Iraqis Told: 'Take Up Arms And Defend Country'

How Militants Are Making Use Of Social Media

Updated: 6:12pm UK, Friday 13 June 2014

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Social media has long been a weapon in militant organisations' arsenal. YouTube videos and Facebook pages have proved to be powerful propaganda tools.

ISIS is evolving the technique in Iraq.

First, they have mainly been using Twitter to post images and some video. Each region ISIS is active in has its own Twitter account, delivering daily updates.

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, who has been following ISIS's social media tactics from Oxford University, told Sky News the Twitter strategy was "very co-ordinated".

"ISIS's social media presence is particularly apparent on Twitter," Mr Al-Tamimi said. "They all follow each other.

"Really, the Iraq accounts follow on from the Syria accounts. Whereas last year, a lot more of the visual media output of the ISIS presence was coming from Syria, now in Iraq, since the renewal of the wider insurgency, they've been keen to advertise their presence with photos - particularly on Twitter."

Why Twitter? Well, it is extremely robust. If a Twitter account is taken down, it is very easy to set up another and transfer your followers.

Twitter also makes it easy for fighters to maintain personal accounts, and that is the other new spin.

Previously, propaganda was broadcast over YouTube. Now militants are using mobile messaging platforms like Kik and question and answer sites like Ask.fm to engage others more directly.

Shariz Maher, from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College, London, puts it like this: "When Jihadi groups tried to recruit in the past, they would release a video. It would be very well managed. They'd be saying 'come out here', they'd use ideological reasons, 'look what the West is doing, the Koran says this'. And it was packaged in this very sophisticated way.

"Out of Syria now with these guys who are just tweeting about their experiences, they're able to relate their fellow Britons on a one-to-one level.

"They're saying, 'look, I lived in East London, I'm from Tower Hamlets. Now look at me - I'm in Syria, I've got these cool tools, an RPG, a Kalashnkiov', and for a certain type of person that's very attractive."

The wider tech story of the past year has been about the rapid rise of mobile messaging apps like Kik and Whatsapp - popular because they offer a more direct, engaging experience than Facebook or YouTube.

It seems militants have been paying close attention, too.

However, it could be getting harder for them to take the advantage - there were reports on Friday that Iraq's communications ministry has ordered social media websites and apps to be shut down.

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Clock Against Obama As Iraq Lurches Into Abyss

This is a president with no good options when it comes to Iraq. So he is playing for time. But with the speed of events in Iraq, time is not on his side.

There is nothing urgent about President Obama's reaction so far. He may claim his national security team is working "round the clock" on "options".   

But he personally is off to California for events that include a $32,000-a-head fundraising dinner. 

It is business as usual.

The president is facing a nightmare scenario in Iraq.

Op-ed writers in US newspapers have accused him of "fiddling while Rome burns". 

His Republican rivals say he is "taking a nap" on Iraq.

Mr Obama may well be exasperated that a war he voted against more than a decade ago, and once described as "dumb", is still haunting his presidency.

Mr Obama discusses the Iraq situation with his security team on Friday

He is hugely frustrated that America has spent billions trying to build up Iraq's military, only to watch it crumble in the path of a far smaller force of extremists.

He is shifting much of the blame on Iraq's government and with it much of the responsibility to resolve the crisis. 

The president is on a four-day trip to North Dakota and California

In all this he is probably in tune with US public opinion on the situation.

Americans lost patience with Iraq a long time ago.

"We tried to fix their mess, now it's down to them," might sum up the prevailing wisdom.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the violence

But for the president it is not that simple. He is facing a nightmare scenario in Iraq. 

Events may stop short of the fall of Baghdad, but even hand-to-hand combat in its streets between Sunni and Shiite forces won't make him look good fundraising in the California sunshine.

Few scenarios spare the president political damage back home. 

The Iraqi rebels want to establish a caliphate

If ISIS dig in and simply consolidate their territory, that will allow Mr Obama's opponents to claim he's stood midwife to the birth of a jihadist statelet that could be the base for attacks on US interests worldwide.

The longer the president ponders his options, the more likely ISIS can entrench its gains. 

The crisis offers Republicans plenty of ammunition in the run up to this year's midterm elections. 

For now, Mr Obama is conditioning any US assistance to Iraq on its government taking steps to heal its sectarian divide. 

"The United States will not involve itself in military action in the absence of a political plan by the Iraqis that gives us some assurance that they're prepared to work together," he said.

It is an understandable position given the divisive rule of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government.

But it sounds surreal while we watch a country slide into civil war.

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World Cup Kicks Off With Parties And Protests

The World Cup in Brazil has kicked off with street parties celebrating the host nation's opening win and scattered protests over the huge costs of the event.

