Nuclear weapons ban talks begin at UN; US, Russia, India, Pakistan abstain

Britain, France, Israel, Russia and the US voted no, while China, India, Pakistan abstained

More than 100 countries launched the first United Nations talks on a global nuclear weapons ban today in New York over objections from the major nuclear powers.

Britain, France, Israel, Russia and the United States voted no, while China, India and Pakistan abstained.

Some 123 UN members announced in October that they would launch the UN conference to negotiate a legally binding nuclear ban treaty, even as most of the world's declared and undeclared nuclear powers voted against the talks.

But the US and several other nuclear powers say a ban won't work and the world should instead stick with