Update: Congratulations to Human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.

[Ebadi] won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her work fighting for democracy and the rights of women and children, the first Muslim woman and the first Iranian to receive the accolade.

Ebadi, 56, the first female judge in Iran who also was jailed on charges of slandering government officials, was praised by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for promoting peaceful, democratic solutions in the struggle for human rights.

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The Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced shortly. Candidates include the pope, the former Czech president, Brazil's new leftist leader ...and former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who emptied Illinois's death row before leaving office.

What are Ryan's chances? 12-1, according to one bookmaking odds service.

Former Gov. George Ryan and rock star Bono have something in common beyond just their Irish heritage. Both have decent odds of winning the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, which will be awarded Friday by the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

Centrebet, an online Australian bookmaker, looked over some of the 165 nominees for the peace prize and ranked Ryan at 12-1 odds and U2's lead singer at 10-1.

Others say Ryan is "running neck and neck with the Pope."

We hope Ryan gets it.