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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump’s second summit with a foreign leader since his return to the White House.Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the country.Ishiba will be pushing for reassurance on the importance of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump’s “America First” agenda risks encroaching on the nations’ trade and defence ties.”It would be wonderful if we could affirm that we will work together for the development this region and the world and for peace,” Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the trip.Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will issue a joint statement, which could vow to build a “golden age” of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to “new heights”.Ishiba is expected to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence purchases from the United States, the Nikkei said. Ishiba may also propose importing more US natural gas — chiming with Trump’s plan to “drill, baby, drill” while boosting energy security for resource-poor Japan.Since Japan has cut its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, it “desperately needs to open up new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly”, Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.”The intention is to present a win-win value proposition from Ishiba to the president,” she said.Trump will meet Ishiba in Washington on Friday — just days after a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president sparked uproar with a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.The Japan summit could be less startling, Smith said, as Trump “has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia”.- Taiwan threat -Ishiba has stressed the importance of US defence ties, pointing to threats on Japan’s doorstep such as China pressing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.Tokyo must “continue to secure the US commitment to the region, to avoid a power vacuum leading to regional instability”, Ishiba recently told parliament.Trump and Ishiba are expected to affirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.That would echo joint statements made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.Focusing on this point is “extremely important” because Japan and the United States must work together to prevent a potential crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, an international relations expert at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defence costs, however, there are concerns Trump could provide less cash and push Japan to do more, Smith said.”That’s where… the Ishiba-Trump relationship could get a bit sticky,” she said.- After Abe -Also causing jitters is Trump’s willingness to slap trade tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico — though he has delayed measures against the latter two countries pending talks. “I hope Ishiba will show him there are other ways to achieve economic security,” such as cooperating on technology, Shiraishi told AFP.One example is the Stargate drive, announced after Trump’s January inauguration, to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States, led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.Reports said the leaders could also discuss Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid to buy US Steel, which Biden blocked on national security grounds.Japan and the United States are each other’s top foreign investors, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will agree on creating an investment-friendly environment.During his first term, Trump and Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed warm relations.As president-elect in December, Trump also hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan’s assassinated ex-premier, for a dinner with Melania Trump at their Florida residence.Trump built a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a “genuine fondness”.He will likely “see Ishiba through a different lens”, said Smith, and “it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the personal”.Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to meet the 78-year-old Trump in person since he took office — a distinction held by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he would skip Group of 20 talks this month in South Africa, accusing the host government of an “anti-American” agenda.Rubio’s announcement comes days after US President Donald Trump lashed out at South Africa over land reforms aimed at redressing inequalities perpetrated during the apartheid era.In a post on X that took on the tone of Trump, Rubio said he would boycott the G20 talks of foreign ministers in Johannesburg on February 20-21.”South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability,'” Rubio wrote in his post.”In other words: DEI and climate change.” DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion, has been attacked relentlessly by Trump since he returned to the White House last month.”My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola on Thursday rejected Rubio’s claims, saying in a statement that “there is no arbitrary dispossession of land / private property” with the new land reform law. “This law is similar to the Eminent domain laws,” he said, referring to longtime US laws allowing the federal government to acquire property for public use.Lamola added that South Africa is “a sovereign and democratic country committed to human dignity, equality and rights.””Our G20 presidency, is not confined to just climate change but also equitable treatment for nations of the Global South, ensuring equal global system for all.” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had dismissed Trump’s assertions earlier this week that South Africa was “confiscating” land and said he was ready to explain his government’s land reform policy to his US counterpart.On Tuesday, Ramaphosa raised concerns about “disinformation” being spread by the US president with top Trump ally Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa and the world’s richest man.Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid. The government is under pressure to implement reforms.The absence of the United States, the world’s largest economy, would mark a major blow to the G20, which is meant to represent the world’s largest economies.The meeting could have offered a first opportunity for Rubio to meet his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as Trump pushes for diplomacy on the Ukraine war.

