Barack Obama: Breivik told police that the US president, who was in Oslo in December 2009 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, would have been an ideal target, daily Dagbladet reported quoting leaks from the police interrogation.

He wanted to place a car bomb near the president's convoy, an attack he considered highly symbolic and one which would have a major media impact. He abandoned the idea, figuring his chances of succeeding in killing Obama were limited.

"Jihadi"-style executions: Breivik also planned to capture senior Norwegian politicians on Utøya island and film their executions as a text was read, daily Verdens Gang reported, also quoting leaks from the police interrogation. The targets included Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, ex-prime minister and icon of the Labour Party Gro Harlem Brundtland, and the head of the Labour Party's youth movement Eskil Pedersen. Breivik abandoned the idea after realising it would take too long to upload the video footage to the internet.

Other targets: Both police and Breivik's defence lawyers have confirmed that he had other targets in mind but have not disclosed the people or institutions by name. According to media reports, he wanted to attack the Norwegian royal palace because he considered it ugly and because Crown Princess Mette-Marit has defended the cause of asylum seekers. He also reportedly wanted to attack parliament, the foreign ministry, Labour Party headquarters, media organisations and concert halls.

During his trial, Breivik "will not only defend (his actions) but will also lament, I think, not going further," his lawyer Geir Lippestad has said.

Two court-ordered psychiatric evaluations have drawn contradictory conclusions about whether he is sane, and judges will ultimately decide if he can be held criminally responsible for his acts.