece Battles Wildfires Across Country, Evacuates Villages

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)

Firefighters were battling wildfires near Athens and across Greece on Saturday as the Mediterranean country sweltered under the third heatwave of the summer, with some villages and settlements being evacuated.

Explosions could be heard as huge clouds of smoke covered Drosopigi village 25 km north of Athens, where factories with flammable material are located. Helicopters dropped water and 65 firefighters battled the flames, assisted by 26 vehicles and two aircraft.

Two houses caught fire, according to state ERT television, while residents of nearby village Krioneri were instructed by authorities to leave towards Athens.

Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the Greek weather service said.

On the island of Evia, 115 firefighters and 24 vehicles were deployed to put out fires, assisted by six aircraft and seven helicopters, but strong winds were hampering their efforts. Residents of the island's Triada area were told to be ready in case they needed to leave.

The fire on Evia is the latest in a series of bushfires stoked by strong winds and dry conditions this month.

On the island of Kythera, authorities evacuated the villages of Aroniadika, Pitsinades and Aryoi. In the area of Messinia, west of Athens, residents of the Kryoneri and Sellas villages were also told to leave.

These sites were on a list of Greek regions on high alert for wildfires due to record-breaking temperatures and strong winds due on Saturday.

Tourism is a key earner in Greece, and the fires have hit since the start of the peak summer holiday season early in July.

Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.