PHOTO: Day In Photos - February 17, 2009

A New Zealand fire-fighter battles bush fires, while German skier Stephan celebrates his silver medal at the World Biathlon Championship.

Anti-North Korea protesters burn pictures of North Korean leader Kim during a rally in Seoul, expressing their dissatisfaction with his isolatory policy.

As paramilitary police officers display their martial art skills at a training session in a Yinchuan military base, thousands of kilometres away, a New Zealand fire-fighter tries to keep the bush fire under control.

Half way between China and New Zealand, in Thailand, police officers secure a bomb explosion site, where Muslim militants were suspected of the bomb attack. In India, Shi'ite Muslims walk over burning coal during religious procession as they mark religious ceremony Arbain in Ahmedabad.

Still, the day was not that dark after all: German skier Christoph Stephan celebrated winning the silver medal at the World Biathlon Championship in South Korean city of Pyengchang.

You can see the photos that marked the day in the attached photo gallery: Day In Photos - February 17, 2009.