see you back here at 6:00. on our broadcast tonight, new revelations from the american who exposed the u.s. spy program. speaking out again from overseas. as the issue injects tension into a summit of world leaders. fighting breast cancer with a new approach yielding some remarkable results. doctors say it's cheaper. the recovery is easier. it allows women to bounce back much faster than before. out of control. richard engel inside the luxury hotel that got hit in turkey. as the crackdown escalates in turkey. lost in translation, putin, the patriots and the mystery of the super bowl ring. "nightly news" begins now. >> from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. people all across this country and for that matter, all over

the world will continue to debate what edward snowden has done, exposing the kind of data mining that has now become routine. and while that debate goes on, he is still talking. again today from overseas, he delivered yet another carefully timed leak, timed to embarrass the u.s. and great britain just as a summit of world leaders gets under way. and tonight the consequences continue. we begin with our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell in our d.c. newsroom. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the leak was timed to embarrass britain and the u.s. by claiming they jointly spied on world leaders at past london summits. as the g8 summit opened, "the guardian" reported that the british, along with the u.s. spied on past conferences. the encrypted calls home to moscow, decoded by the nsa. >> what it does do for president

obama, which is problematic, it robs him of much moral authority in talking about this. >> reporter: snowden's leaks about the u.s. hacking china also undercut the president when he met with president xi recently. u.s. officials said no one should be surprised. in fact, we reported on nightly news 18 years ago that the clinton white house spied on leaders in miami in 1994. what foreign leaders didn't know but nbc has been told, the super secret national security had, quote, wired the place, to spy on the president's guests. snowden claimed extraordinary access to data. >> snowden is wrong. he couldn't have possibly done the things he is claiming he was able to do in terms of tapping communications. >> reporter: but in a web chat with the guardian today, snowden wrote if i target, for example, an e-mail address, and that e-mail address sent something to you, joe america, the analyst gets it, all of it. ips, raw data, content, headers, attachments, everything.

did he flee to hong kong to give secrets to china? snowden denied any contact with the chinese government, writing "this is a predictable smear that i anticipated before going public as the u.s. media has a knee-jerk red china. and after this from dick cheney -- >> i think he is a traitor. i think he has committed crimes in effect by violating agreements. >> reporter: snowden wrote being called a traitor by dick cheney is the highest honor you can give an american. tonight on fox, snowden's father told him he loved him, but pleaded for him to stop leaking. >> i don't know what you've seen but i would ask that you measure what are you going to do and not release anymore information. >> defending the surveillance, president obama told charlie rose in an interview airing tonight on pbs to say there is a trade-off doesn't mean somehow that we've abandoned freedom. i don't think anybody says we are no longer free because we have checkpoints at airports.

said the president. brian? >> andrea mitchell starting us off from washington tonight. andrea, thanks. the other issue getting a lot of attention at the g8 summit today, the civil war in syria. with the u.s. and six other countries on one side of the conflict and russia on the other. and you could see it in the body language. our white house correspondent chuck todd is traveling with the president in northern ireland tonight. >> reporter: good evening, brian. when leaders of the world's largest democracies gather, they usually focus on the global economy. but this year's meeting comes at a precarious time in the syrian civil war. seven g-8 countries are on one side. country number 8, russia on the other. >> arriving on a golf retreat to northern ireland, president obama had to leave his clubs stateside and immediately get down to business. tops on his agenda, finding common ground with russia on the issue of syria. but while today was no cold war confrontation, both leaders admitted they disagreed on how to deal with syria.

