The leader of Lithuania`s Jewish community Wednesday received a top German award to honour his efforts to reconcile Germans and Lithuanian Jews, who were all but wiped out in the Holocaust.

Germany`s embassy in Vilnius said that Simonas Alperavicius, 80, had received the German Cross of Merit, First Class, which is the only decoration awarded by the German state.

The leader of Lithuania`s Jewish community Wednesday received a top German award to honour his efforts to reconcile Germans and Lithuanian Jews, who were all but wiped out in the Holocaust.

Germany`s embassy in Vilnius said that Simonas Alperavicius, 80, had received the German Cross of Merit, First Class, which is the only decoration awarded by the German state.

BUSAN, South Korea, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Three emerging Asian film-makers are to share the main award at this year's Pusan International Film Festival, organisers announced Friday.

Thailand's Aditya Assarat with 'Wonderful Town', Guang Hao-jin (Life Track) of China and Malaysia's Liew Seng Tat (Flower in the Pocket) will each receive 30,000 dollars as joint winners of the New Currents award.

'Our main goal is to encourage people to make films,' said the festival's director of programming for Asian films, Kim Ki-seok.

PARIS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - France is to award US filmmaker David Lynch with the Legion of Honour -- its top civilian honour -- and induct British band The Police into the Order of Arts and Letters, officials said here Saturday.

Lynch, the man behind Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive and the cult television show Twin Peaks, will become an officer of the legion in a ceremony Monday, said presidential palace spokesman David Martinon.

SOFIA, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia will visit Bulgaria on October 4 where they will receive awards for their role in freeing six Bulgarian medics in Libya in July, the presidency here said Friday.

Cecilia Sarzkozy made two trips to Tripoli as the president's personal envoy and escorted the six medics home to Sofia on July 24 at the end of their eight-year ordeal in a Libyan jail on charges of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with AIDS.

TOKYO, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - The Japan Art Association on Thursday named conductor Daniel Barenboim as a recipient of the Praemium Imperiale, one of the richest awards in the art world.

Other award winners included Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who built London's Tate Modern from a shuttered power station and designed the 'bird's nest' stadium under construction for the Beijing Olympics.

LONDON, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Just weeks after checking into a rehab clinic over drink and drug problems, British soul singer Amy Winehouse scooped up the Best UK Female award at the Mobos in London on Wednesday.

Beating out Joss Stone, Jamelia, Corinne Bailey Rae and Beverley Knight with her 'Back to Black' album, Winehouse also took to the stage to a standing ovation before performing 'Me and Mr Jones' and 'Tears Dry On Their Own'.

WASHINGTON, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Murdered Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya has been honored with the annual US Democracy Award, which this year recognizes journalists who risk their lives to provide honest information, officials told AFP Wednesday.

Elena Mishilina, who accepted the award on behalf of her slain colleague on Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper at a ceremony in Washington on Tuesday evening, told AFP the award recognized Politkovskaya as a reporter and also the difficulties facing Russian journalists who rankle the government.

GENEVA, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - The UN refugee agency on Tuesday awarded its annual Nansen prize to a Maltese lawyer who shrugged off repeated threats and attacks to help African and Middle Eastern boat people arriving in Malta.

The Nansen Award brings a medal and a 100,000-dollar grant for a refugee project.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Katrine Camilleri, 37, a lawyer for the Jesuit Refugee Service, was granted the Nansen award because of her 'exceptional dedication to the refugee cause.'

LOS ANGELES, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - US mob drama 'The Sopranos' said its final farewells when it picked up the top award from the 59th annual Emmy awards in Los Angeles on Sunday at television's equivalent of the Oscars.

The groundbreaking HBO series, which ended in June after an eight-year run, took home the awards for outstanding drama, best writing and directing, but unexpectedly failed to score any prizes in the acting categories.

LOS ANGELES, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) - List of winners in the top categories for the 59th annual television Emmy awards, presented here on Sunday.

