The main feature of the Mitsuyama Taisai Festival, three 18 meters tall “mountains”. are displayed at the Itate Hyozu Shrine on March 31, 2013 in Himeji, Japan. The festival is held once in 20 years since 1593, Priests of Itate Hyozu Shrine welcome to all the gods across the country for top of the three mountains and treat with food seven days from today as to pray for peace and prosperity. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Residents with their empty containers crowd around a municipal tanker to fetch water in New Delhi, India, February 22, 2016. The Indian army has taken control of a canal that supplies three-fifths of Delhi's water, the state's chief minister said on Monday, raising hope that a water crisis in the metropolis of more than 20 million people can be averted. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A man dressed up as a "Catrin", a Mexican character also known as "The Elegant Death", is pictured during a Catrinas parade in Mexico City October 31, 2015. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

A Syrian youth Khaled from Raqqa walks on snow wearing slippers in the Bekaa Valley refugee camp in Lebanon after the first heavy snow storm hit Lebanon, January 3, 2016. (Photo by Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

Russian pop art photographer Sergey Chilikov captures a nation liberated from the social oppression of late-era Soviet rule – at parties, in the streets, and bouncing high. His exhibition, Photoprovocations, will be at Photo London, 19-22 May. Here: Yoshkar-Ola, Matrosova Street (1995). (Photo by Sergey Chilikov)

The beard of a skater, one out of some 1,100 athletes, is covered with ice and snow during the 200 km (124 miles) speed skating race in the Carinthian village of Techendorf January 30, 2015. Techendorf is hosting the Alternatieve Elfstedentocht Weissensee (Alternative Eleven City Races Weissensee) races, a traditional Dutch series of speed skating events for both professionals and amateurs with some 5,000 participants, until January 31, 2015. (Photo by Leonhard Foeger/Reuters)

Baby clouded leopards, born early in March 2015, are presented by zoo keepers at the Olmense Zoo in Olmen, Belgium, April 16, 2015. The clouded leopard is an endangered species with only some 10,000 specimen remaining on earth, said Robby Van der Velden, a biologist at the Olmense Zoo. (Photo by Yves Herman/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)