The Herald prides itself on leading the nation’s debates. What we don’t do is engage in censorship.

From Ice caves in Switzerland to children playing cricket in Kashmir, these are the best photos from around the world in the past week, as chosen by The Age photo editors.

The Port of Beirut explosion in 2020 highlighted Lebanon’s collapse as a functioning state, dominated as it is by a handful of corrupt sectarian leaders.

The former US secretary of state believes Western powers must pay greater attention to Vladimir Putin and his asymmetrical power moves.

The disruption to Vancouver’s operations is set to exacerbate existing supply chain issues and could even make Christmas trees harder to find, farmers said.

It’s the latest attempt by leaders across the European Union to stem a surge of infections without resorting to more lockdowns.

The best photos from around the world

Her latest hit has more than 30 million views but nobody in China is allowed to hear the track by Australian-born singer Kimberley Chen.

Sources say there was a growing consensus within the White House that it should keep US officials away from the Games.

Michael Worobey argues that the vendor’s ties to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market strongly suggest that the pandemic began there. 

By involving China for the first time, this proposal is an unprecedented challenge to OPEC, the cartel that has influenced oil prices for over five decades.

Members of Afghanistan’s women’s youth development soccer team have arrived in Britain with the help of a New York rabbi, a UK soccer club and Kim Kardashian West.

The migrants were removed from the camp in what appeared to be a major development in a crisis that has spiralled in recent weeks into an East-West confrontation.

The company said its drug offered hope to those who can’t receive COVID-19 vaccines, such as cancer patients, organ transplant recipients and those with weak immune systems.

Those hundreds of commercial fishing boats in disputed areas of the South China Sea? A new report says they have been recruited to act on Beijing’s behalf.

The firebrand, Eric Zemmour, a hard-right polemicist, said he would not appear at the trial as he refused “to accept that a political debate takes place in a courtroom”.

The best photos from around the world

Meghan is ramping up her profile in the US by cold-calling politicians and making a new talk show appearance - this time on Ellen.

Calling the video a clear threat to a lawmaker’s life, Democrats argued Paul Gosar’s conduct would not be tolerated in any other workplace — and shouldn’t be in Congress.

Rapper Young Dolph, 36, has been fatally shot at cookie shop in hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, but is being called upon to do more to help prevent the deaths of a woman every 30 seconds from the disease.

The exonerations of Muhammad A Aziz and Khalil Islam represent a remarkable acknowledgment of grave errors made in a case of towering importance.

Other Indian performers said it showed that the space for political speech is shrinking in the world’s most populous democracy.

“The hardest part of this is that I know I am to blame,” Jacob Chansley said during a lengthy statement to the court before he was sentenced.

The 95-year-old monarch, who had missed Sunday’s Remembrance service due to a sprained back, looked well as she met the British military’s chief of staff.

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.