A wild macaque monkey eats fruit dropped by pedestrians in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 11, 2013. (Photo by Mohd Rasfan/AFP Photo)

Buddhist monk Wilatha holds a rescued Burmese python at his monastery that has turned into a snake sanctuary on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, November 26, 2020. Wilatha is trying to play a part in saving scores of snakes that might otherwise be killed or destined for the black market. (Photo by Shwe Paw Mya Tin/Reuters)

A man dressed in a Halloween costume swims along the coast of the northern Lebanese city of Batroun, on October 28, 2021. (Photo by Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP Photo)

Revellers make the most of Boxing Day in Liverpool city centre, United Kingdom on Sunday, December 26, 2021. Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide. (Photo by London News Pictures)

Supporters of opposition member Venancio Mondlane protest during the inauguration of the ruling Frelimo party's leader Daniel Chapo as Mozambique's newly elected President in Maputo, Mozambique on January 15, 2025. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Sri Lankan military personnel march during the country's 66th Independence Day celebrations in the central town of Kegalle, about 40 kms from the capital Colombo on February 4, 2014. Sri Lanka cemmemorates its independence from British rule on February 4, 1948. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

A Cambodian resident wearing a mask attends a ceremony at Pring Ka-Ek village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 09 June 2016. Villagers organized a ceremony to continue their local traditions by paying respect to the Neakta Pring Ka-Ek (Spirit house) to prevent them from diseases and to achieve abundant rice harvests and other agricultural yields. (Photo by Mak Remissa/EPA)

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)