Jinyuan / AFP When he dons his flowing robes and vivid makeup, Wu Yunhong is transformed from a labourer who toils on Chinese mountains under a beating sun into an evil general commanding an army of warriors. Wu was raised in the Jinyuan Opera Company, co-founded by his grandfather in 1984. He started performing when he was only eight …

  DUBAI / Reuters Egypt’s stock index slipped from a multi-year peak on Thursday while shares in the Gulf were mixed with Saudi Arabia’s market swinging in volatile, heavy trade but ending the week on a firm footing. Cairo’s index of the 30 most actively traded shares dropped 1.7 percent to 11,353 points, falling from a strong technical barrier at …

  London / AFP European stock markets mostly rose on Thursday but London faltered in a subdued trade with Wall Street closed for Thanksgiving. “The usual Thanksgiving calm has descended across markets, as European investors reconcile themselves to a day of low volumes and quiet trading,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading firm IG. In foreign exchange, …