Or perhaps it is the BBC's LA correspondent Alistair Leithead's expertise of the back-street short-cuts that is seemingly unparalleled.

BBC: Beijing traffic jam

The BBC's Alastair Leithead in the capital Male says that the country is becoming increasingly tense, with protesters battling the police every night for more than a week to demand new elections.

BBC: Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is charged