Pope Francis, who has made the fight against poverty a focus of his tenure, and Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege are among the top contenders for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Other favorites include Edward Snowden, the former American intelligence contractor who revealed secret surveillance programs, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who defied the Taliban, and Russian media outlets such as Novaya Gazeta, according to bookmakers and researchers. The winner will be announced on Oct. 10 in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
"Pope Francis has brought attention to the fate of the poor, and the need for a new approach to development and economic redistribution," the Peace Research Institute in Oslo said on its website. Francis was director Kristian Berg Harpviken's favorite ahead of a final update of PRIO's candidate shortlist, which was due Friday.