Putin ally Sergei Sobyanin wins Moscow mayor election

Kremlin-backed candidate Sergei Sobyanin has won the election for mayor of Moscow, Russian election officials have announced.

Mr Sobyanin secured 51.3% - just above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second-round ballot.

His main rival, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, polled 27.2%.

Mr Navalny called for a run-off and refused to recognise the results, saying they had been "deliberately falsified".

Steve Rosenberg reports.