News Wrap: Zelenskyy lays out 'victory plan' to Ukraine's parliament

In our news wrap Wednesday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy laid out his ‘victory plan’ to his country’s parliament, Nebraska’s high court ruled that felons who’ve completed their sentences can register to vote, a judge in Nevada sentenced a former politician to 28 years in prison for the murder of journalist Jeff German and at least 140 people in Nigeria died after a tanker crashed on a highway.

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Amna Nawaz: Also today, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid out his so-called victory plan to his country’s Parliament. The five-part plan includes a formal invitation to join NATO and permission to use Western-supplied weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, among other measures.

Both steps have met with resistance by Ukraine’s allies so far, but speaking to lawmakers, Zelenskyy insisted these measures are needed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President (through interpreter): We Ukrainians together, with our partners, must change the circumstances so that the war ends regardless of what Putin wants. We must all change the circumstances, so that Russia is forced to peace.

Amna Nawaz: Russian officials brushed off the plan, calling it — quote — “a set of incoherent slogans.” And Western leaders don’t fully support Zelenskyy’s plan either, with the head of NATO, Mark Rutte, stopping short of an endorsement.

Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General: I will not comment on every element in the plan, but it is, of course, a strong signal from Zelenskyy and his team that they designed this plan, that they are now taking it forward. That doesn’t mean that I here can say I support the whole plan.

Amna Nawaz: Zelenskyy spoke this afternoon to President Biden, who has also declined to publicly support the victory plan, but the White House did announce a new $425 million security package for Ukraine today.

Nebraska’s High Court ruled today that felons who have completed their sentences can register to vote. The state legislature had passed a law that restored voting rights for felons earlier this year, but Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen deemed it unconstitutional. Today’s ruling says he did not have authority to do that.

The decision could have national implications, given that mostly red Nebraska splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district. Many who can now register to vote live in the Omaha area. Their ballots could impact both an Electoral College vote and a closely contested House race there.

A judge in Nevada has sentenced a former Las Vegas area politician to 28 years in prison for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff GerMan of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. A jury found Robert Telles guilty of killing GerMan in August after he wrote articles critical of Telles’ conduct in office.

The judge added eight years to the minimum 20-year sentence set by the jury for Telles, citing his use of a deadly weapon in the crime. Telles had denied killing GerMan. His attorney says he plans to appeal to conviction.

In Nigeria, more than 140 people, including children, are confirmed dead after a gasoline tanker crashed on a highway and burst into flames. Dozens more were injured. It happened in the country’s northern Jigawa state. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, but it lacks an efficient railway system to transport cargo like petrol.

Cell phone video captured the fiery scene overnight. By morning, the tank’s wreckage was still upturned on the road. Witnesses say that Many victims were trying to salvage the spilled fuel with cups and buckets when the truck exploded into flames.

EMManUEL ISAAC, Nigeria Resident: When you travel around Nigeria, what you see is hunger. And when people get hunger, they get — hungry — they get desperate. When that person sees an opportunity to make money from scooping fuel, they would take that chance. I think we need to do better as a community.

We need to do better as a nation. People cannot just continue to live a life of hunger.

Amna Nawaz: Deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, where vehicles often fail to meet international standards on preventing fuel spillage; 48 people were killed in a similar crash last month.

Italy has made it illegal for people to go abroad to have children through surrogacy. The country’s Senate passed that measure today after a seven-hour debate. It expands on a ban on the practice that’s been in place in Italy since 2004.

The government’s conservative majority says it is seeking to protect women’s dignity. Critics say it’s meant to target same-sex couples. Italians who seek surrogacy in places like the U.S. or Canada can face up to two years in jail and more than a million dollars in fines.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended higher after some strong earnings from corporate America. The Dow Jones industrial average added more than 300 points to close back above the 43,000-point level. The Nasdaq rose about 50 points on the day. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.

And family members, pop stars and dignitaries of the Democratic Party paid tribute today to Ethel Kennedy, the late widow of Robert F. Kennedy, at a funeral service in Washington, D.C. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama attended. Current President Joe Biden delivered the eulogy.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: Ethel was a hero in her own right, full of character, full of integrity and empathy, genuine empathy.

Amna Nawaz: Ethel Kennedy carried on her late husband’s work following his assassination in 1968. She also raised their 11 children. Ethel Kennedy died last week at the age of 96.