The "Doomsday Clock" representing how near humanity is to catastrophe moved closer than ever to midnight. The Doomsday Clock board warned of heightened risks of a nuclear arms race, with the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia set to expire next week. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, founded by Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and other nuclear scientists at the University of Chicago, initially placed the clock at seven minutes to midnight in 1947. It was moved closer last year but by only one second, amid guarded hopes on newly reinaugurated Trump's promises to pursue peace and cooperation. "The problem is that rhetoric has not matched actions at all," said Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin.

Source: Philippine Star January 28, 2026 01:55 UTC