A wacky conspiracy theory about devil-worshipping cannibals running a child-sex ring has hitherto been confined to the dark fringes of the web. But new research from an anti-racism group shows that it is becoming worryingly mainstream.
A survey by HOPE not Hate, a UK-based campaign group, has found that as many as 1 in 10 Americans at least in part subscribe to the so-called "QAnon" theory – a big enough group to impact voting in the November 3 presidential election.
This vexes many in the United States, as QAnon fans often back President Donald Trump and include folks who distrust the political system enough to launch deadly attacks on perceived enemies.
"The conspiracy theories of the movement, and its support for Trump against a shadow government, have already inspired individuals to commit acts of violence, including murder," Don Haider-Markel, an expert on QAnon at Kansas University, told The National.
"The beliefs of QAnon followers are likely to lead some to engage in voter intimidation, disruption at the polls, and perhaps violence. The threat will be heightened if the outcome of the election is not clear within a few days of November 3."
Using 8chan and other web forums, QAnon fans discuss how Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, other Democrats and Hollywood and business chiefs are running a global child sex trafficking ring and plotting Mr Trump's downfall.
The theory centres on "Q", a supposed government insider with high-level security access who started posting elusive clues online in 2017. Enthusiasts study these "Q drops" as a roadmap for busting the "deep state" masterminds.
In QAnon posts, Mr Trump is presented as a hero against the child-traffickers, who will be rounded up and sent to Guantanamo Bay in an event called "The Storm". Posts are often tagged with #SaveTheChildren or #WWG1WGA, meaning "Where We Go One, We Go All".
An FBI bulletin in May 2019 mentioned QAnon and said conspiracy theory-driven extremists had become a domestic terrorism threat and were "very likely" to commit violent crimes. QAnon was already linked to real-world violence, including the killing of a reputed crime family boss.
The group made headlines after a campaign event in Florida on October 15, when Mr Trump was quizzed about QAnon and asked to disavow the belief that he is a "saviour" against liberals running a "satanic paedophile ring".
Mr Trump initially dodged the question, saying he did not know about the group. Then, he added: "What I do hear about it is they are very strongly against paedophilia. I agree with that. I do agree with that."
Mr Trump's purported lack of awareness has been queried, as folks wearing QAnon shirts and hats are commonplace at his rallies in Pennsylvania, Florida and other battleground states he must win to keep the White House.
The apocalyptic conspiracy theory is gaining traction in Republican circles. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican candidate for a congressional seat in Georgia, promotes QAnon, as does Jo Rae Perkins, a long-shot Republican Senate candidate in Oregon.
Some 59 per cent of firm QAnon believers back Mr Trump, compared to 29 per cent who support his Democratic rival Joe Biden, according to HOPE not Hate's survey of 15,000 people, which involved statistical adjustments.
QAnon followers are prone to violence, support authoritarian rule and often believe the US is headed for another civil war. A quarter of adherents say it would be "perfectly acceptable" for Mr Trump to reject the results of a close-call election on November 3, the study says.
"The fact that one in 10 Americans – roughly equating to 30 million adults – identify with a conspiracy that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorist threat is pretty amazing," said the study's author Nick Lowles.
"The fact that they perceive Trump as their leader and saviour means some might resort to violence if he is ousted and contests the election's legitimacy."
QAnon believers can be found across the US, though they are more prevalent in southern states such as Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Virginia than in places like Hawaii, New Hampshire and New Mexico, the study says.
Fans are not a monolith. Counter-intuitively, blacks are bigger believers in QAnon than whites, and college-educated professionals are more likely to subscribe to the theory than those who left school lacking qualifications, researchers said.
In recent months, QAnon has faced setbacks with the shuttering of accounts and pages on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. In response, QAnon spreaders have shifted to posts about Covid-19 and "Save the Children" that slip under the radar.
Vegas Tenold, a researcher at the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-Semitism watchdog, and author of Everything You Love Will Burn, a book about far-right groups, said QAnon has started staging "public, real-world events" and forging ties to the Proud Boys and other neo-fascist gangs.
"There's crossover with the anti-lockdown and reopen protests that have brought thousands of people onto the streets," Mr Tenold told The National.
"Ahead of this election, we see groups that never worked together joining forces. They all care very deeply about what's going on right now. It's concerning."
For some, QAnon is a flashy repackaging of old ideas. It followed the 2016 "Pizzagate" theory about Democrats trafficking children at a Washington pizzeria, and the decades-old New World Order theory about global puppet-masters.
For others, the QAnon-bashing of Jewish philanthropist George Soros is plain old anti-Semitism. Its roots can also be traced to the conservative Tea Party movement, the "Satanic panic" of the 1980s and anti-communist paranoia in the McCarthyist 1950s.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
THREE
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
