African photo or multimedia journalists interested in covering the 2010 World Cup in South Africa can apply to a workshop through Twenty Ten, a project for professional African journalists. Deadline: December 15.

The Qatar-based Al Jazeera network is in the final stages of launching the first sports news channel in the Arab World, according to Arabian Business.

The 24-hour channel will air exclusive sports news as well as talk shows and news from major sporting events, according to Mohammed Ammor, director of the news department.

Russian sports journalists are invited to apply for a nine-month sports journalism course organized by the soccer club Zenit. Deadline: August 1.

The course will run from September 2009 to May 2010. Trainers will be Russian and international sports writers and anchors. Leading graduates of the course will be given opportunities to intern in radio, newspaper and online media.

As South Africa prepares to host the FIFA World Cup from June 14 to 28, 2010, the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) is offering a three-day course on how the media can effectively cover the event.