Today's best photos: From security personnel in Kabul to students in Taiwan

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

A member of Afghan security forces near the scene of an explosion in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood of Kabul. AFP

A Wangkang ship is set aflame in Malacca, Malaysia, during a ceremony to symbolically ensure collected spirits can sail into another realm. AP

Palestinians prepare graves near the Egyptian border in Rafah, southern Gaza, as the Israeli onslaught on the enclave continues. EPA

Soldiers patrol a commercial area in Quito, Ecuador, following a wave a violence that saw the storming of a TV station on-air and explosions around the country. Reuters

Police sift through the ruins of a shopping area destroyed by fire in the western Japanese city of Wajima, following a recent 7.5 magnitude earthquake. AFP

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah pours scented oil on the hands of Prince Abdul Mateen at Istana Nurul Iman, ahead of his wedding to Anisha Rosnah, in Bandar Seri Begawan. Queen Pengiran Anak Saleha looks on. AFP

Film director Bong Joon-ho at a press conference on the death of South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun in Seoul. The Oscar-winning Parasite filmmaker criticised South Korean police and media for their purported role in the actor's suicide. AFP

Installations by French artist Daniel Buren at an exhibition entitled Aux Beaux Carres, at the department store Le Bon Marche in Paris. AFP

A livestock vendor at a market in Shenyang, in north-east China's Liaoning province. AFP

Former US president Donald Trump speaks to the media as he leaves New York State Supreme Court, in the final day of a civil fraud trial. Bloomberg

Pupils are taught how to shoot by a Taiwanese military instructor at Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Senior High School in Kaohsiung. AFP

More from The National:

Thursday's best photos: From the Australian Open to Alexei Navalny

Wednesday's best photos: From Iraq's Police Day to a rehearsal at Sydney Opera House

Tuesday's best photos: From a procession in Manila to a rally in Saudi Arabia

Monday's best photos: From a lunar mission to construction work in Hanoi

Sunday's best photos: From Colombia's White Day parade to Mexico's Three Wise Men event

Saturday's best photos: From illuminated ice sculptures to flooded fields in Nottinghamshire