GENEVA The U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday called for accountability for the deaths of at least 50

Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr has revived an antisemitic conspiracy that blames Jewish people for the emergence of Covid-19, a claim that follows a string of offensive statements and falsehoods elevated by the long-shot candidate for the US presidency. During a press event in New York City on 11 July, Mr Kennedy baselessly stated that “there is an argument to be made” that the disease is “ethnically targeted”. “Covid-19 is targeted to attack Cucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he said, according to video of the event from The New York Post. “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.” His remarks follow antisemitic conspiracy theories that circulated at the onset of the pandemic, and follow other statements from the candidate elevating spurious conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19 and vaccines that have fuelled his campaign. “The claim that Covid-19 was a bioweapon created by the Chinese or Jews to attack Caucasians and Black people is deeply offensive and feeds into sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories,” according to a statement from the Anti-Defamation League. “Layer upon layer of antisemitism,” wrote Jonathan Weisman, author of (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump. “If you still think there is a left or even non-insane case for supporting or even indulging RFK Jr then you have been conned or have conned yourself,” wrote MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan. “Madness. Racist, conspiratorial, dangerous madness.” “We have no words for this man’s lunacy,” wrote nonprofit US watchdog Stop Antisemitism. Mr Kennedy responded to the reporting on Saturday morning, and a statement from a campaign spokesperson to The Independent claimed that the Post “got it wrong”. “I have never, ever suggested that the Covid-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews,” Mr Kennedy wrote on Twitter before echoing his claim that the US and other governments are “developing ethnically targeted bioweapons”. He pointed to a 2020 National Institutes of Health study finding that the impacts of the disease are disproportionately felt among Black people and people with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, cancer and other risk factors. “In that sense, it serves as a kind of proof of concept for ethnically targeted bioweapons,” Mr Kennedy stated. “I do not believe and never implied that the ethnic effect was deliberately engineered.” Mr Kennedy’s campaign, an insurgent effort for the Democratic nomination boosted by right-wing media to drive a wedge among Democratic voters, has painted a dark and conspiratorial worldview amplifying debunked and misleading claims and outright falsehoods. Earlier this year, US Holocaust Memorial Museum shot down his suggestion that life is worse for people today than it was for Anne Frank. “Making reckless comparisons to the Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews, for a political agenda is outrageous and deeply offensive,” the organisation said. “Those who carelessly invoke Anne Frank, the star badge, and the Nuremberg Trials exploit history and the consequences of hate.” Mr Kennedy and his organisation Children’s Health Defense also have promoted James Corbett, a prominent conspiracy theorist who has claimed that “Hitler was a Rothschild” and “Hitler and the Nazis were 100 per cent completely and utterly set up” by the “international banking community and the international crony capitalists.” His connections to Mr Corbett join a long list of associations with and appearances on right-wing media platforms with far-right pundits. Read More Who is running for president in 2024? Robert F Kennedy Jr calls interviewer ‘unfair’ for spelling out his laundry list of conspiracy theories White House rejects Lauren Boebert’s claim that antisemitism plan will be used ‘go after conservatives’

Former President Donald Trump says he won’t sign a pledge to support the Republican nominee if he loses the GOP presidential primary

There’s something charming about a cheesy Christmas movie – but Netflix users are really going in two-footed on the platform’s new festive film. Best. Christmas. Ever stars the likes of Brandy Norwood, Heather Graham, Jason Biggs and Matt Cedeño and has become one of the most popular films on the streaming service. As you might expect, it’s a tale of unlikely companions at Christmas time, with a pair of frenemies and their families brought together over the holidays by a “twist of fate”. Despite the film rising up through the ranks and becoming one of the most-watched films on Netflix, not everyone is a fan. The film has a rating of 33 per cent and some people took to social media to voice their criticism of the movie – with some calling it the “worst Christmas film ever”. Harsh. “On a scale of 1-10, the new Netflix movie ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ is the worst movie of all time #BestChristmasEver,” one slammed the film. “#BESTCHRISTMASEVER is probably my the worst Christmas movie I’ve seen in a long time…” another said. “Netflix’s new Christmas movie #BestChristmasEver is a dumpster fire,” another unhappy viewer wrote. Some, however, clearly absolutely loved it. One fan wrote: “#BestChristmasEver is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be confused at the plot changing every 10 seconds. And you will hate the main character whatever her name is. 10/10 loved every second.” https://twitter.com/k_thebeauty/status/1726392795185742102 “I live for a cheesy, confusing holiday movie with a plot I can barely understand. #BestChristmasEver,” another said. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

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If all goes well, the lunar lander that the rocket is carrying will attempt a Moon landing in February.