The government of the Maldives has held a cabinet meeting about five metres (16ft) underwater to highlight the threat of global warming.
President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions. Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed and communicated with white boards and hand signals. Officials from the low-lying island nation say the dive is “a bit of fun”, intended to send a serious message. The Maldives stand an average of 2.1 metres (7ft) above sea level, and the government says they face being wiped out if oceans rise.