this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening there is significant movement to report tonight in the effort to bring home americans brittney griner and paul whelan, both separately imprisoned in russia. late today, secretary of state antony blinken acknowledging there was a substantial proposal on the table to facilitate their release. griner, the wnba star detained since february, who has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil whelan, a marine corps veteran, serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted of spying in 2020. both, the u.s. says, are wrongfully imprisoned blinken says the next step, a call with his russian counterpar sergey lavrov. believed to be on the table, a prisoner swap that could prove to be a bitter pill for the biden administration which has been under fire in its efforts to gain freedom for the americans. all this unfolding as griner told her story today inside a russian courtroom. andrea mitchell now
across the uk continue and so does the disruption, with only 60% of services running today. facebook s removes a large number of accounts, posting pictures and videos of upskirting, following an investigation and glastonbury is back after a three year gap fans are descending on worthy farm in somerset for one of the biggest music festivals in the world. hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. at least 300 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake in afghanistan. the 6.1 quake struck overnight in the southeast of the country, with most of the confirmed deaths in a province called paktika. these are images of homes reduced to rubble. but the extent of the damage is still emerging as rescue efforts continue in outlying villages. the country s supreme leader has confirmed the number of dead, in a statement to the media, saying at least five hundred people are injured. hikmatullah esmat is head of the provincial health body in paktika. he tol
To face far weaker Russian Defences ahead. Ukraine says its forces are making gains in the south of the country and has recently expanded its units towards the strategic town of tokmak, which is a Logistical Centre for russian forces. Last week, ukraines military said it had captured the village of robotyne, in the zaporizhzhia region, amid a counteroffensive that is yielding incremental gains. Sources in the Ukrainian Army have confirmed the breakthrough to the bbc. An adviser to president zelenskyy, aleksander rodnyansky, explained the significance for kyiv s forces. Weve been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Weve been hoping that we would pierce through the Russian Defence line, the first defence line, which was the hardest to pierce through, if you believe Military Experts when they talk about it. So hopefully now, when we reach the second and the third lines of defence that the russians have established, those will be easier to essentially overcome. And perhaps hopeful
Welcome to the journal editorial report, i am charles payne. The case rested. Without the former president taking the stand. Closing arguments set for tuesday after jurors spend the long Holiday Weekend at home. Here with a look at what to expect when the Court Reconvenes Next week is a former federal prosecutor, also former attorney ford donald trump. Jim, thank you for joining us. Monday morning quarterbacking in real time. The first thing everyone has debated is smart for trump not to take the stand or not. It was for a couple of reasons. Preliminary warnings by the judge as to what the fair scope of examination would be. They were told they would be allowed to crossexamine. I feel awfully collateral. Dont feel like the type of stuff we reflect on directly. Beyond that, the whole strategy in this case, charles, make it about the credibility. It is the only battlefield you can be fighting on. It is all coming down to Michael Cohen. You dignify the governments case. Just focusing on M
Weather is looming for millions of americans. Forecasters one of the potential for tornadoes, damaging winds and hail in the plains area today. The storms could be at their worst in the overnight hours. The system is then expected to shift east tomorrow into the mississippi ohio and tennessee valleys. We are monitoring all this will have your full forecast coming up. Alec baldwin criminal trial is on track to begin this summer. Oscarnominated actor facing one count of Involuntary Manslaughter and not move deadly movie shut set shooting brandnew hour of Fox News Live im rich editing. Molly great to be with you, eric and arthel are off this Memorial Day Weekend. I judge in new mexico yesterday upheld the indictment rejecting latest effort to throw out the charge against him by the shooting happened on the set of the western film Arrested Britt back in october when he told went bald and was rehearsing a scene while holding a gun when it fired Killing Cinemat cinematographer. Criminal defe