Lebanese official jailed for corruption

Judicial officials in Lebanon say a former head of the antiquities department, Camille Asmar, has been sentenced to seven years in jail for embezzlement.

A Beirut court also convicted Mr Asmar's two sons -- Daniel and Emanuel -- and four other people, handing down prison sentences of two to six years. Mr Asmar, who served for more than thirty years at the antiquities department, was originally charged with embezzling more than three million dollars by presenting fake bills for equipment, and services and excavations which were never carried out. He was detained in April last year as part of an anti-corruption drive launched by President Lahoud soon after he came to office.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service