Vladmir Putin to be sworn in as President of Russia today

Vladimir Putin will be sworn in as President of Russia today for a fourth term after winning the election in March. Mr Putin has been in power for 18 years. Riot police confronted protesters against his rule in Moscow and other Russian cities on Saturday. AFP news agency reports that the inauguration at the Kremlin in Moscow is likely to be lower-key than in



2012. 

Mr Putin was re-elected with more than 76 percent of the vote, his best ever election performance. The opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was barred from standing against Mr Putin, on grounds of a conviction for embezzlement, which he denied saying it was politically motivated.