From Ice caves in Switzerland to Bataclan memorials in Paris, these are the best photos from around the world in the past week, as chosen by The Sydney Morning Herald photo editors.

Among the warrens of tents clinging to Bangladesh’s denuded hills, militants search for recruits, drug traffickers roam, kidnappers prey on women and children.

The former US secretary of state said the meeting between Biden and Xi was the first step towards reducing conflict between the two superpowers.

The situation marked an escalation in a tense migration and political crisis in which the lives of thousands of migrants are at stake.

In a bid to persuade Germans to get vaccinated as infections rise again, the mulled wine carts at the Christmas markets have been reserved for the double-dosed.

The sale of “Diego y yo” for $US34.9million sets a record for the artist and for Latin American art at auction.

Australia and the globe are stuck in a rut. A phenomenon exacerbated, although not caused, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities said the destination - which was ruined by overtourism - will welcome back visitors under new rules to protect the ecosystem.

The move comes against the backdrop of a politically charged jump in energy prices in Europe and tensions between Moscow and Europe over Belarus and Ukraine.

Ten contestants - ranging in age from 79 to 90 - trod the catwalk at a museum in the city of Haifa, their hair styled and make-up applied and dressed to the nines with sashes adorning their gowns.

The storms, which started on Sunday, wrecked roads in the Pacific province and limited land access to Vancouver, the city with Canada’s largest port. 

An antagonistic, territorial rivalry between China and India may further complicate Australia’s regional, diplomatic considerations. So, why do we know so little about this dispute?

Real estate mogul Harry Macklowe and his wife Linda were ordered by a court to sell their blue-chip art collection and split the proceeds amid their divorce proceedings.

Health officials said the fact that the deal was struck even before Pfizer’s pill has been authorised could help to end the pandemic quicker.

Hunkered down in a bunker, commander Major Oleksandr Sak ordered a sophisticated new weapon in his arsenal into service to settle an argument over shopping.

Taiwan was a key focus of discussions between the two superpower leaders during a call that lasted three-and-a-half hours.

It is more than a year since 13 Australian women were subjected to a grossly invasive physical examination at Qatar airport. They have yet to receive an explanation or an apology.

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors

Several inquiries are trying to establish a motive for the attack thwarted by a taxi driver in Liverpool, England.

After a frenetic few days Ferdinand Marcos jnr has emerged as the frontrunner ahead of a presidential election in which family dynasties are a powerful force.

A Russian weapons test created more than 1500 pieces of space junk now threatening the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

As governor, Abbott has overseen a sharp turn to the right in Texas, including the nation’s most restrictive abortion law and new limits on voting rights.

Belarus’ borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are also the eastern borders of both the EU and NATO.

Police said the explosion outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital was caused by “the ignition of an explosive device” that was brought into the taxi by a passenger.

Steve Bannon surrendered to federal authorities after defying a subpoena from a House committee investigating January’s insurrection at the US Capitol.

At the world leaders’ first direct call since Biden assumed office, the US President will raise the topic of economic coercion of countries such as Australia.

India, under Narendra Modi, is using technology to curtail rights as part of an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

Fifty MPs from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China have written to home affairs ministers expressing alarm that Hu Binchen could use the position to target critics abroad.

The pandemic has prompted a wholesale rethinking of life choices around the world, but nowhere is the switch as obvious as in Japan, where people are rejecting rigid work cultures and seeking an alternative path.

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters have been condemned by elders for promoting the views of individuals ahead of the needs of the community.

Appealing to the “principle of self-responsibility”, the court said a son should not “abuse the right to be supported by a parent”.

As someone whose mantra has always been “I need to be seen to be believed”, the Queen will be desperate to get back to business.

The extreme weather also caused powercuts, and brought down street lamps and trees in the Egyptian city of Aswan.

The police said a male passenger in the car was declared dead at the scene, while the driver, who was also a man, was injured and remains in hospital in a stable condition. 

But in a major shift demanded by India and China, the pact used watered-down language about “phasing down” the use of coal instead of “phasing out” coal.

Simon Birmingham says Australia must follow the rest of the world in its net zero commitment or risk being left behind economically.

The palace says her back injury is not related to the unspecified condition that has seen her withdraw from attending public gatherings.

The move prohibits unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people aged 12 and older from leaving their homes, except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, exercise or getting vaccinated.

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors

Staff had tried to restore them to health after they tested positive for the virus about a month ago.

The departing chef had planned to ditch a $292 tasting menu that includes caviar and honey-and-lavender-glazed dry-aged duck in favour of plant-based foods.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who hopes to succeed Rodrigo Duterte as president, said Sara Duterte would effectively be his running mate.

Authorities said clashes were still uncontrolled hours later at the Litoral Penitentiary, which recently saw the country’s worst prison bloodbath.

Former socialite claims she has suffered ‘inhumane’ solitary confinement ahead of her trial in New York.

The Baghouz strike was one of the largest civilian casualty incidents of the war against the Islamic State, but it has never been publicly acknowledged by the US military.

A last-minute intervention by India succeeded in watering down the language to “phase down” coal, promoting disappointment and anger from many nations.

Family and staff emails and texts could be used as evidence in appeal against Meghan’s privacy victory.

What’s in the COP26 final agreement; what’s been left out and what does this mean for climate change?

The sausage was being made before our eyes - and the process was not particularly palatable.