Doomsday clock moves closer than ever towards Apocalypse

The doomsday clock, a symbolic clock maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) to indicate how close the planet is to  complete annihilation, has been set forward to only 100 seconds. 

The clock now stands at its closest to doomsday since it began ticking, reported the BBC. 

BAS President Rachel Bronson said "The world is now menaced by powerful leaders who denigrate and discard the most effective methods for addressing complex threats." 

According to the BBC report, the decision to turn the clock is made by the BAS Science and Security board, which has 13 Nobel laureates and are now joined by members of The Elders, a group of veteran global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela back in 2007

Georgetown University Professor Sharon Squassoni said that the threat from nuclear weapons had increased, in part due to "the collapse of the Iran nuclear deal, North Korean nuclear weapons development and continued proliferation from countries such as the US, China and Russia." 

Former California Governor Jerry Brown, a member of the panel, said: "Climate change just compounds the crisis. If there's ever a time to wake up, it's now."

"We must act and work together," said former UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, a member of The Elders. "Not a single country or person can do it alone. We need all hands on deck and we can all work together."