Norway Remembers Massacre Victims One Year On

Norway has commemorated the 77 people who died in a bomb attack and shooting spree by Anders Behring Breivik a year ago.

The country's prime minister Jens Stoltenberg attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of the Oslo explosion and a memorial service at the city's cathedral.

He then went to Utoya island, about 25 miles from the capital, where he joined survivors and families of the victims for a service.

Right-wing extremist Breivik, 33, has admitted setting off an explosion near a government building in Oslo, claiming eight lives.

He also said he carried out the gun rampage on Utoya, where the ruling Labour Party's youth wing was hosting a summer camp. Some 69 people, many of them teenagers, were killed in the shootings.

Speaking at Utoya, Mr Stoltenberg said he had learnt lessons from the tragedy: "Our open democratic society does make room for extremism. The internet is overflowing with insults.

"We have too long ignored hateful messages, we can no longer close our eyes because disregard can be seen as silent acceptance."

The head of the Labour Party youth wing, Eskil Pedersen, added: "Even though we carry a heavy burden, we are still standing.

"He took some of our loveliest roses, but he could not stop the springtime."

In an earlier ceremony at the Oslo blast site, attended by members of the royal family including King Harald, Mr Stoltenberg said Breivik's aim of ending Norway's commitment to being an inclusive, multi-cultural society had not succeeded.

The leader said: "The bomb and the gun shots were meant to change Norway. The Norwegian people answered by embracing our values. The perpetrator lost. The people won."

The king and queen then joined the PM at Oslo's cathedral, where hundreds of people were gathered outside.

Religious services, commemorative gatherings and a concert were among the events planned across the country to mark the anniversary.

Breivik's trial ended last month with the killer saying his attacks were necessary to defend the country.

He said he had targeted the Labour Party for its immigration policies and support for a multi-cultural society.

A panel of five trial judges will have to rule on Breivik's sanity when they hand down their verdict on August 24.

The evidence included official reports from two teams of forensic psychiatrists. One team declared Breivik sane, saying he was "of sound mind", has no serious mental illness and is not psychotic.

The other team said he was psychotic and a paranoid schizophrenic and that he lives in his own delusional universe where all thoughts and actions are controlled by his delusions.

If the judges conclude he is psychotic, he is likely to be placed in a high-security psychiatric unit.

If not, he will face up to 21 years in prison, but could be held longer if deemed too dangerous to be released.