FORMER RUSSIAN prime minister Vladimir Putin has been sworn in as president for a third time.
The former KGB officer served two consecutive terms as president starting in 2000, and his predecessor Dmitry Medvedev changed the law which lengthened the term from four to six years.
Putin’s new term began with his formal nomination of Medvedev for the role of prime minister – the office Putin has just vacated.
Scuffles broke out between demonstrates protesting Putin’s election and police and security forces. Around 1,000 opposition activists gathered along the route Putin’s motorcade travelled to the Kremlin and some 120 were detained by police, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
Yesterday, around 400 people were detained after thousands of protesters attempted to march towards the Kremlin amid heightened security. Riot police beat back the crowds using batons.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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