Snowden, pope, refugees, Congo rights campaigner in the buzz for 2014 Nobel Peace Prize

Published October 09, 2014

STAVANGER, Norway Bettors this year are putting their money on Edward Snowden, Pope Francis or a Pakistani schoolgirl as favorites to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

As usual, the secretive Norwegian Nobel Committee hasn't dropped any hints ahead of Friday's announcement, revealing only that it had received a record 278 nominations. Geir Lundestad of the Norwegian Nobel Committee has suggested the choice was more difficult this year, telling The Associated Press they had "seven meetings rather than five or six."

Here's a look at some names generating the most Peace Prize buzz this year:

EDWARD SNOWDEN

The former National Security Agency contractor blew the lid on mass U.S. surveillance in the summer of 2013 too late to be a contender for last year's prize but two Norwegian lawmakers nominated him for the 2014 award. One of them, Snorre Valen, said Snowden's disclosures qualified for the peace prize because "surveillance is the latest arms race. For there to be any chance of peace, countries have to be able to trust each other." Snowden, who remains exiled in Russia, has said he is proud to have been nominated but considers himself an outsider for the $1.1 million award.

POPE FRANCIS

Since he became pope in March 2013, Francis has been a notable champion of the poor with incognito visits to homeless people and demands for development and wealth redistribution. The pope is the bookmakers' favorite but, after the fallout when President Barack Obama got the prize in 2009, awarding Francis the Nobel a year into his papacy might be too soon. If he did win, the Argentine would be the first head of the Catholic Church to get the prize.

MALALA YOUSAFZAI

The Pakistani teen who campaigned against the Taliban's destruction of girls schools was shot in the head by the group in 2012. Many guessed she would win last year and were wrong, as the prize went to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Now 17, she has continued to speak out in support of women's rights but is considered more of an outsider for the prize. Still, her odds have dropped to 12-1 from 20-1 a few weeks ago, according to the betting firm Unibet.

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Snowden, pope, refugees, Congo rights campaigner in the buzz for 2014 Nobel Peace Prize