Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said the United States faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held in Islamabad so far.

Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it.

“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

US news website Axios reported, citing two sources briefed on the proposal, that it set “a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and in Lebanon”.

In a statement on Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the onus back on Trump, saying he must choose between “an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

“The room for US decision-making has narrowed,” they said.

The day before, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach”.

Iran, he said, was “prepared for both paths”.

‘If they misbehave’

In a brief interview with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, the US president declined to specify what could trigger new American military action.

“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we’ll see,” he said. “But it’s a possibility that could happen, certainly.”

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iranian forces would sink US ships.

“The US is the only pirate in the world that possesses aircraft carriers. Our ability to confront pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Prepare to face a graveyard of your carriers and forces,” he posted on X.

His remarks came after Trump, while addressing a rally in Florida, compared the US action in the sea to that of pirates. “We’re like pirates” as he described an earlier helicopter raid on an oil tanker under the US blockade of Iranian ports.

“We … landed on top of it, and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” he remarked.

Axios reported earlier in the week that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff had asked for Tehran’s nuclear programme to be put back on the negotiating table.

But Iran’s mission to the UN pointed to the massive US nuclear arsenal, accusing Washington on Saturday of “hypocritical behaviour” towards Iran’s own atomic ambitions.

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and decided to field first in the high-octane final of the 11th season of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) against tournament debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore on Sunday.

Speaking after the toss, Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar said that assessing the situation at the earliest was the key to his team’s success.

“The pitch is looking grassy, and we will try to utilise the first six overs,” he said. “Like the whole of the tournament, we will try to execute our plan as per the playing conditions.”

He also announced the inclusion of Nahid Rana in the final XI. Nahid is replacing Khurram Shehzad.

Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne said there was no change in his team for the final.

“It’s been an amazing couple of days, obviously, with that finish in the last game against Islamabad. We have one more job today, and I can’t wait,” he added.

“The benefit of having played international cricket is being used to this atmosphere. But nothing makes it more special than being in the final of your first PSL as Hyderabad Kingsmen; it’s very exciting,” the Australian batter said.

Talking about the final, Labuschagne said that this day was similar to their last match; however, he said, “It’s for us to take in this atmosphere, this crowd, and this occasion, but stay calm and understand what we need to execute.”

“I think the toss isn’t as important in games where the wicket is so good,” he said.

Peshawar Zalmi, who entered the final after crushing three-time champions Islamabad United by 70 runs in the first playoff match, are on a run for their second title. They last lifted the trophy in 2017, when they defeated Quetta Gladiators in the final.

Throughout PSL 11, Babar-led Zalmi registered eight victories and just a single defeat, to the Gladiators, sealing the top spot in the points table.

Meanwhile, Kingsmen — one of the two new franchises added to the PSL circuit in this edition — secured a stunning 2-run victory over Islamabad United in the make-or-break eliminator on Friday to book a place in the final.

Kingsmen had a rough start to the campaign, losing five games in a row before getting back on track to win the next five fixtures and qualify for the playoffs.

BAJAUR: Two people, including a social activist, were killed in separate attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Sunday, police and rescue officials told Dawn.

The first incident took place in the Kohi area of Salarzai tehsil, where unidentified armed assailants attacked social activist Malik Ziaur Rehman near his residence, Salarzai Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jamal Shah said.

“Unidentified assailants opened fire on him near his house, leaving him critically injured,” he said.

According to Rescue 1122 Khar station spokesperson Riaz Ahmad Khan, the 37-year-old succumbed to his injuries at the district headquarters hospital Khar, where he was taken in a critical condition after the attack.

An official at the Salarzai police station told Dawn that a team of law enforcers was immediately sent to the site of the incident, and a search had been launched to locate the attackers, who had fled after firing at Rehman.

Police are also further investigating the incident.

Area residents told Dawn that Rehman’s father, Malik Fatchi Khan, was also killed by unidentified attackers a few years ago.

Separately, a man identified as Sayed Door Khan was killed in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device in Bajaur’s Asil Targaoo area, Khar DSP Saidur Rehman said.

He said Sayed was critically injured in the blast and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

The DSP said an investigation of the incident was under way to trace those responsible for the blast and ascertain the motive of the attack.

Israel gave final approval for a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA advanced fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

The deal, approved by Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Procurement, is a first step in a 350 billion shekel ($119 billion) plan to bolster Israel’s military and “strengthen readiness ahead of a demanding decade for Israeli security,” it said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said much of this expanded defence budget will be to produce munitions in Israel and not be dependent on foreign countries. Israel, he noted, will also develop “groundbreaking” aircraft.

