In today’s newsletter: A gene therapy trial has successfully treated Huntington’s for the first time – one of several recent groundbreaking medical advances bringing hope in gloomy timesGood morning. Few medical diagnoses are as brutal and devastating as Huntington’s disease.For decades, those who inherited this cruel condition faced only despair. There was no cure. Symptoms began with mood swings and depression, then progressed to a loss of movement, followed by dementia, paralysis and, ultimately, death. Some patients died within a decade of diagnosis.France | The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy, and given a five-year prison sentence.UK politics | All working adults will need digital ID cards under plans to be announced by Keir Starmer, in a move that will spark a battle with civil liberties campaigners.Middle East | The White House is backing a plan that would see Tony Blair head a temporary administration of the Gaza Strip – initially without the direct involvement of the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to Israeli media reports.US news | James Comey, the former FBI director and one of Donald Trump’s most frequent targets, was indicted on one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice, in the latest move in the president’s retribution campaign against his political adversaries.UK news | The crown court backlog in England and Wales has hit a new record of almost 80,000 cases, while wait times for trial dates have reached up to four years. Continue reading...