Canada's Yuri Nazarkin carves Star Wars character C-3PO (R) and R2-D2 for the ice sculpture festival in Liege, Belgium, November 13, 2015. (Photo by Eric Vidal/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)

A tow car for the children's “Grand Prix” races which take place in a parking lot in Livonia, Michigan a suburb of Detroit, circa 1955. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

A group of girls hit the town in York, United Kingdom on December 30, 2020. Revellers hit the streets for a final drink before being plunged into Tier 4 lockdown. (Photo by Nb press ltd)

A pigeon eating cherries in Bydgoszcz, Poland on September 14, 2018. The pigeon was captured at dinnertime, as he was caught on camera with its mouth full of a cherry. (Photo by Piotr Grny/Caters News Agency)

Kaori Sakamoto, from Japan, on April 17, 2025 at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating 2025, held in Tokyo. Teams from all over the world compete in a number of events with two men, two women, one pair and one ice dance entry. (Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT via Alamy Live News)

The Knights of Middle England equestrian stunt display team perform ahead of the first match on July 13, 2024. The British Beach Polo Championships, or “sand polo”, returns to the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula near Poole, Dorset. Spectators can appreciate the horsemanship, speed and gladiatorial nature of polo at the largest beach polo event in the world. (Photo by Max Willcock/Bournemouth News)

Dakar Rally, 2017 Paraguay-Bolivia-Argentina Dakar rally, 39th Dakar Edition, First stage from Asuncion, Paraguay to Resistencia, Argentina on January 2, 2017. Adrien Metge of France pushes his Sherco. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)