but putin went out of his way to endorse the idea of a negotiated settlement. >> we do have differing perspectives on the problem, but we share an interest in reducing the violence, securing chemical weapons. >> all of us have the intention to stop the violence in syria, to stop the growth of victims, and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiations table in geneva. >> reporter: putin's words today were decidedly more measured than yesterday when he met with british prime minister david cameron, referring to a graphic video of one syrian rebel. >> translator: one should hardly back those who kills their enemies and eats their organs. >> reporter: president obama comes to this summit, his first trip to europe since winning reelection to a more muted reception than in the past. once heralded as the anti-president bush, even given a nobel peace prize now he is under fire for some of his policies, including some he has

kept in place from the bush era. the nsa surveillance program widely panned on this privacy conscious continent. the failure to shut down the prison at guantanamo bay, his hesitancy to engage in syria, and his perceived lack of focus on climate change. still, residents in belfast tried to recapture some of his european popularity, using an old stump speech staple. >> young people fill me with hope. >> reporter: mr. obama came to initiate a regional trade agreement with europe. but those talks are now complicated thanks to european doubts about whether they can even trust the americans in the wake of the nsa spying controversy. brian? >> chuck todd in northern ireland, thanks. with the situation in syria a major point of contention at the g-8, there is also a ontoing violent crackdown in turkey. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel with us from istanbul with more on both fronts. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening,

brian. first on syria. we're in close contact with the syrian opposition here, in particular with the commander of the free syrian army, the man the united states is proposing to arm. but he told us he hasn't heard anything about any weapons shipment, nothing. in fact, he was in tears of frustration, saying his men are dying while the united states is proposing what he called half measures. meanwhile, here in turkey, these protests look like they were almost over until they took a very violent turn this weekend. a tense standoff today as labor unions joined defiant protesters, still reeling from the government crackdown. on saturday night, police stormed taksim square, driving out protesters from their peaceful camp. they had been warned but refused to leave. the government called them vandals and anarchists. many rushed to side streets,

some barricaded themselves in a hotel, using the lobby as a makeshift infirmary. then police fired tear gas inside. many people were overcome. it was mayhem. >> we just run away. we have to run because they are using tear gas. >> reporter: on sunday, protesters fought back in clashes across istanbul. this is no longer a marginal protest movement. police here are clearing out istanbul's main -- we felt the gas too. it was everywhere. protesters hoping re-take the square were forced back. barricades built to block the police were of little use. >> we don't want to clash. just want to get into the main square and protest peacefully. >> reporter: the government response? at a mass rally of supporters, prime minister erdogan blames foreign media and other

instigators, dismissing protest accusations that he has become a hard-liner with an islamic agenda. state tv claim a million attended. prime minister erdogan is still generally popular in this country, but he has shocked many here by being so intolerant of dissent. brian? >> richard engel in istanbul for us. richard, thanks. let's stay in that part of the world for a moment. the old face of iran on its way out. term limits prevented mahmoud ahmadinejad from running again, and iran has elected a new man, more of a moderate this time. man, a more of a moderate. question is, how much change will he bring to iran and the relationship with the u.s.? our nbc news tehran bureau chief ali arouzi put the question to him today in a news conference carried on iranian state tv. >> reporter: a new president for iran and perhaps a new beginning. hasan rowhani, a moderate, won more than half the vote against

five more conservative candidates to replace mahmoud ahmadinejad who is as unpopular here as he is in the west. thousands of iranians took to the streets to celebrate. many people here want change, more social freedom, a better economy and an end to international sanctions. in a televised news conference today, rowhani offered greater transparency on iran's nuclear program, but said uranium enrichment would continue. >> mr. president, ali arouzi, nbc news. my question about u.s. relations drew a revealing answer. would you be willing to engage in direct dialog in the united states? rowhani, who speaks english and understood the question, said it was complicated. he called the u.s./iran relationship a wound that has not healed and said it was time to look forward, but added that direct talks are possible only if the u.s. vows never to interfere in iranian affairs.

u.s. reactions to rowhani's election has been hopeful but cautious, as the world waits to see if he represents real change or just a softening in tone as iran's supreme leader ultimately calls the shot. ali arouzi, nbc news, tehran. now back in this country there was a major decision at the supreme court today. in a closely watched case, the justices struck down an arizona law that required people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. our justice correspondent pete williams covered at the court today. he is with us tonight with more. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. arizona said this law was intended to cut down on voter fraud. but the court said today it violates a 20-year-old law, the motor voter law, which allows people to register by mail to vote in federal elections. and under that law, an applicant fills out a form and checks a box to indicate u.s. citizenship. but arizona went further, requiring some kind of document to prove it.

