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’

South Korean media say a North Korean train presumably carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has departed for Russia for a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

By Echo Wang NEW YORK EF Hutton, the small investment bank that arranged a deal for the stock

Roberto De Zerbi hopes to help goalkeeper Jason Steele gain England recognition after claiming Lewis Dunk’s international recall is a comparable achievement to Brighton qualifying for the Europa League. Seagulls skipper Dunk has been included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, having been in international exile since his debut in November 2018. The 31-year-old has been rewarded for his key role in Albion’s sixth-placed Premier League finish. Former Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Sunderland keeper Steele has also been instrumental during a remarkable season at the Amex Stadium after dislodging Robert Sanchez as first choice in early March. Brighton head coach De Zerbi believes the 32-year-old is capable of joining Dunk in the national team set-up to compete with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope and Sam Johnstone. “It’s great news,” the Italian said of Dunk’s call-up. “I think it’s maybe the same big news like Europa League because to help one of our players to achieve a target so important, so prestigious is a proud (moment). “We have to be proud – not only the coaches but the players – for one player. “We will work in the next season to help Jason Steele to achieve the same target of Lewis Dunk because he has the quality to achieve one target so important. “In my vision, in my idea, Jason Steele is a top keeper. It’s difficult to find another keeper of this level. “I study football 24 hours per day but it’s very hard to find another keeper with this quality.” Steele, a former England Under-21 international who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, had never played in the top flight until last term. He has registered six clean sheets and one assist during the past three months, having been preferred to Sanchez due to his ability to play out from the back. Steele joined the Seagulls in June 2018 – on the back of suffering successive relegations to League One with Blackburn and Sunderland – and had to wait more than three years for his league debut. “Football is nice because the past is not important,” said De Zerbi. “I have to analyse the present and sometimes the potential in the future but the past is not important. “You can change your life in one day, if you believe in yourself and you believe in work. “And I told him the same: ‘Jason, you have to think you can change. I give you the possibility to change your life, to change your career and you have to believe in yourself because I help you and you help me and you help the team’.” Brighton complete an unforgettable campaign at Aston Villa on Sunday after cementing their Europa League spot with Wednesday evening’s 1-1 draw at home to champions Manchester City. De Zerbi, who succeeded Graham Potter in September, feels Albion can progress significantly next term. “I am looking forward to working in pre-season because I think we can improve in a lot of things,” he said. “We have played not more than 70 per cent and we have another 30 per cent of improvement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off

Co-hosts Australia are "on a mission" to inspire and unite the nation as they head into a Women's World Cup semi-final against England on...

'When asked why he didn’t call for help, Bone’s response was ‘I was afraid of going back to jail...for being found with a dead,' said a cop

Pokimane, one of the founders of the popular content creator group established in 2017, recently announced her departure from OfflineTV

If you're reading this, the D-Backs lost the World Series. Here's what they should do with their free agents.

It sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled to tell his then wife Maria Shriver about his secret son with their housekeeper Mildred Baena.

The Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 live event countdown kicks off on Nov. 21, 2023, and ends with an in-game event to close out Fortnite OG.

A train used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to travel away from the public eye has a secret gym, Turkish bath and cosmetology suite on board, a brochure and blueprints leaked to the Dossier Center and shared with CNN reveal.

Joe Pesci's damning SNL speech about Sinead O'Connor has resurfaced following the singer's death. In the monologue delivered in the weeks following her ripping up a photo of the Pope, the actor pieces the photo back together and expresses his dismay. "I would've grabbed her by her... eyebrows. Ah, what am I doing? I'm making myself crazy, for what?", he rants. "I mean, she's just a kid, why should I care? Anyway, the Pope has probably forgiven her already, he forgave that guy that shot him, right?" Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter