Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight: Kate Hudson's blog

On Tuesday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight for the second year running. It remains the closest to annihilation from nuclear war since the clock’s inception in 1947.

The Bulletin said the decision to keep the clock in place reflected “the continued state of unprecedented danger the world faces.” This includes the threat of a nuclear exchanges over the war in Ukraine and the escalating crisis in the Middle East; a breakdown in global nuclear arms control; and an unprecedented three-way nuclear arms race between the US, China, and Russia. They noted that all nuclear-armed states were pursuing “extensive modernisation and expansion of nuclear arsenals.”

Other areas of concern included the impact of disruptive technologies like AI and states’ failure to act quickly and deeply enough to tackle climate change.

In her new blog post, CND General Secretary Kate Hudson writes about Britain’s contribution to the nuclear threat:

“If only one could say that the British government is doing its bit to pull back the hands. Alas, no. Last week, Grant Shapps stepped up Britain’s commitment to war-fighting and destruction, and indicated his desire for Britain to be in the driving seat in stoking further conflicts. We are in a pre-war world, he stated, not a post-war world. In his first major speech as Defence Secretary, Shapps revealed his world view: akin to President Bush’s ‘Axis of Evil’, but on steroids. In 2002, Bush identified the ‘enemies’ as Iraq, Iran and North Korea. A year later, Iraq was effectively destroyed. Shapps has more ambitious targets on his list: to Iran and North Korea, he has added Russia and China. In five years, he says, we could be looking at multiple theatres of war, including all of these.”

You can read the full post on the CND website here.

Stop the genocide in Gaza national demonstration, Saturday 3 February

As the war in Gaza approaches its fourth month, the humanitarian crisis is becoming increasingly dire. More than 25,000 people have now been killed in Israel’s assault on the Strip, the majority women and children. Thousands more have been left with lifechanging injuries but medics do not have the adequate supplies to treat them with anaesthetic. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are now displaced and living in ever-shrinking areas that are not safe.

In addition to housing, we have seen the destruction of cultural, educational and medical facilities by Israeli forces, and on Tuesday the World Food Programme warned some areas were at risk of famine. Despite facing accusations of genocide from South Africa in the International Court of Justice and increased pressure at home over his conduct of the war, Benjamin Netanyahu still resists calls for a permanent ceasefire.

The British government, rather than pushing for peace, has joined the US in defending Israel’s actions: with diplomatic cover, supplying arms, and conducting a bombing campaign in Yemen. We need to keep the pressure up for a permanent ceasefire! Join us on Saturday 3 February in London for our next national demonstration. 

• Saturday, 3 February
• Assemble 12 noon, starting point TBC, details posted here

Find out more about what you can do for Palestine, including details for the workplace day of action taking place on Wednesday 7 February, here.