As the Leeside venue gets ready for a concert performance of The Mikado, Cathy Desmond gives the lowdown on the ever-popular operetta.

A top UN envoy arrived in Thailand today to renew efforts to negotiate political reconciliation in neighbouring Burma where the ruling junta crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests and continues to detain dissidents.

Burma’s rulers have arrested four prominent political activists, the UK-based rights group Amnesty International claims.