An army soldier takes a tree branch from an anti-government protester who is blocking a major highway that links the capital Beirut to northern Lebanon, in the town of Nahr el-Kalb, north of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, January 3, 2020. Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, while protests against corruption and mismanagement have gripped the country since October. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A man wearing a mask looks on as he sells matresses in Manila, Philippines, January 8, 2020. (Photo by Willy Kurniawan/Reuters)

A Senegal fan before the World Cup group A soccer match between Qatar and Senegal, at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Friday, November 25, 2022. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

A period of relative stability has put the Iranian capital No1 on the list of world cities that have achieved biggest improvements in liveability over the past five years, as calculated by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The “most improved” top 10 contains some unexpected names. So, eg, the fourth place: Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Latest ranking: 128; Ranking five years ago: 131; Five-year index movement: 3.8%. Here: A supporter of Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara campaigns in a market in the city’s Koumassi quarter. (Photo by Sia Kambou/AFP Photo)

Abbas (1944 – 25 April 2018) was an Iranian photographer known for his photojournalism in Biafra, Vietnam and South Africa in the 1970s, and for his extensive essays on religions in later years. He was a member of Sipa from 1971 to 1973, a member of Gamma from 1974 to 1980, and joined Magnum Photos in 1981. Here: Kuwait, 1991. (Photo by Abbas Attar/Magnum Photos)

Awkwafina poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy for “The Farewell” at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Polly Mellon, and Christy Turlington, The Fashion Group International's 6th Annual “Night of 100 Stars” at the The Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York on October 29, 1989. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

A girl carries a picture of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed along with others in Saudi Arabia, during a protest against the execution in front of the United Nation's building in Beirut, Lebanon January 3, 2016. Sign reads, “The martyr scholar Nimr al-Nimr”. (Photo by Hasan Shaaban/Reuters)