In Syria, fighting continues with battles raging on several fronts including Syria's largest city of Aleppo. The Syrian crisis is dominating Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's diplomatic mission in the Middle East this week. He kicked off the trip in Tunisia which inspired the Arab uprising. Panetta is also trying to allay concerns about the US's response to Iran's nuclear program. He says so far, economic pressure is working. 

These sanctions are having a serious impact in terms of the economy in Iran. But Israel argues the sanctions have failed because they have not stopped Iran's nuclear program. 

 

 

Well, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney says if elected he will stand with Israel on matters of security and the economy. He told Jewish supporters in Jerusalem today that their culture is part of the reason the Israeli economy is stronger than the Palestinian economy. While Palestinian officials called Romney's comments racist. More on than from Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem. 

Romney told a group of wealthy supporters that Israel's GDP per capita is dramatically higher than the Palestinian GDP per capita. He said Israel's accomplishments are due to its culture and entrepreneurial business spirit, Jewish survival through out history, and also due to god. Saeb Erekat, an aide to the Palestinian president, called Romney's comment insensitive. He says Palestinians can't realise their economic potential because of Israeli restrictions. Today's breakfast fundraiser in Jerusalem added more than 1 million dollars for Romney's campaign. Part of an effort to win American Jewish voters. For NPR News, I'm Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem.

 

 

Well, Romney was also in Poland, the certain final leg of his tour to build up his foreign policy credentials he picked up the leaders endorsement. 

 

 

And to the Olympics, in Men's Gymnastics, not the America's finest moment, they watched China win its second straight Olympic title while Japan came away with silver, and Britain the bronze. As NPR's Mike Pesca reports. 

** gymnasts suffered a few falls not really doom their chances. John Orozco, I had a brutal on the ** . Then Uchimura fell of the horse. A lot of problems all around. There were moments of glory which perhaps some of these athletes can build on in the individual competitions which Leyva and Orozco are qualified. But the US came in fifth, but not their best that. NPR's Mike Pesca reporting.

 

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow is down 6 points at 13,069.

You are listening to  NPR News.

 

 

Three members of an all female punk band are on trail in Russia over a protest, staged in one of Moscow's main Orthodox cathedrals. We have details from NPR's Corey Flintoff.

The three members of the band called Pussy Riot could face seven years in prison for this, an unauthorised performance at Moscow's Christ Saviour cathedral. The song calls on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from Vladimir Putin who is then running for president. The defendants denied that their act was motivated by religious hatred. They say they were protesting the support given to Putin by the church leader Patriarch Kirill. The trail of the three young women is widely seen as a test of how strongly President Putin intends to crack down on dissidents. Corey Flintoff NPR News, Moscow.

 

 

If you drive a Santa Fe SUV or a Sonata sedan, it may be subject to a recall, because of defective airbags. Honda motor company is focusing on SUVs from 2007 through 2009 and the sedans are at 2012, 2013 model years. The recall covers more than 200,000 Honda models in the United States and Canada.  

 

 

While two tech giants are taking their fight to federal court today over smartphone and computer tablet markets. Apple is suing Samsung Electronics for allegedly marketing unauthorised knockouts of Apple's products.

 

 

US stocks trading lower today. With the Dow off 6 points at last glance at 13,070; NASDAQ down 11 and the S&P 500 down slightly. 

 

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News.