US President Donald Trump’s administration appeared to backtrack Wednesday after his proposal to take over Gaza sparked uproar, with the United Nations warning against “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territory.Facing a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments and world leaders, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any transfer of Gazans would be temporary, while the White House said there was no commitment to sending US troops.Trump, however, insisted “everybody loves” the plan, which he announced to audible gasps during a White House press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Offering few details on how the United States could remove more than two million Palestinians or control the war-battered territory, Trump declared Tuesday: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.”Rubio said the idea “was not meant as hostile,” describing it as a “generous move — the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding.”White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Washington would not fund Gaza’s reconstruction after more than 15 months of war between US ally Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.US involvement “does not mean boots on the ground” or that “American taxpayers will be funding this effort,” Leavitt said.The United Nations warned against ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech to a UN committee that deals with the rights of Palestinians.Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric, previewing the UN chief’s speech, told reporters: “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt said any forced displacement of the Palestinians would be unacceptable.”It would be a serious violation of international law, an obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising force for Egypt and Jordan,” the two leaders said.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called it a “shocking” plan and “a continuation of the Zionist regime’s (Israel) targeted plan to completely annihilate the Palestinian nation.”Palestinian officials, Arab leaders and rights groups swiftly condemned Trump’s remarks.Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007, rejected the proposal, branding it “racist” and “aggressive”.Leavitt said Trump wanted Palestinians to be only “temporarily relocated” out of Gaza.”It’s not a liveable place for any human being,” she said.- ‘We will remain’ -Israel’s military offensive in response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack has left much of Gaza in ruins, including schools, hospitals and most civil infrastructure. Rights group Human Rights Watch said the destruction of Gaza “reflects a calculated Israeli policy to make parts of the strip unlivable.”  Trump’s proposed plan “would move the US from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities,” said Lama Fakih, an HRW regional director.Trump, who also suggested he might visit Gaza, appeared to imply it would not be rebuilt for Palestinians.But Leavitt later said he had been “very clear” that he expected Egypt, Jordan and others “to accept Palestinian refugees, temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home.”Even before Tuesday’s explosive proposal, Trump had suggested residents of Gaza should move to Egypt and Jordan. Palestinians, however, have vowed to stay on.”They can do whatever they want, but we will remain steadfast in our homeland,” said 41-year-old Gaza resident Ahmed Halasa.- ‘Winning’ -In Washington, Netanyahu hailed Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” and praised his “willingness to think outside the box.”Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday night, he called Trump’s proposal “remarkable” and “the first good idea that I’ve heard.” “I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”But he also suggested it did not mean Palestinians leaving the territory forever.”They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back, but you have to rebuild Gaza.”The Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.burs-hg/aha/dhc/sn

The United States said Wednesday that its government vessels would sail for free through the Panama Canal following heavy pressure from President Donald Trump, but authorities at the waterway swiftly issued a denial.”US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year,” the State Department said in a post on social media platform X.It was the first public announcement of promises hinted at by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that Panama offered concessions during his talks on Sunday.The Panama Canal Authority, the agency that runs the vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, said no agreement had been reached.”The Panama Canal Authority, which is empowered to set tolls and other fees for transiting the canal, reports that it has not made any adjustments to them,” the agency said in a statement.It said it was still ready to hold a dialogue with US authorities.Rubio said he had told Panama that it was unfair for the United States to be in a position to defend the vital waterway and also to be charged for its use. US government vessels — which would be primarily from the navy — make up a small portion of the ships that go through the canal.Aircraft carriers are too large to sail through the canal and must make the far longer journey around South America through the Strait of Magellan.- Pressure from Trump -The United States and Panama are scheduled to hold new talks on Friday to discuss the canal.Since winning the US election in November, Trump has refused to rule out the use of force to seize the canal, through which 40 percent of US container traffic passes. Trump and Rubio have complained about Chinese investment — including ports on both sides of the canal — and warned that Beijing could close the waterway to the United States in a crisis.Panama has forcefully denied Trump’s repeated allegations that China has been given a role in operating the canal.But it has also moved to address US concerns. President Jose Raul Mulino after his talks with Rubio said that Panama would not renew membership in the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s signature infrastructure-building program.Rubio told reporters on Monday that his talks with Mulino were “respectful” and that the visit was “going to achieve potentially good things that assuage concerns we have.”Trump, however, said that he was still “not happy,” although he acknowledged that Panama had “agreed to certain things.”Trump in his inaugural address said the United States would be “taking back” the canal — built more than a century ago by Washington with Afro-Caribbean labor and handed back to Panama at the end of 1999.Mulino has also ordered an audit of Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, which runs the two major ports around the canal.The company was granted a concession in 1997 that was extended for 25 years in 2021, despite rising concern in Washington as China has tightened its grip on Hong Kong, a former British colony that had been promised autonomy.

