Yamoussoukro / AFP Plucked out of poverty, 1,000 children in Ivory Coast are being given a unique chance to learn golf, and 10-year-old Jessica likes the idea. “I love golf and my dream is to become an international golfer and work for the World Bank,” says the girl, who comes from the poor and often dangerous Dioulabougou district of Yamoussoukro, …

  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 …