Huntington’s Disease Treated in Medical Breakthrough
Last week, an Amsterdam-based biotechnology company named uniQure announced that they had slowed the progression of Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative disease that causes brain cells to die and motor functions to progressively break down. The disease is typically lethal, with symptoms usually starting between the ages of 30 and 55, and the average lifespan after diagnosis being 10 to 25 years. The company tested a new gene therapy on a group of people in the early stages of the disease, finding that the rate of progression slowed by 75 percent over three years. This comes as a major development for a disease that, until this point, has had no treatment capable of slowing its progression. Kyle Fink, a neuroscientist at UC Davis, described the trial as “the first step in really demonstrating that Huntington’s disease can be slowed down.” UniQure has stated that they plan on seeking regulatory approval for the treatment’s use in 2026.
Former French President Sentenced to Jail After Campaign Finance Scandal
Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as president of France from 2007 to 2012, was sentenced to five years in prison in the Paris Criminal Court on Thursday, Sept. 25. He was found guilty of taking part in a criminal conspiracy in which he took millions of euros for his initial 2007 presidential campaign from Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya at the time, in exchange for helping Gaddafi improve his reputation with the international community. “What happened today … is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system,” Sarkozy said regarding the verdict. He stated that he would seek to appeal the ruling. He has been involved in other corruption trials previously, including being found guilty in 2021 of bribing a judge, for which he ultimately served a one-year term of house arrest.
Massive Wildfire Ravages Namibian Countryside
A wildfire has burned almost two million acres in Etosha National Park in the north of Namibia, leading the nation’s government to deploy 540 soldiers to the region to help fight the fire and prevent its spread. Etosha National Park is home to hundreds of different animal species, with 114 species of mammals alone, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros. At 8,600 square miles, it is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, and its salt pan is known for hosting large amounts of flamingos. The fire has burned 4,000 square miles of vegetation in total both within and outside the park and has spread to nearby human settlements, but no deaths have been reported as of Sept. 30. No specific cause has been determined, but the government’s Environment Ministry has stated that charcoal production in commercial farms near the park may be to blame.
Pro-European Union Ruling Party Prevails in Moldovan Elections
On Sunday, voters in Moldova, located between Ukraine and Romania, gave the incumbent pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity a majority, with the party being predicted to win 55 of the 101 parliamentary seats in the unicameral legislature. The election was widely viewed as a choice between pro-European Union and pro-Russian factions within the country, with several smaller pro-Russian parties making up the opposition. After Russia’s invasion of nearby Ukraine in 2022, Moldova’s PAS government applied to join the European Union in the same year and has been granted candidate status and further negotiations towards joining. The election and its outcome were notable in light of reports by Moldovan officials of Russian interference. PAS leader Igor Grosu stated that Russia “threw into battle everything it had that was most vile.” Specifically, Russia is accused of hacking, disinformation, and vote-buying in order to sway the outcome towards the pro-Russia parties. Election day itself was mired by cyberattacks and bomb threats.
Peruvian Youth Take to Streets in Anti-Government Rallies
This past weekend, anti-government protests composed mainly of the nation’s youth broke out on the streets of Lima, Peru’s capital city, prompting a heavy police response. The police force used tear gas and rubber bullets in order to break up the crowds, while some of the protestors are reported to have thrown rocks at the police officers present. At least 18 protestors were injured over the course of the protests that weekend, and the National Police reported that one officer suffered burns. Among the protestors were transport workers, who were protesting the government’s alleged lack of action regarding corruption and extortion, specifically with regards to gangs demanding money from bus and taxi drivers. The protests, which began Sept. 20, were instigated by a reform made earlier in September that required young people to pay into private pension funds. The protests are also widely seen as a rebuke of President Dina Boluarte and the government as a whole. Both her and the legislature currently have approval ratings in the low single digits.
