Washington: Europe and the Arabs
A few hours after his inauguration as President of the United States of America, Donald Trump began signing a series of executive measures, canceling about 78 decisions adopted by his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
Trump issued, late Monday, pardons for about 1,500 people convicted or criminally accused in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building, fulfilling his repeated promises during his election campaign. According to the European news network "Euronews" in Brussels,
The Republican leader also announced that Washington would withdraw from the World Health Organization, noting that the latter "mishandled the Covid-19 pandemic and other international health crises."
Trump accused the organization of being subservient to member states, claiming that it had unfairly requested exorbitant payments from the United States of America, which did not match the amounts it requested from China, and said: "The World Health Organization defrauded us."
In addition, the president ordered federal employees back to work and weakened job protections for civil servants, in a move that some interpreted as an attempt to circumvent and fire them so he could change the staff.

The 78-year-old Republican also signed a decree giving TikTok a 75-day deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer in the United States or it would be banned.

Trump also reversed a number of Biden’s decisions, returning Cuba to the list of state sponsors of terrorism and lifting sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violence in the West Bank.

In a related context, Trump said he was considering imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, under the pretext of combating illegal immigration and drugs.

For his part, Panama’s President Jose Raul Molino denounced his US counterpart Donald Trump’s statements during his inauguration ceremony regarding regaining control of the Panama Canal, saying: “The canal is ours and will remain so.” In a statement published on his X account, Molino said: “On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I completely reject the statements made by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its canal in his inaugural address, and I reiterate what I expressed in my message to the nation on December 22: the canal belongs to Panama and will remain so.” Molino added that he rejects allegations of any interference by any country in the world in their management. He pointed out that the Republic’s acquisition of it was not a concession from anyone, but rather “the result of generational conflicts that culminated in 1999 in light of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty.” He added that Panama will exercise the right that protects it and will resort to the law as “the best way to manage relations between countries.”
US President Donald Trump had announced during his swearing-in in Congress that Washington would regain control of the canal, saying that Beijing was the one managing it, and since they did not give it to China, they would take it back. It is noteworthy that in 1977, US President Jimmy Carter signed two historic treaties with Panamanian General Omar Torrijos, which stipulated the transfer of sovereignty over the Panama Canal to Panama by December 31, 1999.