Now the news from the Voice of America. Hundreds trapped in Syrian mosque, tens of thousands flee violence in DRC. I'm Christopher Cruz reporting live from the VOA news center in Washington. Syrian opposition groups say hundreds of civilians are trapped in a mosque in Kaboon, a town near the capital Damascus. They were caught in fighting between government and rebel forces. The main opposition Syria national coalition is asking the international community for help freeing those who were trapped. The coalition also wants them protected from government troops who have been fighting to regain control of rebellious Damascus suburbs for months. Iraqi police say at least 28 people have been killed in a series of bombings in mostly Shiite areas of the country. The deadliest attacks struck Central and South Iraq late Sunday, including in the southern oil city of Basra, where eight people were killed and at least 15 wounded in a car bombing. They were also attacked in Kutnaziria and the Shiite holy city of Karpala. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. Egypt's top general has responded to strong criticism from Islamists about the military's decision to remove Islamist Muhammad Morsi from the presidency. General Abdel Fathel-Sisi spoke Sunday on national television. For the first time since Mr. Morsi's July 3rd outstair, he said the military was responding to what he called the will of the people when it removed Mr. Morsi from office. The Muslim brotherhood of Mr. Morsi is urging its supporters to gather peacefully in Cairo on Monday. Former South African president Nelson Mandela has spent another weekend in a hospital in Pretoria being treated for a lung infection. The political but stable condition, another former South African president Tabo Mbeki says he is confident Mr. Mandela's health will improve. The government has been saying that the condition is critical but stable is correct. We need to add to that that indeed this health is improving. The medical care that is receiving is in fact like excellent and as I say I'm quite certain that one of these days the doctors will likely that he can go to stay at home rather than in hospital. Mandela will turn 95 years old on July 18th. Tens of thousands of Congolese have fled to Western Uganda after an attack by a rebel group. The Ugandan Red Cross says as many as 55,000 refugees from Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo entered Western Uganda Thursday. They fled the town of Camongo in Congolese North Kivo province along the country shared border after the rebel attack. Zimbabwe and police and soldiers have begun voting in the presidential election. They cast ballots on Sunday because they'll be working on the day of the election July 31st. Officials say 87,000 police officers and members of the military have registered to vote. At the end of this month voters will choose between 89 year old president Robert Mugabe and his coalition government rival Prime Minister Morgan Changri. Passionate but mostly peaceful protests are happening in some American cities on Sunday following a decision in a closely watched nationally televised murder trial. Late Saturday a jury announced its verdict. It said George Zimmerman charged with killing Black teenager Trayvon Martin last year in the southeastern state of Florida was not guilty of murder or manslaughter. More now from the VOA's Michael Bowman. Vertics in racially charged cases have on occasion triggered violence and destruction on a massive scale. The 1992 acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the beating of a Black motorist sparked days of ferocious riots and looting in the city. Dozens of people were killed, hundreds wounded and property damage topped $1 billion. The comparison reaction to the acquittal of Florida shooting suspect George Zimmerman has been relatively peaceful. Although acquitted of criminal wrongdoing Zimmerman could still face civil charges if the Martin family or the US justice department pursue that avenue. Michael Bowman, VOA News, Washington. One-year-old star of Glee, an American television program broadcast in more than 20 countries, has been found dead. Hotel workers found Corey Montyth's body in his hotel room in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Saturday. He had been treated for substance abuse earlier this year. Police have unsaid if drugs or alcohol contributed to his death. He played a high school football star and singer on Glee, the popular show about a student singing group. That's the news for now from The Voice of America. You can read more about these stories and find other news from around the world around the clock at VOANews.com. I'm Christopher Cruz, VOA News, Washington.