civil rights groups said it was trying to make it harder for legal immigrants to vote. forcing them to clear additional hurdles. today with a vote of 7-2 with justices thomas and alito dissenting, the court said what arizona did was inconsistent with the motor voter laws to use that federal form. the constitution the court said gives congress the final word on how federal elections are conducted. still unresolved how much power the state has to say on who gets to vote. today's ruling likely dooms similar laws in georgia, alabama, and kansas. we'll get decisions again on thursday, brian, with big cases of this term still to come. >> all right, pete williams covering at the court for us tonight. pete, thanks. out west, this has already been a terrible fire season. there were predictions today it could still get a lot worse. firefighters continue to fight a big burn in northern california that forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes, while the l.a. county fire department said today this should shape up to be the worst fire season in 100 years. in colorado, the worst

wildfire in that state's history is now largely contained, but not before it destroyed almost 500 homes. an update on health matters. nelson mandela's grandson said he is doing better, responding to treatment, hospitalized for ten days and prince philip went home today in london, ten days after his exploratory abdominal surgery with a clean bill of health. he did miss this weekend's trooping of the colors where the queen appeared as happy as people have seen her in years. the event marked kate's public farewell before she is due to give birth in july. still ahead tonight, the news on breast cancer. faster recovery with a new approach. patients undergoing treatment in a matter of hours instead of several exhausting weeks in many cases. and later, what's the deal with vladimir putin and the new england patriots super bowl ring? we will unravel the mystery tonight.

we're back with news of treatment of breast cancer that is turning out fob highly effective in older women who are in the early stage of the disease. it seems to have lots of advantages, easier on patients, less costly, just as effective as older treatments. we get more on this tonight from our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. >> are you having any pain today? >> reporter: 65-year-old jean hanlon was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. >> i'm feeling some anxiety because i'm facing surgery. >> reporter: she's undergoing a lumpectomy at the cleveland clinic. instead of weeks of radiation follow her surgery, her age and early stage of disease make her a perfect candidate for single dose intraoperative radiation therapy. >> the patient is receiving a dose -- >> reporter: it delivers small amounts of radiation directly to the site of the lumpectomy immediately following the removal of the tumor. >> my goal is to come out of

surgery today feeling cancer-free. i don't want to feel like a sick woman. i want to be the grandma that goes to the baseball field and watches her grandsons play baseball all summer. >> reporter: the fda approved treatment is still somewhat novel here in the united states. but new analysis of several studies shows it is just as effective as whole breast radiation at preventing breast cancer recurrence. it's a fraction of the cost and covered by insurance. there are limited side effect, and it's easier on the patients. >> it dramatically shortened the time period of radiation and reduces the amount of normal tissue that gets radiated. >> reporter: dr. rob meyer and his team wait for the call from pathology. then the call comes. >> good. >> reporter: her margins are clear. >> everything is moving along quite smoothly. >> reporter: and within minutes, the personalized radiation therapy is done. days later, she is back at the ballpark, rooting for her grandkids. >> i absolutely feel wonderful. i do. >> reporter: for jean and many

others, this approach to early treatment means not weeks of radiation after cancer surgery, but time spent with family, feeling good and enjoying life. dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, new york. and we are back in a moment with a big victory for a lot of folks who just want to turn up the volume. for our families...

