Girls hold hands as they arrive their New Year parties in Newcastle, England on December 31, 2019. (Photo by Craig Connor/North News and Pictures)

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 Kurdish girl celebrates Newroz Day, a festival marking spring and the new year, in Akra, Iraq March 20, 2016. Nowruz is the name of the Iranian New Year also referred to as Persian New Year which is celebrated worldwide by Iranian peoples, along with some other ethno-linguistic groups. Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day, depending on where it is observed. Although having Persian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities for thousands of years. (Photo by Ari Jalal/Reuters)

Cheerleaders wait to perform before the New Year's Day parade in London, Britain January 1, 2017. (Photo by Neil Hall/Reuters)

Crowds watch surfers as the first big swell of the year arrives in Nazaré, Portugal on October 28, 2015. (Photo by Pedro Miranda/Demotix/Corbis)

Revellers out in Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2018. (Photo by Lorne Campbell/Guzelian)

A reveler celebrates New Year's Eve in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 31, 2022. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters)

American actress and model Barbie Ferreira shows off her figure on New Year’s Eve. (Photo by barbieferreira/Instagram)