The ministry added that the new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of the military’s long-term force development, addressing regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority.

“Alongside immediate wartime procurement needs, we have a responsibility to act now to secure the Israeli Defence Forces’ military edge ten years from now and beyond,” said ministry Director General Amir Baram.

The recent US-Israeli war on Iran “reinforced just how critical the US-Israel strategic relationship is, and how essential advanced air power remains,” he added.

Under the deal, Israel would buy a fourth F-35 squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing.

“Israel is stronger than ever, and Israel must always be much stronger than our enemies,” Netanyahu said. “These aircraft strengthen Israel’s overwhelming air superiority.”

In December, Boeing was given an $8.6bn contract for Israel, including 25 new F-15IAs and an option for 25 more.

Baram said the next step would be to move forward with finalising the agreements with the US government and military counterparts.

The US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, but a ceasefire has been in place since April 8. The US Navy maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the conflict demonstrated the air force’s power and its decisive role in protecting Israel.

“The lessons of that campaign require us to keep pressing forward on force buildup, to ensure air superiority for decades to come,” he said.

Katz said the new aircraft would lead to a significant technological leap in integrating autonomous flight capabilities, next-generation defence systems, and establishing Israeli military dominance in space.

“Our mission is clear: to ensure the IDF has the tools, capabilities, and strength to operate anywhere, at any time,” Katz said. “We will continue to invest, to grow stronger, and to stay ahead of our enemies - to keep Israel secure today and in the future.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif at their Jati Umra residence in Lahore on Sunday, a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said, adding that the Middle East conflict and the political situation in the country were discussed during the meeting.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present on the occasion.

The PMO statement said the premier briefed Nawaz on the “situation in the country” and exchanged views on the political situation.

He further informed him about the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s efforts for the restoration of peace in the region, the statement added.

The conflict in the Middle East, which is now more than two months old, began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. And while hostilities have paused following a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire on April 8 — which has been extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump — the world continues to face its consequences.

Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engaged in feverish diplomacy, leading the efforts for de-escalation.

On April 11-12, Pakistan hosted the first high-level contact between Iran and the US in decades and mediated the meetings, known as the “Islamabad Talks”. However, with challenges in convening a second round, Islamabad has shifted back to its role as a facilitator and go-between.

Meanwhile, the conflict has also resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply used to pass in peacetime — giving rise to a global energy crisis and an increase in oil prices in the international market.

The PMO statement said PM Shehbaz also took Nawaz into confidence regarding oil prices in the international market and the steps the government has taken to “provide relief” to the people against this backdrop.

After the US-Israeli war on Iran began, the government initially hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre on March 6 and announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9.

However, in the following weeks, PM Shehbaz said he had rejected recommendations to further increase fuel prices despite an increase in the global market on three occasions.

But on April 2, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55pc in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel, respectively. The ministers had also announced a targeted fuel subsidy programme.

However, just a day later, PM Shehbaz slashed the petroleum levy by Rs80 per litre and brought the price of petrol down to Rs378 per litre.On April 10, PM Shehbaz further decreased diesel prices and petrol prices by Rs135 and Rs12 per litre, respectively.

The government has twice increased the prices of the two commodities since, first on April 24 and later on April 30.

Opec+ agreed on Sunday on a modest oil output hike for June, an increase that will remain largely on paper as long as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to disrupt Gulf oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Seven Opec+ countries will raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day in June, the third consecutive monthly increase, Opec+ said in a statement after an online meeting. The increase is the same as that agreed for May minus the share of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which left the group on May 1.

The move is designed to show the group is ready to raise supplies once the war stops and signals that Opec+ is pressing on with a business-as-usual approach despite the departure of the UAE from Opec+, sources associated with the alliance and analysts said.

Opec+ is sending a two-layer message to the market: continuity despite the UAE’s exit, and control despite limited physical impact, said Jorge Leon, an analyst at Rystad and former Opec official.

While output is increasing on paper, the real impact on physical supply remains very limited, given the Strait of Hormuz constraints. This is less about adding barrels and more about signaling that Opec+ still calls the shots.

Top Opec+ producer Saudi Arabia’s quota will rise to 10.291 million bpd in June under the agreement, far above actual production. The kingdom reported actual production of 7.76m bpd to Opec in March.

The seven members who met on Sunday were Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Oman.

With the UAE leaving, Opec+ comprises 21 members, including Iran. But in recent years, only the seven nations plus the UAE have been involved in monthly production decisions.

Hike remains largely symbolic until Hormuz reopens

The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, and the resulting closure of the Hormuz strait have throttled exports from Opec+ members Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, as well as from the UAE. Before the conflict, these producers were the only countries in the group able to raise production.

