Russian protesters join hands around central Moscow

Thousands of Russians have linked hands around Moscow in a protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's expected return to the Kremlin.

Thousands of people are holding hands to form a 16-kilometer (10-mile) human chain encircling central Moscow in the latest protest against Putin.

Opposition activists estimated that they needed 34,000 people to complete the chain along the Garden Ring and they appeared to have succeeded or come close.

Mr Putin, who was Russian president in 2000-2008, is widely expected to win against four challengers in the March 4 election.