The United States said Wednesday that its government vessels would be allowed to sail for free through the Panama Canal, following heavy pressure from President Donald Trump.”US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year,” the State Department said in a post on social media platform X.It was the first public announcement of promises hinted at by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that Panama offered concessions during his talks on Sunday.Rubio said he had told Panama that it was unfair for the United States to be in a position to defend the vital waterway and also to be charged for its use. Since winning the November US election, Trump has refused to rule out the use of force to seize the canal, through which 40 percent of US container traffic passes. Trump and Rubio have complained about Chinese investment — including ports on both sides of the canal — and warned that Beijing could close the waterway to the United States in a crisis.Panama has forcefully denied Trump’s repeated allegations that China has been given a role in operating the canal.But it has also moved to address US concerns. President Jose Raul Mulino after his talks with Rubio said that Panama would not renew membership in the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s signature infrastructure-building program.Rubio told reporters on Monday that his talks with Mulino were “respectful” and that the visit was “going to achieve potentially good things that assuage concerns we have.”Trump, however, said that he was still “not happy,” although he acknowledged that Panama had “agreed to certain things.”The United States and Panama are scheduled to hold new talks on Friday to discuss the canal.Trump in his inaugural address said the United States would be “taking back” the canal — built more than a century ago by Washington with Afro-Caribbean labor and handed back to Panama at the end of 1999.

A man was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Texas on Wednesday for the 2011 murder of a pastor that he insisted he did not commit.Steven Nelson, 37, spent more than a dozen years on death row for the murder of Clint Dobson, 28, during a robbery of the NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, near Dallas.Dobson was beaten and suffocated with a plastic bag. Judy Elliott, the church secretary, was also badly beaten but survived.Nelson’s appeals against his conviction and death sentence were repeatedly rejected by Texas courts and the US Supreme Court had declined to hear his case.He was executed and pronounced dead at 6:50 pm local time (0050 GMT on Thursday), state official Amanda Hernandez said in a statement. Nelson was interviewed by AFP recently at the maximum-security prison in Livingston, a town 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Houston, where he was awaiting his execution.”It’s hard at times,” he said. “You’re waiting to be put to death. So that kind of breaks a little part of you every day… You just don’t want to do nothing.”Nelson acknowledged that he served as a lookout during the robbery and that he entered the church after the murder to steal some items.But he said it was his two accomplices, who were never brought to trial, who committed the murder.”I didn’t know what was going on on the inside,” he said, claiming his friends “blamed everything on me.””So they’re free and I’m locked up,” he said. “I’m here on death row because of what somebody else did.””I’m an innocent man,” Nelson said. “I’m being executed for a crime, a murder, that I did not commit.”- ‘Make my heart stop’ -Nelson married a French woman, Helene Noa Dubois, while in prison, but said ahead of the execution that he did not want her to witness it.”I really don’t want her to see that — me getting pumped full of drugs and being overdosed with drugs to kill me, to make my heart stop.”But if she makes that choice to be there then that’s her choice.”In his final statement, Nelson said he was “at peace.””Always live for me and enjoy life,” he said, according to state authorities. “Know I am not scared… I’m at peace, I’m ready to be at home. “Let’s ride Warden.”There were 25 executions in the United States last year and Nelson’s brought this year’s number to two so far, after an earlier case in South Carolina.The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.Three states — Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee — that had paused executions have recently announced plans to resume them. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in the White House he called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

A serial rapist and murderer is to be put to death by nitrogen gas in Alabama on Thursday, the fourth use of the controversial execution method in the southern US state.Demetrius Frazier, 52, was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1991 murder of 40-year-old Pauline Brown, a mother of two, in the Alabama city of Birmingham.Frazier was found guilty of breaking into Brown’s apartment, raping her and shooting her in the head. The jury voted 10-2 to recommend the death penalty.According to court documents, Frazier, who is Black, accused the predominantly white jury during his trial of being racist.Frazier was previously convicted of rape and the 1992 murder of a 14-year-old girl, Crystal Kendrick, in the northern state of Michigan.Michigan does not have the death penalty and Frazier was serving a life sentence there for Kendrick’s murder and for two separate rape convictions.He was transferred to Alabama in 2011 and appeals seeking to have him sent back to Michigan to serve his life sentence have been rejected.His appeals claiming that the nitrogen gas method of