Scientists say 'Doomsday' time nearer

Chicago: The hands of the "Doomsday Clock" were moved nearer to the midnight hour, which symbolizes nuclear weapons con­flict, as its keepers Wednesday cited concerns over lagging dis­armament efforts, the security of existing nuclear stockpiles and ter­rorism.

The directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a magazine that has campaigned for nuclear disarmament since 1947, pushed the hands forward two minutes to seven minutes to midnight.

The hands are the closest to mid­night that they have been since the end of the Cold War, but not as close as 1953 when the United States first tested a hydrogen bomb and the hands stood at two minutes to midnight.

"Despite a campaign promise to rethink nuclear policy, the Bush administration has taken no signif­icant steps to alter nuclear target­ing policies or reduce the alert status of U.S. nuclear forces," said George Lopez, the bulletin's chair­man of the board.

The announcement cited what it said was a continuing U.S. prefer­ence for unilateral rather than co­operative action, its plans to walk away from the Anti-Ballistic Mis­sile Treaty, and its refusal to partic­ipate in talks regarding implemen­tation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Bulletin directors also cited a general lack of progress worldwide on nuclear disarmament and grow­ing concern about the security of nuclear weapons materials.

It also noted the continuing bor­der crisis between India and Paki­stan, both of which have nuclear capabilities.

The announcement noted that more than 31,000 nuclear weapons are being maintained by the eight known nuclear powers, a decrease of only 3,000 since 1998.

The "Doomsday Clock" has been reset 16 times since it debuted on the bulletin's cover in 1947.

The hands last were moved in June 1998, shifted from 14 minutes before midnight to nine minutes.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the minute hand was pushed back to 17 minutes to mid­night, completely out of the final 15-minute danger zone.

International Herald Tribune, February 28, 2002

1. How tense is the present-day international situation?

2. At what time would you move the hands of the Doomsday clock now?

H. Comment on the results of the “Argumenti i Facti” Internet poll.

По мнению читателей «АиФ»

Ш мировая война неизбежна?

Политики этого не допустят 46%

Да, я уже подумываю о пополнении

запаса спичек и соли 30%

Может, и будет вооруженное противостояние,

но лично меня это не коснется 24%

АиФ №4, январь 2002

TASK 40. Translate the texts into English.

Text 13