US and Russia Hail Nuclear Treaty

US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed the New Start treaty at a ceremony attended by hundreds of officials in the lavishly decorated Spanish Hall of Prague Castle, the Czech president's residence.

According to BBC News the treaty commits the former Cold War enemies to each reduce the number of deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 - 30% lower than the previous ceiling.

President Obama said it was a key milestone, but only the "first step on a longer journey" of nuclear disarmament.
Dmitry Medvedev, in turn, said the deal would create safer conditions throughout the world.

If ratified by lawmakers in both countries, the treaty will replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) of 1991, which expired in December.