[00:00.40]Heavily armed Taliban militants attacked Afghanistan's parliament building Monday as lawmakers met inside. [00:09.16]The attack began with a powerful explosion at the main entrance. [00:14.56]Other explosions sent smoke rising from the building in Kabul. [00:20.56]An Afghan Interior Ministry official says seven Taliban gunmen took part in the attack. [00:29.40]The gunmen reportedly wore explosives around their bodies. [00:35.56]The official said security forces killed all of the attackers. [00:41.36]He said no lawmakers were hurt. [00:45.92]However, Afghan officials said at least 30 people were hurt. [00:52.68]A Taliban statement claimed responsibility for what it called a suicide mission. [01:00.24]The United States embassy in Kabul strongly condemned the attack. [01:06.48]An embassy statement said, [01:08.64]"The attack on Parliament shows blatant disrespect for democracy and the rule of law." [01:16.32]European Union extends economic actions against Russia [01:18.44]European Union foreign ministers officially agreed Monday [01:23.12]to extend economic sanctions against Russia for an additional six months. [01:30.52]The sanctions are meant to punish Russia for its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. [01:38.64]The agreement came during a meeting of the EU's foreign ministers in Luxembourg. [01:46.76]EU representatives had expressed support for the measure last week. [01:54.40]The economic sanctions target Russia's energy, defense and financial industries. [02:02.96]They have been in place since July 2014 [02:07.40]-- four months after Russia took control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. [02:12.54]US: No desire for conflict with Russia [02:14.76]U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday [02:19.16]that economic sanctions are having an effect in answering Russian "aggression" in Ukraine. [02:27.08]He also said there is neither a desire for a return to Cold War tensions nor for a new conflict with Russia. [02:38.76]Secretary Carter spoke at a conference in Berlin, [02:42.96]where he met with Germany's defense minister. [02:47.08]He added that while the West is not looking to be enemies with Russia, [02:52.44]it will defend itself if necessary. [02:57.04]The U.S. official will travel Tuesday to Estonia for meetings with the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. [03:09.24]All three countries were once under the influence of the government in Moscow and the Soviet Union. [03:15.60]Historic US church reopens after mass shooting [03:16.92]A historic church in South Carolina reopened on Sunday for its first religious service [03:24.80]since a white gunman attacked a Bible study group last week. [03:29.72]A visiting clergyman, the Reverend Norval Goff, [03:34.32]took the place of the leader of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of Charleston. [03:42.44]Clementa Pinckney was among the nine people killed on Wednesday [03:47.64]in what police are investigating as a hate crime. [03:52.56]The Reverend Goff urged the crowd to depend on God as they mourn the victims. [03:59.92]Visitors from Charleston and as far away as California filled the religious center. [04:07.80]Churches across Charleston rang their bells at the same time as a show of support before prayer gatherings in the city. [04:21.76]Words in the News: [04:23.80]mission 每 n. an operation; being sent out to perform a special service [04:31.80]blatant 每 adj. disagreeable or problematic [04:36.84]sanctions 每 n. measures or actions designed to punish something [04:44.36]Cold War 每 n. 每 relating to the period when the United States competed against the Soviet Union [04:53.72]church每 n. a Christian religious center [04:57.68]載嗣泭薯③溼恀21VOA.COM