Yes, it is a tropical paradise (if a very artificial one), and you might not have long given the rising ocean levels accompanying global warming, but you might like to note that Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the President, has kept on being re-elected since 1978 (making him Asia’s longest-serving leader). Indeed, at most recent election he won with more than 90 per cent of the vote. You might call it a miracle of political achievement … or, a triumph for the secret police.

As a Telegraph correspondent reports, even a simple, peaceful demonstration for democracy doesn’t last long:

The demonstrators, numbering no more than two hundred, occupied a main street in Male under a banner that said: “We believe in freedom for everyone, not just one man” – referring, of course, to President Gayoom.
By their actions, the protesters, including two opposition MPs, were breaking Maldivian law which prohibits more than three people gathering in a public place without prior permission. …
It didn’t take long before the Star Force boys in their blue, paramilitary uniforms moved in to ‘capture’ the demonstrators’ banners and cart the two MP’s, including woman member Maria Didi, away in their van.
The one man to capture the arrest on video was chased down an alley way and pinned to the ground by six police who took away his camera. He was then frogmarched away in handcuffs. I tried to get a picture of him but a policeman blocked the lens.

… if you want her to be a journalist. (Assuming of course such species will continue to exist by the time she enters the workforce.)

It will come as no surprise at all to anyone who has worked in the London media to learn that it is dominated by the products of fee-paying schools.

The survey showed that 54% of the top 100 newspaper editors, columnists, broadcasters and executives were educated privately, despite fee-paying schools catering for 7% of the school population. That figure has increased from 49% in 1986, when the research was last carried out.

And that figure would be pretty well reflected throughout the rest of the industry – indeed if you were to count the reporters (who do the flashy stuff and get the bylines) I’d suspect the figure would be rather higher, while among the sub-editors and production people (no glory) it would be perhaps a bit lower.

Why? Partly it is the fact that to get into the industry you have to do lots of unpaid work experience, or for mummy or daddy to know the right person; partly is that it requires a level of confidence, or the ability to blag your way through any situation, that fee-paying schools seem to be very good at inculcating in their pupils.

(Declaration of my place: I went to the Australian equivalent of what in British terms would be a “minor public school”. Not that it helps much, since I doubt there are many MLC School graduates in the London media.)