Millions of fans took to the streets as their side beat Croatia 3-1 in the tournament opener in Sao Paolo.

Parties continued late into the night with a heavy presence of police and troops to maintain order.

Brazil fans celebrate their team's victory

Tensions spilled over in a number of host cities following construction delays and months of unrest with many Brazilians furious over the $11bn spent on hosting the tournament.

There were violent clashes in Sao Paolo before and after the game.

Police fired stun grenades and tear gas to break up the protests and a number of people were injured.

Clashes were also witnessed in Rio de Janiero, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Brasilia.

A protester during clashes in Sao Paolo

It is hoped the mood of the country will be improved by their side's encouraging start to the tournament, with fans' favourite Neymar scoring twice.

"This joy will be a contagion that will spread to all Brazilians," one supporter said.

Another Brazil fan added: "The victory will improve the mood a bit. I'm against opportunistic protests.

"Now is not the time to protest during an international event. The problems like bad hospitals date from before the World Cup."

Despite fears over the stadium in Sao Paolo, which was completed six months late, the game passed without any major problems.

Neymar scored twice and it's hoped the result will ease tensions

A number of floodlights failed during the first half but the problem was resolved quickly.

President Dilma Rousseff, who has defended the World Cup against criticism ahead of her bid for re-election in October, was jeered by many in the stadium and by fans watching the game on big screens across the country.

After the final whistle Brazil's coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, described the stadium as "incredible" and "fantastic".

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Iraq Air Force Strikes Militant Positions

The Iraqi air force has launched airstrikes on militant fighters' positions around the northern cities of Mosul and Tikrit after they threatened to march south to Baghdad.

Footage showed what state TV said was a bombing raid on Iraq's second city. A witness told AFP news agency at leas four airstrikes had been aimed at militants occupying the old palace compound of Saddam Hussein in the former dictator's home town. 

Earlier, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) paraded American Humvees it had seized from fleeing government security forces in Mosul.

Key Kirkuk sites are controlled by Kurdish fighters after Iraqi troops left

At the White House on Thursday, President Barack Obama said his administration was looking at "all the options" to decide how to help Iraq drive back the Islamist insurgents. 

But there is no chance of American boots back on the ground, says Sky News US Correspondent Dominic Waghorn.

The charred wreckage of a Humvee in Mosul

ISIS has seized Mosul and Tikrit and fighting has also been reported on the outskirts of Samarra, within 70 miles of the capital. It has previously taken control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

Thousands of refugees have fled the violence. Pic: UNHCR

More than 500,000 people have fled the conflict in the Mosul region, with many heading into Kurdish areas in the north.

In Baiji, near Kirkuk, insurgents driving 50 vehicles were reported to have surrounded an oil refinery.

Hundreds of young men were reportedly crowding outside the main army recruiting centre in the capital to sign up and help battle the militants.

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi leads the ISI insurgents

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Sky News that security forces were beginning to push back the insurgents.

"This has really caused very, very serious disruption and it is a setback definitely for Iraqi security forces," he admitted.

But in the north, the Iraqi army has abandoned its bases in Kirkuk, leaving the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to take control of an air base and other posts, according to a Kurdish military spokesman.

A map showing the areas affected

Meanwhile, sectarian political dysfunction was blamed for the Shiite-led Baghdad government's failure to secure authorisation to declare a state of emergency.

Only 128 of 325 Iraqi MPs turned up for a special parliamentary session on Thursday, not enough to grant the extra powers sought by Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

ISIS, led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, wants to create a Sunni state, or caliphate, straddling the border between Iraq and Syria. 

Militants left a trail of destruction in the northern city of Mosul

In a statement, the group's spokesman Abu Mohammed al Adnani said: "We have a score to settle, for there is an old balance with it (Baghdad), and we must make it even."

Although bombings have stepped up in Baghdad recently, the capital is home to a large Shiite population and would be far harder for the Sunni insurgents to take over.

The ISIS spokesman also said its fighters would grab the southern cities of Karbala and Najaf, home to two of the holiest Shiite shrines.

Security has been stepped up at checkpoints in the Iraqi capital

Shiite regional power Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned on state television that the country's security forces would combat terrorism which targeted Shiites in Iraq.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague ruled out any military intervention and top NATO officials also said they had no plans to get involved militarily.

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Campaigners Demand End To War Zone Rapes

By Rachel Younger, Sky News Correspondent

Campaigners against rape in war are gathering in London in an attempt to bring those responsible for 220 million sex crimes every year to justice.

Actress Angelina Jolie is co-hosting the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict with Foreign Secretary William Hague.

It promises to be the largest ever gathering of its kind, with more than 140 countries taking part.

The aim is to make sexual violence in war zones as unacceptable as chemical weapons and cluster munitions.

