Greek islanders, Syrian rescuers top Nobel prize bets
Bookmakers are giving the lowest odds for this year's prize to Greek islanders who have helped hundreds of thousands of migrants.
Friday 7 October 2016 07:50, UK
Greek islanders who have opened their hearts and homes to migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Syrian rescuers risking everything to save war-hit civilians are among the contenders for this year's Nobel peace prize.
The award will be announced later this morning in Oslo, Norway.
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![2009: Barack Obama was awarded for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples]()
Image: 2009: Barack Obama was awarded for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples -
![2010: Liu Xiaobo was awarded for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China whilst still being imprisoned]()
Image: 2010: Liu Xiaobo was awarded for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China whilst still being imprisoned -
![2011: Tawakul Karman, Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf were jointly awarded for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women]()
Image: 2011: Tawakul Karman, Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf were jointly awarded for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women -
![2012: The European Union was awarded for the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe over six decades]()
Image: 2012: The European Union was awarded for the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe over six decades -
![2013: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was awarded for its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons]()
Image: 2013: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was awarded for its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons -
![2014: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi were jointly awarded for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people]()
Image: 2014: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi were jointly awarded for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people -
![2015: The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia]()
Image: 2015: The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia
As usual the Norwegian Nobel Committee has not dropped any hints about its choice for 2016, but experts and betting sites have been speculating and assessing the odds.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC chief Timochenko were widely seen as front-runners after signing a deal to end 52 years of civil war.
But they were suddenly forced to rethink after voters in Colombia rejected the agreement between their government and the communist FARC rebels in a referendum last weekend.
That threw the prestigious prize wide open again, and with a record 376 nominations to consider, predicting the winner is largely a lottery, with experts far from unanimous over who the committee will choose.
On the eve of the award, several Nobel watchers flagged civilian-led endeavours, with two betting sites giving Greek islanders the best odds for coming to the aid of thousands of desperate refugees landing on their shores after making the perilous journey across the sea from Turkey.
For others, it was the work of Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege in helping women recover from the violence and trauma of sexual abuse and rape in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Syria's White Helmet volunteers were also touted as possible winners for their daring efforts to rescue civilians caught up in the carnage of the country's five-year war.
Working in rebel-held areas, the force has won international plaudits for the bravery of its nearly 3,000 volunteers who risk life and limb to pull survivors from the rubble.
Also reportedly on the list of nominees but not a favourite is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, a Nobel watcher and head of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, told the AFP news agency that a mystery patron had proposed Mr Trump for "his vigorous peace through strength ideology, used as a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, Isis, nuclear Iran and Communist China".
Mr Harpviken did not list Mr Trump as one of the candidates who actually has a chance of winning.