A replica of an ancient Philippine sailing vessel built using the same craftsmanship and materials used during ancient times, is docked near a port in Argao. A crew partially made up from a successful Mount Everest team will visit many ports in the country, including parts of South-east Asia, in an attempt to retrace ancestral migration in the 50-foot long (15 metres) boat, popularly known as Balangay. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

A 32-metre (105 feet) statue of late Chairman Mao Zedong in his youth is seen under construction in Changsha, Hunan province, China. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Smoke rises from fields after a burn off to produce nutrients, as farmers prepare to plant the next crop at the Qigang village in Pudong district, a proposed site of the Disney park in Shanghai. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Carpenters work on the frame of a new house on the outskirts of Melbourne. There was favourable news on housing with approvals to build new homes rising 2.7 per cent in September, putting them 11.7 per cent up on the same month last year. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Russian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse in St Petersburg early on Wednesday. A massive fire broke out at a facility owned by an industrial firm in Russia's second city of St Petersburg, Russian news agencies reported. The fire spread to cover an area of 6,000 square metres. -- PHOTO: AFP

A labourer works at the construction site of Africa pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai, Nov 3, 2009. The fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh from Nov 8 to 9. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Bangladeshi postmaster Shafia Begum poses in her post office in the village of Kathal some 100kms north of Dhaka on Oct 25, 2009. Bangladesh has some 10,000 post offices spread across the largely rural nation, but Mr Mobasherur Rahman, the director-general of Bangladesh Post Office in Dhaka says many of them now get little post for months on end thanks to mobile phones. -- PHOTO: AFP

A member of the Philadelphia 76ers 'Hare Raisers' grabs the ball to dunk in between periods of the Philadelphia 76ers versus the Boston Celtics NBA basketball game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Nov 3, 2009. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Border Patrol Agent Adrian Corona looks over to Mexico from the US side of the international border near Calexico, California, adjacent to the Mexican border town of Mexicali, Nov 3, 2009. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

A voter grabs a sticker after voting in Augusta County, Virginia on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2009. Republicans wrested the Virginia governor's seat from Democrats on Tuesday. Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell's victory in Virginia over Democrat Representative Creigh Deeds was a triumph for a Republican Party looking to rebuild after being booted from power in national elections in 2006 and 2008. -- PHOTO: AP

US marines take a position during a joint landing exercise between the US and South Korea in the south-eastern port city of Pohang on Nov 4, 2009. South Korea and the US staged a military landing exercise amid the heightened tension over North Korea's nuclear programme. -- PHOTO: AFP

Tourists are reflected in the window of a shop displaying shirts and pouches bearing an image US President Barack Obama's face imprinted over that of China's late leader Mao Zedong, in the popular tourist area of Houhai in central Beijing Sept 21, 2009. Mr Obama will visit Shanghai and Beijing for the first time on Nov 15-18. -- PHOTO: AFP