Three Lebanese television journalists have received the prestigious Inquirer journalism award, the Arab Press Network announced Thursday. The Inquirer Award, now in its fourth year, recognizes the work of outstanding journalists from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, and aspires to raise the professional standards of investigative journalism in the region.

The competition is open to photojournalists as well as print and television journalists. The three Lebanese winners all work for New Television. Riyad Qubaisi earned top gong for best investigative television report for probing the issue of weapons in his politically turbulent homeland.

As well as winning first place, Qubaisi will travel to London on an all-expense paid study tour with trainers from the Thomson Foundation. His colleagues Firas Hatoum and Ogarite Dandash also picked up prizes for their reports on Lebanese street children and torture.

Four Palestinians, one Jordanian and one Syrian also walked away with awards. The winners of were announced at an award ceremony in Amman under the patronage of Jordanian Princess Rim Ali and Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nabil Sharif on February 27.