Marshall Islands wants nuclear weapons ban pact amended

The Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands may formally seek an amendment of a U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons, before it considers acceding to it, its leader said Wednesday.President Hilda Heine told Kyodo News in an interview that if certain provisions in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons are not changed, "we cannot ratify the treaty." Her remarks came ahead of the 70th anniversary Friday of the most powerful U.S. nuclear bomb test in the Marshall Islands.The provisions she referred to say that nuclear-affected countries are responsible for victim assistance and environ…READ FULL ARTICLE