Outstanding Drama Series

'The Sopranos'

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

James Spader, 'Boston Legal'

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Sally Field, 'Brothers & Sisters'

Outstanding Comedy Series

'30 Rock'

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Ricky Gervais, 'Extras'

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

TORONTO, Sept 15, 2007 (AFP) - Canadian film maker David Cronenberg won the popular vote at the Toronto International Film Festival Saturday, scooping the People's Choice Award with a violent thriller about the Russian mafia in London.

The prize went to 'Eastern Promises,' the latest feature by the director noted for his surreal and sometime gruesome approach in earlier films such as 'The Fly,' 'Crash' and 'The Naked Lunch.'

LOS ANGELES, Sept 14, 2007 (AFP) - List of nominees in the top categories for the 59th annual television Emmy awards, due to be presented here on Sunday.

Outstanding Drama Series

'Boston Legal'

'Grey's Anatomy'

'Heroes'

'House'

'The Sopranos'

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Patricia Arquette, 'Medium'

Minnie Driver, 'The Riches'

Edie Falco, 'The Sopranos'

Sally Field, 'Brothers & Sisters'

Mariska Hargitay, 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'

LOS ANGELES, Sept 14, 2007 (AFP) - US mob drama 'The Sopranos' was expected to whack the competition at the 59th annual Emmy awards on Sunday, when television's equivalent of the Oscars are held in Los Angeles.

The HBO series, which ended in June after an eight-year run, was tipped for the top drama series prize, while James Gandolfini was expected to take home the outstanding lead actor award for his portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano.

LAS VEGAS, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - Teenage R&B star Rihanna and pop sensation Justin Timberlake were the big winners at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday, in a star-studded evening that saw Britney Spears make her stage comeback.

Rihanna picked up the most-sought-after Video of the Year award and Monster Single of the Year for her 'Umbrella,' notably beating R&B starlet Beyonce, Timberlake, rapper Kanye West, British soul singer Amy Winehouse.

LAS VEGAS, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - List of main winners at the annual MTV Video Music Awards here Sunday.

Video of the Year: Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z), 'Umbrella'

Male Artist of the Year: Justin Timberlake, 'Let Me Talk To You/ My Love,' 'SexyBack' (featuring Timbaland), 'What Goes Around ... Comes Around'

Female Artist of the Year: Fergie: 'Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal),' 'Glamorous' (featuring Ludacris), 'Fergalicious' (featuring Will.I.Am)

Best New Artist: Gym Class Heroes, 'Clothes Off,' 'Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America'

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday received a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Order of Merit Award for his role in developing football in the country.

Presenting the award in Cape Town, CAF president Issa Hayatou, a Cameroonian who spoke through an interpreter, said the award was also given to Mbeki in admiration of the way 'you run this country, South Africa,' SAPA news agency reported.

'This is our way of paying tribute to you for what you have done,' Hayatou said, according to the agency.

LAS VEGAS, Sept 7, 2007 (AFP) - Despite not even being nominated for an award, Britney Spears looks set to steal the show at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday, where Justin Timberlake and Beyonce are among the most nominated stars.

Pop princess Spears will open the star-studded 24th annual MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas -- her first major stage event since the birth of her two children.

NEW DELHI, Aug 9, 2007 (AFP) - World champion shooter Manavjit Sandhu on Thursday pipped popular cricket captain Rahul Dravid to win India's highest sporting honour for 2006.

The 30-year-old trap shooter earned the coveted award that carries a prize money of 500,000 rupees (12,500 dollars) on the recommendations of a high-powered committee headed by cricketing legend Kapil Dev.

Other players in contention for the award, known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, included ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and tennis doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi.

MANILA, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - Three Chinese activists, including one jailed after exposing rights abuses carried out under China's one-child policy, were among the seven people named Tuesday to receive the prestigious Magsaysay award, the award foundation said.

Also named were an Indian journalist who highlighted vital social issues, a South Korean advocate for the disabled, a Nepalese pioneer in wireless technology and a Filipino known for fighting corruption.