execution amounts to cruel and unusual punishment have also been denied.Frazier is to be put to death at a prison in Atmore, Alabama, with the execution tentatively scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm Central Time (0000 GMT) on Thursday.Alabama carried out three executions by nitrogen asphyxiation last year and is the only US state currently using the method. Other US states use lethal injection. The execution is performed by pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.United Nations experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have denounced the use of nitrogen gas, saying it “may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or even torture.”There were 25 executions in the United States last year.The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.Three states — Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee — that had paused executions have recently announced plans to resume them. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in the White House he called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

With his dizzying moves to slash spending, abolish government departments and lay off much of the federal workforce, Donald Trump has upended the US constitutional order in an unprecedented assertion of executive might.Critics complain that Congress has been slow to react in the face of a full frontal assault on the Founders’ vision of the separation of powers — but warn that the Republican president is on a collision course with the courts.In his first two weeks, Trump has set in motion the abolition of a giant government humanitarian agency that experts say can only legally be dismantled by Congress and has tried to freeze trillions of dollars in spending mandated by lawmakers.He has removed agency watchdogs and summarily fired FBI leaders and federal prosecutors who investigated his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that culminated in a deadly riot at the US Capitol.The CIA became the first major national security agency to offer buyouts to its workforce this week, as thousands of federal workers were told to accept resignation deals by Thursday or face the boot.Opponents say Trump allowed Elon Musk — the world’s richest man and a major government contractor — to break the law by accessing US Treasury payment systems that send out trillions of dollars and hold a welter of sensitive personal data.”In theory, Congress is a co-equal branch of government but it may not be in practice if it continues to let Trump usurp its constitutional authority,” said political analyst Andrew Koneschusky, a former Senate staffer. “Trump’s strategy is to flood the zone, act fast, project strength and break things… But it remains to be seen whether Congress — and specifically congressional Republicans — will at some point assert their authority.”- ‘Clear messaging’ -Trump’s Republican Party controls the House and Senate but is focused on enacting tax cuts and immigration curbs and has shown little interest in subjecting the White House to the usual checks and balances.While there was bipartisan opposition to Trump’s most radical policy pronouncement yet — for the United States to “take over the Gaza Strip” — Republicans have shown nothing but deference over his historically contentious Cabinet nominees.House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday he was a “fierce advocate” of congressional authority, but thought the outrage over Trump’s assault on the federal government was a “gross overreaction in the media.”Democrats, stung by criticism over their initial inertia, have begun organizing, pressing legislation to safeguard Treasury data and summoning reporters to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as Musk earmarked it for closure.But as the minority party, they have little power to push back meaningfully. “Democrats have still not spelled out clear messaging on actions they will take,” said Jeff Le, a former senior official in California state politics who negotiated with the first Trump administration.”And until congressional Republicans see an impact in their district or a political dent in their numbers, I don’t see them acting in public.”- ‘Little resistance’ -The most effective resistance may end up playing out in the US Supreme Court, with over two dozen lawsuits already targeting Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship and go after FBI agents who investigated him.Failed challenges risk consolidating his authority, however, following a 2024 Supreme Court decision that made presidents immune from prosecution if they use their official powers to commit crimes.And executive power grabs are nothing new, in any case. Analysts interviewed by AFP said Congress had been ceding territory to the White House since before Franklin Roosevelt set the record for executive orders that still stands — 3,721, against a few hundred so far for Trump.”Of course, Roosevelt governed under quite different constitutional and political circumstances, both of which arguably gave him more legitimacy to enforce his will,” veteran election strategist Mike Fahey told AFP.David Alvis, a politics professor at South Carolina liberal arts school Wofford College, says Trump was taking his cue from 19th century president Andrew Jackson, who would prioritize loyalty and target non-cooperative officials with accusations of corruption. “What remains to be seen is whether Trump’s wholesale reform of the administration will incur the same problems as Jackson’s reforms did,” he said.  “The quality of civil service precipitously declined under Jackson and there was little resistance in the administration to Jackson’s legally dubious policies.”

