Take it from Donald Trump: It’s a “crazy world!” The American president’s extraordinary — and utterly exhausting — grip on the global psyche intensified on Wednesday. Tension settled heavily on Washington, stretched across the Atlantic and cloaked the Middle East. Everyone was waiting for fire from the skies. Would Trump strike Iran to make good on his vow that “help is on the way” after the brutal suppression of protesters? Or is he taking an out, based on apparent and questionable assurances from a source in Iran that executions would stop ? “We’re going to watch and see what the process is,” he told reporters. Everyone is waiting to see what Trump does next. And he loves it, as he sits behind the Oval Office desk, flinging out threats, subterfuge and insults like a conductor leading an orchestra — but conjuring not harmony but worldwide chaos. Asked how he could trust pledges from an Iranian regime that just imposed a brutal crackdown and kill...
A water leak at the Louvre in Paris has damaged hundreds of books, exposing further issues at the world’s largest museum after a spectacular heist in October. On Monday, a spokesman for the museum told CNN that the leak damaged 300-400 books, which date from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, when it occurred on November 26. The leak happened when a valve that forms part of a now defunct plumbing system was opened in error. This system was shut off months ago and is set to be replaced as part of renovation works starting September 2026, the spokesman said. The texts are related to Egyptology and scientific documentation. While they are regularly consulted by visitors, they are not the only copies in the world, the spokesman added. The books will be returned to the shelves after they have dried out and been repaired, he said. Although officials do not believe that there will be any permanent damage to the collection, the leak...