Russian parliament approves suspension of plutonium accord with U.S.

Deputies vote during a session to consider a law that will suspend Russian implementation of a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia

ASIA: The lower house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved President Vladimir Putin's decree on suspending a plutonium accord with the United States, Russian news agencies reported.

The agreement was concluded in 2000 and bound the two sides to dispose of surplus plutonium originally intended for use in nuclear weapons.