Clarice Hui and her Corgi dog Padfoot enjoying the hot weather in London Fields park, east London on May 19, 2020, after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)

Hippo keeper Atthapon Nundee, 31, takes pictures of a two-month-old female pygmy hippo named “Moo Deng” who has recently become a viral internet sensation, at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, on September 16, 2024. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/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)

Over the years a large population of grey herons have made an unlikely home in urban Amsterdam. Julie Hrudova documents how the birds integrate into city life. Here: Hundreds of herons come to the city during winter to find food and shelter. (Photo by by Julie Hrudova/The Guardian)

A tourist stands on the shore of a private beach in Naama Bay, Sharm el-Sheikh, south Sinai, Egypt, Sunday, November 8, 2015. Britain's foreign secretary says airport security in many cities will need to be overhauled if it is confirmed the Russian plane crash in the Sinai was caused by a bomb planted by the Islamic State group or someone inspired by the militants. (Photo by Vinciane Jacquet/AP Photo)

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. The commune's population of around 9,800 ranks 865th within the country of France.

A man works on “Long Ma”, a creation by La Machine production company, during a media visit to “A Journey to Nantes” (Le Voyage a Nantes) art festival in Nantes, France, June 30, 2015. The art festival will run from July 3 to August 30. (Photo by Stephane Mahe/Reuters)

Pionneers from Aubagne's 1st Foreign Regiment (Legion etrangere) march the Champs-Elysees during the annual Bastille day parade on July 14, 2011 in Paris, France. The French National Day celebrates its revolution in the storming of the Bastille in 1789 through various parades and official ceremonies throughout France. (Photo by Franck Prevel/Getty Images)