With Islamist militants in Somalia killing two world cup fans and arresting many others over the weekend, transitional federal government (TFG) of Somalia on Tuesday condemned the move describing it unacceptable.

FIFA have met with the South Africa media pressure group concerned over the implications of the press accreditation rules for this summer’s world cup but are refusing to disclose details of the meeting on January 21.

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.

The Coventry Declaration was approved by conference delegates at Play the Game 2009, the sixth world communications conference on sport and society. The declaration calls upon the Canadian Government and Olympic authorities and to state their commitment to ensuring all Canadians and those visiting Canada will have their fundamental right to security of the person and freedom of expression protected as guaranteed by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Critical sports journalists should choose their words carefully when blogging about sports officials. In Germany, freelance journalist and former sports editor of the Berliner Zeitung, Jens Weinreich, has become the target of an aggressive campaign by the German Football Federation (DFB) after he described DFB president Theo Zwanziger as an “incredible demagogue” in a posting on a German sports blog.

Principles of independent journalism won in the latest skirmish between sports federations and media organisations about the rights to cover sport events. The battle took place in the European Parliament where members voted on amendments to a report on the European Commission’s White Paper on Sport which could have introduced new intellectual property rights to sport events.

Sports journalists Muse Mohamed Osman and Shafici Mohyaddin Abokar, president and first vice president of the Somali Sports Press Association (SSPA) respectively, were detained by Mogadishu police officers last week and threatened with their lives.

With less than six months to the start of the Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government is failing in its pledge to allow free access to foreign journalists.