An old woman smokes a cigar at Old Havana's Plaza de la Catedral on February 07, 2006 in Havana, Cuba. (Photo by Marco Prosch/Getty Images)

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)

A bishop walks past a new street-art collage by Italian artist Maupal showing Pope Francis playing tic-tac-toe and drawing peace signs as a Swiss guard keep watches the street near the Vatican on October 19, 2016 in Rome. (Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP Photo)

Belarusian beauty designers attend an annual national contest in Minsk, Belarus on November 7, 2019. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

The Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin City, Australia. The Cage of Death starts out above the water where the two tourists in it can see the huge crocodile below before the cage is lowered into the pen. The tourists are then inches from the 16-foot-long Saltwater crocodile as it greedily snaps its jaws over meaty treats that are being dangled right in front of the cage. (Photo by Crocosaurus Cove/Media Drum World/Profimedia)

In this photo provided by Sugar Bowl Resort, snow covers the door of the marketing office at the Sugar Bowl Resort in Norden, Calif., on Monday, March 4, 2024. A powerful blizzard dumped more than 10 feet of snow on the California ski resort, where the marketing team had to dig a tunnel to get to their office door. The storm closed highways and most lifts at ski resorts over the weekend. (Photo by Jacob Banta/Sugar Bowl Resort via AP Photo)

Shoes worn by cosplayer dressed as Elizabeth Goddess during the Otamatsuri Anime x Manga convention held in Nairobi, Kenya on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Sarah Waiswa/The Guardian)

Soldiers stand in line outside portable toilets during a military parade to celebrate the 206th anniversary of Colombia's independence in Bogota, Colombia, July 20, 2016. (Photo by John Vizcaino/Reuters)