At the end of November, two foreign journalists were arrested in Qatar and detained for 30 hours after being caught “entering” while investigating the deaths and ill-treatment of workers there ahead of the World Cup.
Halvor Ekeland and Lokman Ghorbani, of the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, also confiscated their cameras and deleted footage before they were released and returned to Oslo the next day.
Their detention was condemned by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, who posted on Twitter: “The arrest of NRK’s journalists in Qatar is unacceptable. A free press is crucial for a functioning democracy. “
But the Qatari government’s communications office said the two had “violated the law and knowingly violated private property”.
It added: “They were provided with all the filming permits they had requested prior to their arrival and were offered meetings with senior government and third party officials.
“However, these freedoms do not ignore the application of common law, which deliberately and intentionally violated the crew.”
Ekeland and Ghorbani have been arrested for “trespassing” on private property in Doha’s industrial area, home to many of the migrant workers building the infrastructure in Qatar that will enable it to host the World Cup.
The mega-rich Gulf state has been repeatedly condemned for the deaths and ill-treatment of such workers since it was controversially awarded to the tournament almost 11 years ago.
Working conditions at official World Cup venues are generally considered to be of a higher standard than on wider infrastructure projects, but campaigners argue this does not absolve organizers or Fifa of responsibility for the plight of those affected.
Qatar has defended its progress in this area, including recent labor reforms, but has also warned that there is more work to be done.
Will fans be allowed?
English fans traveling to the World Cup will be given the opportunity to “glamp” in the Qatar desert during the tournament while organizers look for ways to deal with the demand for accommodation.
Qatar organizers plan to use vessels for 175,000 fans to stay in “floating villages” moored to ports, and they have strengthened their plans for campsites as an alternative to hotels near the eight places for the finals.
The campsites were compared to “glamping” rather than an expedition in the outdoors. Facilities will include toilets, showers and dining areas created on the ground on the outskirts of the five cities hosting the tournament.
Qatar’s highest committee for delivery and legacy estimates that more than one million people will go to the Middle East to watch the 64 matches, which will culminate in the final on 18 December.
The English Football Association, including Southgate, has already visited the Gulf state and searched for different locations for the team hotel, preferring, according to one source, that they stay “outside west”, away from Doha on the west side of the peninsula.
The English manager has chosen a rural retreat in Repino, outside St Petersburg, for the 2018 World Cup.
Security chiefs plan to attend Arab Cup matches to determine security as the final approaches.
How can I get tickets for Qatar?
Tickets are available through the Fifa website, with over 800,000 tournament tickets sold during the first and second phases that were already and have gone.
There will be a chance to buy tickets closer to the start of the tournament on a “first come, first served” basis according to Fifa, but opportunities may be rare.
Tickets for the final can set you back from £ 156 to £ 1,223. Alternatively, there are package deals to follow your team for multiple matches.
This article is regularly updated with the latest information.