Two million US federal workers face a deadline of Thursday to quit with a guarantee of eight months’ more paid work or risk being fired on the spot — a deal derided by labor groups as a “scam” calculated to undermine the civil service.President Donald Trump’s so-called “A Fork in the Road” initiative, the most sweeping move against federal spending since he returned to office on January 20, has been wrongly characterized as a “buyout.”Government “efficiency czar” Elon Musk said it was a chance to “take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving your full government pay and benefits.”In fact, employees agreeing to leave could be required to work right through the eight-month period, and failure to resign on Thursday may result in them being fired immediately without compensation.Labor groups derided the offer as fraught with legal issues and warned against taking it up, questioning whether the government could guarantee the eight months’ pay, given that approved government funding runs out in March.”Federal employees shouldn’t be misled by slick talk from unelected billionaires and their lackeys,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), in a swipe at Musk.”Despite claims made to the contrary, this deferred resignation scheme is unfunded, unlawful and comes with no guarantees. We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con.”US media reported that some 20,000 employees — around one percent of the federal workforce — had accepted the deal by Wednesday, a fraction of the best expectations of 100,000, which officials said would entail savings of $100 billion.The AFGE — the largest union for federal employees, representing 800,000 workers — is leading a lawsuit seeking to halt the “arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum.”The complaint, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, casts doubt on assertions that workers would be free to look for other jobs during their deferment periods, citing ethics regulations. “Not only are these actions illegal and a scam, but they are eroding the health and well-being of our communities,” said Lee Saunders, president of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.”These workers do everything from making sure families receive their Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits on time to protecting our drinking water and the food we eat to overseeing our national security.”An employee in the US Office of Personnel Management, granted anonymity to talk frankly, told AFP federal workers were mistrustful of advice they were receiving from the administration and felt largely “in the dark” about their options.”We get what they’re trying to do here. It’s not like we’re pursuing some orderly measure to reduce the size of government,” the employee said.”No, we’re trying to instill a panic so that people just walk out the door and leave government in a crippled state, which is partly their objective.”

Google parent company Alphabet has stopped making diversity and inclusion a workplace priority, according to a filing Wednesday with US regulators.The internet giant’s annual 10-K report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), no longer contained a commitment to workplace inclusion and diversity that had been there the prior year.”At Alphabet, we are committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve,” the removed line read.Internally, Alphabet workers were given word that the company no longer had hiring goals based on race or gender.”We’re committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we’ve been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there,” a Google spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.”As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic.”US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, issuing an executive order last month calling such programs illegal.The filing by Alphabet came a day after Google updated its principles regarding artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance.The changes arrive just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended Trump’s inauguration.Upon taking office, Trump quickly rescinded an executive order by his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, mandating safety practices for AI.Companies in the race to lead the burgeoning AI field in the United States now have fewer obligations to adhere to, such as being required to share test results signalling the technology has serious risks to the nation, its economy or its citizens.