ASHRAF GHANI SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM AS AFGHAN PRESIDENT AMID CRISISAfghan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on Monday ashis rival Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration that could plungethe country deeper into crisis ahead of peace talks with the Taliban."I swear by the name of God that I shall obey and protect the holy religionof Islam, respect and supervise the implementation of the constitution", Mr.Ghani said at an oath-taking ceremony attended by hundreds of people,including visiting foreign dignitaries, diplomats and senior politicalfigures.Afghan challenger Abdullah Abdullah inaugurated himself as President,minutes after the incumbent Mr. Ghani was sworn into office for a secondterm, deepening a political crisis that has stoked fears for upcoming peacetalks with a strong Taliban.Mr. Ghani was declared as the winner of the election held last September,but Mr. Abdullah, who disputed the vote, held a parallel ceremony surroundedby hundreds of supporters during which he vowed to "safeguard theindependence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity" of Afghanistan.Two blasts were heard as Afghanistan's two rival leaders held parallelpresidential inaugurations in Kabul on Monday, underscoring the country'swoeful security ahead of talks with a resurgent Taliban. Hundreds of peoplehad assembled at two venues inside the presidential palace complex to watchthe swearing-in ceremonies for President Ashraf Ghani and challengerAbdullah Abdullah, when the blasts were heard, prompting some to flee. "Ihave no bulletproof vest on, only my shirt, I will stay even if I have tosacrifice my head," Ghani told the remaining crowd, as sirens soundedoverhead. The IS claimed the attack. "Caliphate soldiers targeted theinauguration of the tyrant Ashraf Ghani", firing 10 rockets near thepresidential palace in Kabul, the jihadist group said in a statementreleased via its usual social media channels.EU MULLS TAKING IN 1,500 CHILD REFUGEESThe European Union is considering taking in up to 1,500 migrant children whoare currently housed in Greek camps, the German government said Monday."A humanitarian solution is being negotiated at the European level for a'coalition of the willing' to take in these children," said the governmentin a statement, adding that Berlin was ready to take in an "appropriate"share.EU executive tells Turkey to take migrants back from Greek border Brussels:European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of talks withPresident Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey must move refugees and migrants awayfrom the Greek border. "Finding a solution to this situation will requirerelieving the pressure that is put on the border," von der Leyen told a newsconference on MondayShe said ensuring the right to asylum, support for both Turkey and Greece,as well as moving people - especially minors - stranded on the Greek islandsto mainland Europe were immediately needed too.IRAN PROVIDING ACCESS TO ACTIVE NUCLEAR SITES, SAYS UN'S ATOMIC WATCHDOGIran continues to provide international inspectors access to its activenuclear facilities, even after its announcement it was no longer bound by"any restrictions" of the landmark 2015 deal with world powers designed toprevent the country from producing a nuclear weapon, the head of the UnitedNation's atomic watchdog agency said on Monday.Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency,also told board members in Vienna that since Tehran's Jan. 5 announcement itappears that Iran hasn't escalated its violations of the nuclear pact, knownas the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."The agency has not observed any changes to Iran's implementation of itsnuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA in connection with thisannouncement, or in the level of cooperation by Iran in relation to agencyverification and monitoring activities under the JCPOA," Grossi said inprepared remarks.Last week, the agency said in a report to member nations that its inspectorshad confirmed that Iran had nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uraniumsince November in violation of the nuclear deal.In a separate report to members last week, the IAEA said it had identifiedthree locations in Iran where the country possibly stored undeclared nuclearmaterial or undertook nuclear-related activities without declaring it tointernational observers.UK ROYALS SET FOR LAST BIG GET TOGETHER BEFORE HARRY AND MEGHAN'S EXITBritain's senior royals will come together on Monday for what is expected tobe the last family gathering before Prince Harry and his wife Meghan set offeron a new care path.The Commonwealth Service at London's Westminster Abbey is an annual eventthat this year brings together Harry and Meghan with Queen Elizabeth, hiselder brother William and wife Kate, and father Prince Charles and his wifeCamilla, for the first time in public since the couple thrashed out an exitdeal from their royal roles in January."It will be fascinating to see how it plays out," said royal biographerPenny Junor. "I imagine everybody will be on absolutely best behaviour. Butgoodness knows what they will all be thinking privately."The January agreement, which comes into action at the end of the month, willsee the couple - the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - seek to carve out "aprogressive new role", mainly based in North America, that they aim tofinance themselves.Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, will stop using their HRH titles - His or HerRoyal Highness, will not use "royal" in their branding and Harry, who willremain a prince, will relinquish his military titles.Monday's event to mark Commonwealth Day is expected to be their lastofficial appearance, with no certainty about when the royal family will nextbe seen together."Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the Commonwealth and mymilitary associations without public funding. Sadly that wasn't possible,"the prince, the sixth-in-line to the throne, said in a speech in January.SUDAN'S PM SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN CAPITALSudan's prime minister survived an assassination attempt on Monday after ablast in the capital, Khartoum, Sudanese state media said.Abdalla Hamdok's family confined he was safe following the explosion, whichtargeted his convoy.No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.Hamdok was appointed prime minister last August, after pro-democracyprotests forced the military to remove the autocratic President Omaral-Bashir and replace it with a civilian-led government.Military generals remain the de facto rulers of the country and have shownlittle willingness to hand over power to the civilian-led administration.Nearly a year after al-Bashir's ouster, the country faces a dire economiccrisis. Inflation stands at a staggering 60% and the unemployment rate was22.1% in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. The governmenthas said that 30% of Sudan's young people, who make up more than half of theover 42 million population, are without jobs.