Even when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz reopens, it will take several weeks if not months for flows to normalise, oil executives from the Gulf and global oil traders have said.

The supply disruption has propelled oil prices to a four-year high above $125 per barrel as analysts begin to predict widespread jet fuel shortages in one to two months and a spike in global inflation.

Crude oil output from all Opec+ members averaged 35.06m bpd in March, down 7.70m bpd from February, Opec said in a report last month, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia making the biggest cuts due to constrained exports.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday acknowledged that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line had proven to be a “very tough” project for the provincial government, but asserted that there had been no delay on its end.

Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government had to make some difficult decisions on the BRT Red Line after “all other options were exhausted”.

The senior minister asserted that there had been “no mistake, mal-intent or delay” from the Sindh government on the BRT Red Line.

He noted that work on the project’s Lot-1 was “underway with great speed”, while work on Lot-2 had been restarted.

The Sindh government recently cancelled the construction contract for the BRT Red Line project. Subsequently, it chose the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to resume construction on a section of the BRT Red Line along University Road, where commuters have been facing inconvenience.

Designed to cover around 27 kilometres from Malir Halt to Numaish via University Road, work on BRT Red Line commenced in early 2022. While initially scheduled for completion by 2024, the project has faced persistent delays, with its finishing timeline most recently pushed to 2028.

A week ago, CM Murad, while “apologising” to the people of Karachi, announced that the deteriorated University Road will be reconstructed within 90 days.

In today’s media talk, Memon reiterated: “We will try that by the end of July, this road is opened for mixed traffic by working day and night, so that there is no nuisance for the public.”

“We realise the difficulty being faced by the public, but as they say, you have to swallow a bitter pill to achieve something big,” he remarked.

The minister recalled that the Sindh government approached the FWO for the reconstruction of University Road after “issuing warnings and clearing claims” of the contractors of the BRT Red Line project.

He noted that the government also took the Asian Development Bank (ADB) into confidence about the FWO’s involvement in the road reconstruction. While the BRT Red Line is an ADB-funded scheme, the reconstruction of the University Road will be undertaken as a separate project funded through the Sindh government’s own resources.

For the bus project itself, Memon said the government would follow up with the necessary legal actions, such as re-contracting or re-tendering.

The minister said it would have been “very easy” for the government to simply launch buses, such as the People’s Bus Service, but it decided to construct the BRT project for future generations, considering Karachi’s growing population.

Criticising certain political elements for “politicising” the BRT project, Memon said the government’s aim was to finish the project.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah carried out an early morning inspection of BRT Red Line from Jail Chowrangi to Nipa, reviewing progress on mixed traffic lanes, drainage, asphalt work and traffic management.

“People’s hardship is unacceptable. Roads must be restored tonight, quality cannot be compromised and traffic flow must improve immediately,” he was quoted as saying by CM House, warning that he would continue surprise visits to monitor progress.

CM Murad directed all departments and contractors to accelerate work, restore roads on an emergency basis and ensure minimum inconvenience to citizens.

He also ordered the immediate commencement of the remaining work on the Red Line Mosamiyat Flyover so it could be opened for mixed traffic at the earliest.

The chief minister was accompanied by provincial ministers, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and project officials.

The Sindh CM also reviewed progress on Shahrah-i-Bhutto after inspecting the BRT Red Line project.

He was told that 38-kilometre Shahrah-i-Bhutto corridor, stretching from Jam Sadiq Interchange to M-9 Kathore Interchange, has reached 93 per cent completion.

The project is now targeted for completion by June 30, 2026, with efforts underway to open it to the public before Eidul Azha.

Murad termed Shahrah-i-Bhutto a “gift for people of Karachi”, asserting that it would play a key role in easing traffic congestion, shifting heavy traffic outside the city, and improving connectivity between M-9 and N-5 highways.

He also termed the project a “lifeline for Karachi’s economy”.

Renowned mountaineer Sajid Ali Sadpara summi­ted the world’s fifth-highest peak, Mount Makalu (8,485m) in Nepal, without supplementary oxygen, the exp­e­­dition’s organisers said on Sunday.

Sadpara is on a mission to summit all 14 “eight-thousanders” in the world without supplemental oxygen, and this marks his 10th summit of that mission.

According to a statement issued by Seven Summit Treks, the expedition team Sadpara was part of, an excellent summit push at 5am on May 2 successfully reached the summit of Makalu.

The statement added a team of three members, including Sadpara from Pakistan and Johannss Lau, with seven sherpas, stood on the summit, marking a remarkable achievement on the technically demanding peak.

