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R8SS,A Russia’s 9ladi mir Putin took his vows in the .remlin yesterday to become President for another si[ years after winning an election in March with no meaningful opposition. ,f the former spy chief completes his full term he will have dominated Rus sian politics for almost a Tuar ter of a century.
&ameras rolled as Putin, , walked from his office, down seemingly endless red carpets into a new Russian made &or tege limousine that took him to the Spassky *ate and on to the lofty and gold plated Ale[ander +all the former throne room of imperial Rus sia. ³My whole life will be dedicated to serving our peo ple and our homeland,” Putin said in a short address to hun dreds of dignitaries, vowing to ³restore strength, prosper ity and glory” to the Russian state, and talking of his role as a ³sacred duty.” Former *erman &hancellor *erhard Schr|der, who holds positions in Russian energy companies *a]prom and Rosneft, sat in the front. +ollywood actor and Russian citi]en Steven Seagal, a personal friend of Putin, also attended the cer emony. Amid concern about widespread protests, the event was more low key than the last time Putin was sworn in as President in 2 12.
Opposition leader Ale[ei Navalny was released from police custody last weekend, after hundreds of people were detained following an anti government protest in Mos cow. Navalny, a fierce critic of Putin, organi]ed in several cities across Russia on Sat urday. +e was detained by police shortly after arriving in Moscow’s Pushkinskaya STuare, with dramatic images showing the protest leader being carried through the crowds by police. Navalny said in a tweet that he was re leased shortly after midnight, after police ³registered two protocols against me organi ]ation of a rally and resistance of the police.”
(CNN)