Every year, 150 million girls and women are raped in conflict around the world, along with 70 million men and boys, and the overwhelming majority of them never get justice.

Angelina Jolie and William Hague are co-hosting the London summit

Mr Hague told Sky News: "This is an unacceptable crime practiced on a vast scale.

"What we're trying to achieve is standards on documentation so that people don't get away with it."

Under the UK's presidency, the G8 last year declared rape and serious sexual violence in conflict as grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, as well as war crimes.

Some 144 world governments have now endorsed the declaration.

The London Summit wants to seize that momentum and turn it into practical action to prevent rape and help victims.

One of the speakers will be Poline Akello, who was abducted from her home in Uganda when she was just 14.

Poline Akello was abducted from her home in Uganda and raped

Forced by the army of notorious warlord Joseph Kony to become a child soldier, she survived six years in the bush where she was given to one of Kony's commanders.

"I knew it wasn't the right time for me," she said. "My body wasn't mature enough but they took my virginity."

Poline became pregnant but her baby did not survive and she was not allowed to hold or bury her child.

"I wasn't allowed to mourn," she said. "If you cried, they would kill you."

Rob Williams, the director of Warchild, a charity set up to help children affected by war, said: "When you see emergencies on television, you see the food, health and shelter crises.

"What you are not seeing are the hidden dangers of fleeing from conflict - the armed groups looking for people to rape, or the deeply traumatised civilian groups where the worst aspects of human behaviour come out.

"It will not always be men in uniform, it will not always be used as a weapon of war and it will not always be against women."

The summit, which is being held at ExCeL London, will run until Thursday and includes dozens of free events which will be open to the public.

Around 200 foreign, defence and development ministers have been invited to attend, along with experts from courts, charities and the military.

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One Killed As Monorail Collapses In Brazil

Part of a monorail has collapsed in Brazil's biggest city just days before the start of the World Cup, killing a construction worker.

The man is believed to have been working on an extension to Sao Paulo's metro network near Congonhas airport when he was hit by a large concrete support beam.

The 11 mile (18km) line, connecting the airport to the city's metro, was supposed to have opened in time for the World Cup to alleviate congestion but is one of several infrastructure projects that have fallen behind schedule.

The monorail had been due to open in time for the World Cup

Once built, the driverless trains are expected to carry up to 250,000 passengers a day.

Sao Paulo is one of the most populated cities in the world with around 11 million inhabitants.

It will stage the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, when Brazil play Croatia at the Arena Corinthians.

However, preparations have been hampered by a strike by subway staff over wages that has paralysed parts of the network and led to protests in the city.

Get all the latest from our team in Brazil on the Sky News Catch Up service

Police fired tear gas at a group of around 150 workers who set fire to piles of rubbish as they blockaded part of the business district.

The employees have since voted to suspend the strike and return to work, although they have threatened to walk out again on the day the World Cup starts.

The build-up to the football tournament, the first to be held in Brazil since 1950, has been beset by delays and cost overruns.

Eight workers have been killed during work on the 12 host stadiums, including three in Sao Paulo.

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Madeleine McCann Police Shut Down Search Area

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Karachi Airport Terrorist Attack: 13 Dead

At least 11 people have been killed after gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal at Pakistan's Karachi international airport, say officials.

Militants armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher and grenades stormed the airport before midnight and were involved in an intense six-hour firefight with the airport's security force, police, paramilitaries and commandos.

Of those killed, three were airport security staff and two others were civilian employees of Pakistan International Airlines.

Television footage showed what appeared to be a major fire and plumes of smoke rising from the runway where planes were parked.

Heavy gunfire and multiple explosions could be heard coming from the terminal as authorities scrambled to secure the area.

The terminal targeted by the fighters was said to be used for VIPs and cargo.

Troops joined the firefight after the major security breach

Officials said the airport had been completely evacuated of passengers.

All flights are currently suspended "and have been diverted to other cities", a civil aviation authority spokesman said.

Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa confirmed an end to operation, saying: "Update: Area cleared. No damage to aircraft, fire visible in pics was not plane but a building, now extinguished. All vital assets intact."

Maj Gen Bajwa added that a total of 10 militants were killed in the clashes and that ammunition, rockets and grenades were recovered from the attackers.

"Precautionary sweep after day light. Airport will be cleared by mid day for operations, handed back to CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)/ASF (Airport Security Force). Pakistan Zindabad (long live Pakistan)!" he later tweeted.

The attack will raise fresh concerns about Pakistan's security situation, and questions about how militants were able to penetrate the airport which serves one of the world's biggest cities.

Karachi has been the site of frequent militant attacks in the past.

While no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Pakistan's government has been trying to negotiate a peace deal with militants based mainly in the northwest of the country.

