20 countries including China have refused Norway's invitation to today's ceremony awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiabao.

Most have close ties to China, do not want to anger Beijing or have a tendency to take a hard line against their own dissidents. Those who have said they are staying away are Afghanistan, Algeria, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Venezuela and Vietnam.