UN urges progress on nuclear test ban treaty

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Monday for urgent progress to achieve a world free of nuclear tests and nuclear weapons.

The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has been signed by 182 countries and ratified by 154 of them. But it needs to be ratified by all 44 states identified as nuclear technology holders to enter into force and nine have not yet done so - China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States. (AP)