WASHINGTON -- A divided U.S. Senate voted mostly along party line Monday to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee, to the Supreme Court, succeeding late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

With 52 votes in favor and 48 against, the Republican-controlled Senate's confirmation of the 48-year-old conservative judge to the high court drew opposition from all of the Democratic members in the chamber. (US-SCOTUS Confirmation)

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ISLAMABAD -- At least two kids were killed and 20 others injured in an explosion inside a seminary in Peshawar city of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Tuesday morning, local media reported.

There was a large number of students inside the seminary, and routine morning classes were being commenced when the explosion occurred. (Pakistan-Explosion)

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BRUSSELS -- The European Union (EU) is preparing countermeasures against the United States after the World Trade Organization (WTO) has confirmed the EU's retaliation rights in reaction to illegal subsidies granted to the U.S. aircraft maker Boeing, the European Commission said on Monday.

The announcement was made after the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO formally authorised the EU earlier in the day to take such measures. (EU-US-Boeing)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday announced that the first pretrial hearing on the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s antitrust lawsuit against search giant Google will be held on Friday.

The judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said lawyers for both the DOJ and Google must appear at the telephone hearing at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) and the hearing will be open to the public and media. (US-Google-Hearing)