Jordanian journalist dies

Jordanian journalist Sami al-Zubaidi, a former parliamentary candidate, has died in a tragic traffic accident which also killed his wife Zahra, children Khaled, Sham and Kinda, as well as his brother-in-law Hisham. Tributes have flooded in for the media figure, who once stood in Jordan’s parliamentary elections for the People’s List. Newspaper al-Rai's CEO, Ali al-Ayed, editor-in-chief Samir al-Hayari and Director General Omran Khair have all offered tributes to their deceased colleague. The head of the country’s Journalists' Syndicate, Tareq Momani, has also offered his condolences to the family of the late writer. Sami al-Zubaidi was born in 1966 in the northern Jordanian village of al-Badia and was among the leaders of the Jordanian Communist Party. He graduated from Yarmouk University in 1989, after which he became a member of the country’s Journalists' Syndicate. Al-Zubaidi worked as a journalist and managing editor on a number of daily and weekly nationals. He was also known for his staunch defence of journalistic values and national political causes. A police report said five people were killed and two more suffered fracturing and bruising in the accident on Thursday, which occurred near the al-Ghabawi Bridge in Zarqa. The funeral will take place following Friday prayers at the al-Mafraq al-Kabir Mosque. The deceased will be buried in the al-Zubaidi family cemetery in Mafraq.