A look at the best news photos from around the world.
February 21, 2017

1
A civilian who escaped Islamic State territory phones his family he left behind, in Abu Saif, Iraq. Iraqi forces advanced into the southern outskirts of Mosul in a push to drive Islamic State militants from the city's western half.

2
Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (R), who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant in March 2016, is embraced by his mother Oshra (L) at the start of his sentencing hearing in a military court in Tel Aviv.

3
Snow is seen in the moat surrounding the Forbidden City during a snowfall in Beijing, China.

4
A municipal guard fires tear gas at demonstrators during a protest against the state government in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 20, 2017. The protesters denounced a proposal to privatize the state's water and sewage company.