U.N. publishes first draft nuclear ban treaty

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A U.N. conference on eliminating nuclear weapons published its first draft text on Monday, in the face of strong opposition from the United States and and other nuclear armed states.

The treaty would require ratification by 40 states to come into force. It could not strip current nuclear states of their arsenals but its backers seek to stigmatise nuclear arms, after similar campaigns against cluster munitions and landmines.