Putin’s candidate wins election to mayor of Moscow

Kremlin-backed candidate Sergei Sobyanin has won the election for mayor of Moscow. Russian election officials say he 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%. The vote was a low 32%.

Mr Navalny called for a run-off and refused to recognize the results, saying they had been "deliberately falsified" and there were “many serious violations.” But Moscow's electoral commission said there had been no serious violations and a run-off would not take place.