London — Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th US president at the US Capitol in Washington

Mr Biden, 78,  has been inaugurated at a scaled back ceremony this afternoon , starting his address by saying : “This is America’s day, this is democracy’s day”. He called it a day of “history and hope” and declared “my whole soul is in putting America back together again.”

Kamala Harris has been sworn in as the  vice president, the first woman, black person and first person of South Asian descent elected to the position.

In his first hours as president, Biden will aim to strike at the heart of Donald Trump’s policy legacy, signing a series of executive actions that reverse his predecessor’s orders on immigration, climate change and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. ( Input from agencies )