“We wish them a safe and smooth descent back to base camp,” Seven Summit Treks added.

Sadpara had arrived in Nepal on April 4 for the mission and reached Makalu base camp on April 16. The expedition team completed their summit rotation at Makalu on April 25.

Sadpara is the proud son of the legendary Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who tragically lost his life during a winter ascent of K2 in 2021. Carrying his father’s legacy with honour, Sajid has emerged as a powerful symbol of Pakistani mountaineering strength and global excellence.

Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) President Irfan Arshad, renowned climbers, and civil society members congratulated Sadpara on his remarkable and successful summit of Makalu.

In a statement, Arshad extended heartfelt felicitations to Sadpara on achieving the feat, terming it a moment of great pride for the nation.

The statement noted that summiting one of the world’s most technically challenging peaks reflected Sadpara’s courage, determination, and exceptional mountaineering skills.

“This outstanding achievement is not only a personal milestone but also a proud moment for the entire Pakistani mountaineering community,” it added.

The ACP president lauded Sadpara’s perseverance and dedication, saying his accomplishment would inspire young climbers across the country and further strengthen Pakistan’s presence on the global mountaineering stage.

ACP Vice President Karrar Haidri also congratulated Sadpara, noting, “At just 29 years old, Sajid has displayed remarkable endurance, resilience, and dedication to high-altitude mountaineering.”

Speaking to Dawn before beginning his summit, Sadpara had said he would attempt to climb the peak without supplemental oxygen.

Sadpara has made a name for himself in the alpine community with his summits of the most daunting peaks at a young age.

He has already summited nine of the world’s peaks above 8,000m, including Everest, K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II, and Dhaulagiri. He has also taken part in rescue operations at several peaks, including K2.

He has climbed K2 twice; once without supplemental oxygen. He also set records when he summited both Gasherbrum-I and Gasherbrum-II peaks in three days and 18 hours without supplementary oxygen.

In February 2021, his father Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr went missing while attempting to summit the K2 during the winter season. Their bodies were found in July, nearly five months after they went missing.

LAKKI MARWAT: A police official was martyred in a gun attack in the Kaichi Kamar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday.

Lakki Marwat district police officer’s (DPO) spokesman Qudratullah Khan confirmed that terrorists targeted Constable Irfanullah near his house in the trans-river belt known as Kurrum Par area.

The incident occurred within the limits of Dadiwala police station. Qudratullah said that the policeman received critical bullet injuries and died on the way to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in the Serai Naurang town.

The police official said that the martyred cop was posted in Peshawar and had come to his native village on leave.

“After the attack, a large police contingent reached the area and launched a search for the assailants,” he added.

Today’s incident comes just a day after unknown terrorists attacked the house of a police official with explosives in the district’s Shadikhel area, causing significant damage.

Also in the Shadikhel area, a policeman embraced martyrdom in a fierce gunfight with terrorists on Thursday following an attack on a police post.

Over the last few months, several areas of KP, including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur, have witnessed a series of terrorist attacks on police personnel.

On April 7, at least five policemen, including an officer, were injured in an explosion in the Shahbazkhel town in Lakki Marwat.

On April 20, two terrorists were killed while a police constable was martyred in a gun battle in Lakki Marwat when police conducted a targeted operation.

Cities heat up faster than surrounding areas because of how they’re built.

Urban areas can be up to 5.6 degrees Celsius warmer than nearby regions because of roads, concrete surfaces and dense construction that absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, preventing cities from cooling down. This is known as the urban heat island effect.

This means that when heatwaves hit, cities are already at an elevated baseline temperature and more prone to overheating.

In most places, conventional planning prioritises plot sizes, road widths, and construction speed without mapping heat pockets or protecting natural cooling systems. However, climate sensitive urban planning incorporates nature as a fundamental element of urban living.

How can climate smart urban design be integrated into our cities practically, and how does it differ from conventional urban planning?

DawnNews discusses all this and much more with urban planner Sana R Gondal.

As Pakistan confronts the accelerating realities of climate change, the urgency to move from awareness to action has never been greater.

Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Pakistan remains among the most climate-vulnerable nations, underscoring the critical need for coordinated, locally grounded, and globally informed responses.

The Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference 2026 on May 6 and 7 brings together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from across sectors to examine these intersecting challenges and chart a path forward.

See the agenda here.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week, an Italian government source said on Sunday, just weeks after a clash between Donald Trump and Pope Leo.

Rubio, who is a Catholic, is expected to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the source told AFP.

Italian media reported that he would also meet Defence Minister Guido Crosetto during the Thursday-Friday visit.

