Thousands of people the length and breadth of Norway have had an extra reason to celebrate their National Day. The day kicked off with a patriotic parade in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo – given an added injection of joy following the nation’s Eurovision song contest victory in Moscow.

Twenty-three-year old Alexander Rybak’s triumph was well received in his adopted homeland where the record 378 point win went down like a World Cup final victory. Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said: “I was at dinner, but I was orientated continuously all the time by SMS and phones. We understood very early that it was going the right way. It’s nice that a boy, coming from Belarussia with his family to Norway can do this thing for Norway. It’s fantastic what he’s done.”More about: Norway

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