Indonesia

A global staple that once fueled great colonial economies, sugar persists. Six photographers spent part of last year documenting its production in the Netherlands and some of its former colonies.

From the devastation brought by Hurricane Sandy and Eid al-Adha celebrations around the world to the final week of campaigning for the 2012 U.S. presidential election and a suspected smuggler’s jeep perched atop the U.S.-Mexico border fence, TIME presents the best images of the week.

From the start of baseball’s World Series and Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean to the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and people dressed as pandas, TIME presents the best images of the week.

Photos from Florida, Israel, Russia and Syria.

Photos from Pakistan, Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Photos from Bahrain, England, West Bank and Indonesia.

Photos from Afghanistan, India, Indonesia and South Korea.

Photos from Syria, Afghanistan, North Korea and Maryland.

From violent clashes in Lebanon and wildfires in Spain to a disabled beauty pageant in Thailand and a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House, TIME presents the best images of the week.

Photos from Syria, South Africa, Yemen and Russia.