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a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more.. low and no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know... exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks... with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories... america's beverage companies are delivering. a lot of attention focused all day today on a field outside detroit in oakland township, michigan, the latest dig site in the search for jimmy hoffa's remains. this time based on a tip from a former mob boss. nothing found yet. hoffa last seen in july of '75. nasa unveiled its newest astronaut candidates. the class of eight includes four women. in that way it sure is a modern day contrast to the first class, mercury 7. unlike those first seven very brave men who volunteered to be

strapped inside a vehicle, there is no nasa vehicle to carry them into space currently. they ride with the russians to the space station and back. we'll put a list of all of the models on our website, it's too long to read. gm is recalling over 200,000 mid-size suvs because of a fire risk that is serious enough to force the company to advise owners not to park them in the garage. park them outside instead until the problem can be corrected. many vehicles being recalled are under to the chevy trail blazer and gmc envoy brands. ford has been listening to consumer complaints and will bring back nobodys and buttons to the dashboard. people complain that the my ford touch is too hard to operator. carmakers have learned the hard way on this. sometimes what works already is best. bmws early drive mouse console left some drivers unable to turn

the radio on. a lot more about a new study that says bullying from siblings while growing up can be just as damaging as the bullying some kids face outside the home and at school. a lot of adults may hear this and say it's just part of growing up in close quarters, but this study in the journal "pediatrics" finds real damage, from physical assault to psychological aggression that can leave lasting scars through life. when we come back here tonight, it's kind of a funny story, but who is telling the tuite in the case of the stolen super bowl ring?

finally tonight, we saw him near the top of the broadcast, russian president vladmir putin meeting with president obama at the g-8. but putin has been in the news of late for another reason. a super bowl ring that has apparently been in his possession for the last eight years. it all started when the owner of the new england patriots took off his ring and showed it to putin. nbc's stephanie gosk picks up the story from there. >> reporter: vladmir putin shows a real passion for sports, tough, outdoor pursuits. perhaps patriots owner robert kraft felt the super bowl ring was something the russian president would really appreciate.

or perhaps the former kgb agent was just dazzled by the bling. nearly five karats, nearly 124 dimons. one thing is certain, at a high profile business conference eight years ago in russia, kraft did hand the ring over, and putin never handed it back. the patriots' owner had just won the third super bowl. he later said it was a gift. which is not the story he told at a carnegie hall gala last thursday night. according to "the new york post", kraft told the crowd, i took out the ring and showed to it putin, and he put it on and said i could kill someone with this ring. i put my hand out, and he put it on, and three kgb came around, and i was escorted out. kraft says the bush administration pressured him to call the ring a gift for the sake of foreign relations. a spokesperson from the russian government says what mr. kraft is saying now is weird. i was standing 20 feet away from mr. putin and saw how he gave

the ring as a gift. a spokesperson says the story is meant to be funny and is happy the kremlin has the ring. so i'm thinking nobody tried to swipe your super bowl ring? >> no, absolutely not. >> we caught up with david deale at a charity event. the new york giants' lineman has two rings. >> i'll let people see it and take pictures, but it never leaves arm's distance, never leaves the room. that thing is sacred. >> reporter: if the latest tale is true, putin still has the ring and something got lost in translation. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. that is our broadcast on a monday night. thank you for being here with us. as we start a new week, my thanks to lester, ann, and natalie who filled in here, allowing me to sneak away for a while. i'm brian williams. we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

a car hit and killed a bicyclist. it's also causing traffic troubles. >> it shut down the southbound on ramp to highway 87 from taylor street. we have the latest. george? >> reporter: terry and janelle, eastbound 87 or eastbound taylor to southbound 87 is still shut down. you can't get on to the on ramp. if you need to get on southbound

87, take julius or the skyport drive on ramps. the reason why police are here since 3:25 this afternoon, they want to know who hit and killed a cyclist and took off. the body is covered by a tarp and surrounded by cones. taylor is busy during the day and into the evening. police believe there have to be witnesses but no one stayed around. >> it's heavy all day. around 3:00 there's heavy vehicular traffic. we're confident there was somebody who saw something each in a car or a pedestrian. we don't know if this individual was by himself or how many occupants were in the vehicle who struck him. at this point we're confident there are people out there. we're waiting for them to come forward. >> reporter: no idea who this person is yet. this place, this road will be shut down for several hours as police continue their