The fifth world cup for ‘national’ teams that are not members of FIFA will be held in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2012 with up to a dozen teams.

Last month an American journalist was detained and questioned at length by Canadian border guards who wanted to know if she was planning to do any public speaking on the 2010 Winter Olympics. The journalist was shocked, but the Canadian authorities say the incident was within legal limits. Critics say that it is a part of a concerted effort to stifle dissent on Olympic issues.

El Salvador, Samoa and Togo are being monitored by FIFA for political interference and could soon join Iraq and Kuwait in the international wilderness.