The meetings come several weeks after US President Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric.

Trump also dismissed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — one of his closest European allies — as lacking courage after she defended the US pontiff.

Italian media on Sunday presented Rubio’s visit as a meeting to “thaw” relations.

Since taking over as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, Leo has criticised the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

But it was his increasing anti-war rhetoric, particularly following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, that triggered Trump’s ire.

Leo, on April 7, declared Trump’s threat to destroy Iran “unacceptable” and urged Americans to demand that US lawmakers “work for peace”.

The US president subsequently slammed the pontiff in a social media post as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”.

Trump also said he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo” and that he does not “want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.

Meloni condemned as “unacceptable” Trump’s criticism — prompting the president to turn his fire on her.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the US president said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

He also accused Meloni — a far-right leader who has sought to act as a bridge between diverging US and European views — of failing to help the United States with Nato.

Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome “has not been of any help to us” in the Iran war. He has made a similar threat towards Spain, while the Pentagon has announced it is withdrawing 5,000 US troops from Germany.

The sound of drums from the Pakistan Embassy could be heard distinctly as soon as visitors turned into International Drive, where the usually quiet diplomatic corridor had been transformed into a global fairground for the annual Passport DC “Around the World Embassy Tour”.

From early morning, crowds moved steadily along the tree-lined street, following a trail of music, aromas and colour that flowed from one embassy to the next. The dhol at the Pakistan Embassy set the tone — deep, insistent, and celebratory — cutting through the spring air and pulling visitors toward gates already filling with activity.

Inside the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC, the sensory experience was immediate. The aroma of kebabs and samosas drifted far beyond the entrance, while food trays disappeared almost as quickly as they were placed on counters.

Visitors lingered under displays of truck art, embroidered textiles, gemstones and handicrafts, while mehndi artists worked patiently on outstretched hands and calligraphers wrote names in flowing Urdu script for curious guests who watched each stroke form a language unfamiliar yet visually captivating.

A steady stream of rickshaw rides added a playful rhythm to the embassy grounds, with visitors laughing, posing for photographs, and treating the brightly decorated vehicles as moving pieces of South Asian street culture temporarily transplanted into Washington.

In the background, tabla, flute and harmonium blended into a continuous cultural score that followed visitors from hall to courtyard.

Elsewhere in Washington’s diplomatic enclave, the world unfolded in equally vivid chapters.

At the Ethiopian Embassy, the slow, ceremonial preparation of coffee drew quiet circles of observers. Beans were roasted, ground and brewed in a ritual that held visitors in place, as the rich aroma became one of the most distinctive scents of the day.

Across another courtyard, several South American embassies turned into a burst of music and dance, where salsa rhythms and live bands pulled crowds into spontaneous movement, blending performance and street celebration.

The Bangladesh Embassy offered a different but equally compelling atmosphere. Cultural performances brought the space alive with traditional music and dance, while stalls showcased handwoven textiles, jamdani fabrics, crafts and traditional Bangladeshi products.

Visitors moved between displays of heritage crafts and tables offering familiar dishes — rice-based delicacies, sweets and snacks — introducing many to flavours less known but warmly received. The mix of cultural pride and hospitality drew steady interest throughout the day.

Further along the route, the Mexican Embassy was alive with mariachi music, folkloric dance and bright costumes that swirled through courtyards in bursts of colour. The Brazilian Embassy pulsed with samba and carnival energy, while the Nigerian Embassy showcased bold fashion, Afrobeats and contemporary cultural expression.

At the UAE and Brunei embassies, a quieter elegance defined the space, with fragrances, dates, chocolates and carefully arranged displays reflecting tradition through restraint.

Together, these embassies formed a living map of global cultures, each offering a distinct rhythm yet sharing the same spirit of openness. Diplomacy, often confined to formal rooms and official language, took on a more human expression—spoken through food, music, craft and conversation.

For visitors —Washington residents, Pakistani-Americans, students and tourists from across the United States — the experience was less about observation and more about immersion.

Children tried unfamiliar foods, families paused to listen to unfamiliar music, and strangers asked questions that crossed borders without hesitation.

As afternoon light softened over the capital, the crowds thinned only slightly, with many still moving from embassy to embassy, carrying with them bags of crafts, lingering flavours, painted hands and phone galleries filled with sound and colour.

By the time the gates began to close, the diplomatic enclave returned to its usual quiet.

But for a few hours, it had been something else entirely: a place where Pakistan’s drums, Ethiopia’s coffee ritual, Cuba’s music, Bangladesh’s textiles and dozens of other cultural expressions coexisted in a single, continuous celebration of the world within Washington.