Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet

Greek islanders, White Helmets top Nobel Peace Prize betting

Punters are putting their money on this year's Nobel Peace Prize going to Greek islanders who have opened their hearts and homes to hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

The award will be announced Friday in Oslo, Norway, and as usual the Norwegian Nobel Committee isn't dropping any hints about its choice.

Pope Francis awarded prestigious German European unity prize

Pope Francis has been named the winner of the International Charlemagne Prize, awarded annually by the German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity.

The prize committee said Dec. 23 that the pontiff had sent "a message of hope and encouragement" at a time in which "many citizens in Europe are seeking orientation," news agency Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) reported.