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Ukraine: Poroshenko Promises To Bring Peace

Petro Poroshenko promised the Ukrainian people he would "bring them peace" after being sworn in as the country's fifth president.

Mr Poroshenko told parliament Ukrainians would "never feel the blessing of peace and security until we resolve our relations with Russia".

He pledged an amnesty to any insurgents in the east who had "no blood on their hands" but said he would not open dialogue with "gangsters and killers".

Ukrainian officials say some 200 people have died during troubles in eastern parts of the country.

Mr Poroshenko arrives for his inauguration

And the 48-year-old tycoon - dubbed the "chocolate king" for his popular brand of sweets - stated he would not accept Russia's seizure of Crimea nor attempts to divert his pro-European course.

"Crimea will remain a part of Ukraine," said Mr Poroshenko.

"Ukraine now returns to its natural European condition that so many generations have longed for."

The inauguration was attended by US Vice President Joe Biden and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.                 

The latter sent this message to Russia: "All neighbours ... need to respect (Ukraine's) sovereign choices, including stronger ties with the European Union and its territorial integrity."

Moscow was represented by its acting ambassador to Kiev, Mikhail Zurabov, who said the pledges "sound reassuring".

Mr Poroshenko met world leaders including Barack Obama in France this week

The Kremlin's only official response to Mr Poroshenko's comments was to call for him to act by "the principles of a democratic society" and release two Russian journalists detained in the east of the country.

Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly ordered his Federal Security Service to strengthen protection of the country's border with Ukraine to prevent people crossing illegally.

This came after talks with world leaders in France, where US President Barack Obama urged the Kremlin to cease support for separatists in eastern Ukraine - including stopping arms and materials crossing the border.

Insurgents in both Luhansk and Donetsk responded to Mr Poroshenko's pledge of an amnesty with scepticism.

"I don't believe it," said Valery Bolotov, the insurgent leader in the Luhansk region.                 

Insurgent leader Valery Bolotov

Mr Poroshenko is the first permanent successor to Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country in February after months of street protests against him.

The new incumbent met Mr Putin at D-Day commemoration ceremonies in France on Friday and expressed his satisfaction that dialogue had begun.

Mr Putin added: "I can only welcome Mr Poroshenko's position that the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine must be stopped immediately."

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Qatar World Cup Bid: New Corruption Claims

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, in Sao Paulo

Qatar deployed its political connections and natural gas wealth to help win the 2022 World Cup, according to allegations published by the Sunday Times.

For the second week running the newspaper has published details of meetings and deals that it claims demonstrate former Fifa executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam broke bid rules as he lobbied on behalf of his country's bid.

The Qatar bid deny that Mr Bin Hammam, since banned for life from football, was directly linked to the bid or worked on their behalf.

Fifa sponsor Sony has called on Fifa to investigate the allegations thoroughly.

Qatar deny Bin Hammam was linked to the bid or worked on their behalf

"As a Fifa partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately," the company said in a statement to The Sunday Times.

"We continue to expect Fifa to adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations."

The latest allegations, gleaned from millions of documents in the possession of the newspaper, suggest Mr Bin Hammam was in contact with bid officials as he brokered meetings between senior Fifa officials and the Emir of Qatar.

The newspaper alleges Mr Bin Hammam met Vladimir Putin, then the Russian prime minister, weeks before the vote in December 2010, to discuss "bilateral sporting relations".

Putin was backing Russia's 2018 World Cup bid, which beat England on the way to winning the right to host the tournament.

Fifa's Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter on Saturday

It also alleges Mr Bin Hammam helped broker a natural gas deal between his country and Thailand.

It reports that an advisor to Fifa executive committee member Worawi Makudi met senior Qatari energy officials to discuss a deal.

Asked by Sky News if he was concerned about the allegation Mr Makudi said: "No, not at all."

The Sunday Times also claims Mr Bin Hammam brokered meetings between the Emir and nine senior Fifa executive committee members, and distributed £1.7m from a slush-fund to Asian football officials.

It says its latest disclosures prove that Mr Bin Hammam was actively working for the Qatar bid.

Qatar re-stated the denial issued last week after the newspaper alleged that Mr Bin Hammam paid around £3m in bribes to African football officials.

Qatar won the right to host the World Cup in 2010

"The Qatar 2022 Bid Committee always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

"In regard to the latest allegations from The Sunday Times, we say again that Mohamed Bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in Qatar's 2022 Bid Committee."

Fifa President Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter as a meeting of the executive committee concluded in Sao Paulo on Saturday evening.

World football's governing body has charged US attorney Michael Garcia with investigating the allegations, and he will not report until after the World Cup.

Mr Garcia will be in Sao Paulo this week to discuss his investigation with Fifa officials.

He is also expected to attend the Fifa Congress starting on Tuesday.

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