As the Trump administration scrambles to control its war with Iran, both countries have turned to an unexpected moderator: Pakistan, which has led multiple rounds of ceasefire negotiations between the two nations. Now, Pakistan is quietly growing its influence in the region while Washington and Tehran circle one another for another round of negotiations.

‘Kind of a sideshow’
For many observers, Islamabad’s role as a major player in this conflict has “come as a surprise,” given Pakistan’s “global position, domestic challenges” and “volatile relationship” with the first Trump administration, said the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA). But “perhaps it shouldn’t,” said the BBC.

Although Pakistan was “kind of a sideshow” during the first Trump administration, it has “really reached out” to the White House and President Donald Trump, said CCGA. Pakistan’s connections to Saudi Arabia and China have also allowed it to “place itself in a mediator role” with a “greater level of geopolitical clout and influence.”

Given Pakistan’s reputation for corruption and military authoritarianism, it “would not be an exaggeration” to describe it as a “failed state,” said The Spectator. But simply “being a nuclear power” affords Pakistan a “head start in terms of credibility” by gracing Islamabad with the “nuclear aura that Iran would love to possess.” 

‘Responsible middle power’
“Playing the role of mediator, or “at least message-bearer,” between the U.S. and Iran has been a “boon for Islamabad,” said Le Monde. After having sheltered Osama bin Laden, Pakistan wants to “convince international opinion that it’s no longer a breeding ground for terrorism,” said Gilles Boquérat, an associate researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research, to the outlet. Instead, it’s portraying itself as a “responsible middle power, capable of ensuring regional security from the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian border.”

But Pakistan’s ties with Iran have earned Islamabad its share of critics during the current war, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.). “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them,” he said during a Senate hearing this week regarding reports that the Pakistani government has aided Iranian forces.

From Meghan Trainor and Zayn to the Pussycat Dolls, artists are canceling their concert tours because of unsold tickets. This so-called blue dot fever — taking its name from the blue dots on ticket sellers’ sites that represent available seats in a performance venue’s seating chart — reflects a lack of affordability and the reduced power of nostalgia.

Why are seats not selling?
There are “signs that consumer tolerance for high prices is breaking,” said The Times. Since Covid-19, the average ticket price “increased from $96.17 in 2019 to $106.07 in 2022, marking the first time it had crossed the $100 threshold,” said Pollstar. The price of concert tickets peaked in 2024 at $135.92. 

After the pandemic, there was “such pent-up demand that it was really easy to tour,” said J.R. Lind, a senior writer at Pollstar, to The Times. Now, there’s a “little bit of coming back to earth.” With “inflation and rising fuel costs,” affordability is “affecting concerts.” 

Sky-high ticket prices are happening because of “three key factors,” said Rolling Stone. “Supply and demand, as reflected in the controversial practice of dynamic pricing, rampant scalping, and one dominant company, Live Nation, controlling every source of revenue.”

Touring costs are also higher. Rising gas prices affect the “trucks that move staging, lighting and equipment between cities,” said the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Are there cultural implications?
The cultural capital for many artists is dwindling. Musicians are “getting booked into rooms too big for where they sit today,” said Nathan Green, the CEO of New Level Radio, to Newsweek. 

Artists like “Coldplay, Hilary Duff and My Chemical Romance” have seen “huge demand for live concerts despite the height of their popularity being two decades ago,” said Newsweek. However, banking on old glory no longer works for everyone, and blue dot fever disproportionately affects smaller or older artists. 

Spectators with umbrellas look on as the head-to-head match between Norway’s Casper Ruud and Russia’s Karen Khachanov is suspended due to rain during the Italian Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. Ruud won the game after the delay.
Filippo Monteforte / AFP / Getty Images

Avoiding crowds while still experiencing the best of a dynamic and diverse city is a win-win. At these spots, you will have more elbow room to see the sights and more chances to connect with locals and dive into their way of life.

Bisbee, Arizona
This former mining town changed its fortune, reinventing itself to become an artists’ haven. Its downtown looks “straight out of a storybook” and is a “wonderfully walkable” area, said Travel and Leisure. There are “alfresco art galleries” throughout Bisbee, and the sounds of “near-constant live music” fill the air.

Hue, Vietnam
Ornate palaces, pavilions, statues and royal tombs are waiting to be explored in Hue. This is where Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty lived in “extravagant regal splendor” and built a “citadel, gilded in bronze, enamel and lacquer,” said The Times of London. Visitors can also receive the royal treatment once it’s dinner time because restaurants in Hue serve a variety of the “1,000-plus dishes of the imperial household.”

Meknes, Morocco
For a “relaxed slice of authentic Moroccan life,” head to Meknes, said Lonely Planet. It may be calmer here, but there’s plenty to do, starting with a trek to the “buzzy” Place El Hedim to see the Bab Mansour gate. The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, Morocco’s longest-ruling sultan, is a “dazzling” display of mosaic tiles and “ornate” cedarwood, and though non-Muslims can’t enter the tomb, they can “peer through the doorway” and observe two clocks given to the sultan by King Louis XIV.