LAST UPDATE | 7 Feb

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.

Boeing 737

1. Four of the bolts securing the panel of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet that blew off mid-flight last month were missing, according to a preliminary investigation.

The US’ National Transportation Safety Board’s initial report into the 5 January incident said the lack of damage or deformation around the holes “indicate that the four bolts that prevent upward movement of the (door) plug were missing before the plug moved upward off the stop pads.”

The agency has collected written documents and photos showing that Boeing employees removed four bolts from these locations during an inspection at the Renton plant in Washington State prior to delivery of the aircraft last October.

Nevada primary

2. An option for “none of these candidates” received the most votes in Nevada’s Republican presidential primary contest, winning out over Nikki Haley, who was the only major candidate on the ballot.

Official results two hours after polls closed showed the former UN ambassador had just 32% of the vote, against more than 61% for “None of these candidates.”

The result has no tangible bearing on the race for the Republican nomination because it didn’t carry any delegates — the outcome of a row between state authorities and the Nevada Republican party, which will hold a separate caucus this week.

Energy bills

3. Flogas is cutting its variable rates for residential electricity and gas bills.

Several energy suppliers, including Energia, Bord Gáis Energy and Electric Ireland, have decreased their costs in recent months as the pressure that built up on the sector in 2022 eases.

Flogas customers can expect a reduction in the standard unit rate of electricity by 15% and gas by 25%. However, smart meter tariffs and fixed rates will remain the same at present, with changes only applying to customers on the standard variable rates.

Dublin riots

4. A 61-year-old man has been charged with the arson of a Luas tram on O’Connell Street during the Dublin riots last November.

John Tate, of Iveagh Trust, Kevin St, Dublin 8, is accused of two counts of arson, two violent disorder incidents, and obstructing traffic at Parnell Street and O’Connell Street on 23 November 2023.

He appeared before Judge Stephanie Coggans at Dublin District Court yesterday evening.

Gaza

5. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today to try to push for a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas that the militant group has reportedly responded to ‘positively’.

An agreement was proposed by mediators last month that would implement a temporary pause in fighting to allow aid enter Gaza and an exchange of hostages and prisoners. However, neither Israel nor Hamas has yet signed up to it.

Blinken is due to meet Israeli leaders as part of a trip covering multiple Middle Eastern countries. 

Seán Haughey

6. TD Seán Haughey, son of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, has announced that he will not contest the next general election.

He informed the Fianna Fáil organisation in Dublin Bay North of his decision yesterday evening.

Haughey said he has devoted his adult life to public service, but feels that “now is the right time to step down from frontline politics”.

Turkey earthquakes

7. The latest death toll from Turkey’s disastrous earthquakes – a year ago this week – stands at 53,537, with 107,213 injured.

The Journal visited some of the worst-hit regions in recent days.

Reporter Nicky Ryan spoke to people and families affected by the earthquakes, including 9-year-old Muhammet.

Probate Office

8. Delays at Dublin’s Probate Office have reached a record high of five months, causing prolonged stress for people waiting on a division of assets to be approved and impacting the housing market.

The delays have steadily increased after a new way of working was introduced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to accommodate remote work for the office, replacing the old face-to-face system.

Solicitors have called on the Probate Office to reinstate its face-to-face counter service as they continue to deal with upset clients and poor communication from the office.

US school shooting

9. A jury in the US state of Michigan has convicted a teenage killer’s mother of involuntary manslaughter in a first-of-its-kind trial to determine whether she had any responsibility in the deaths of four students in a 2021 school shooting. 

Prosecutors said Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent and could have foreseen the violence before her son opened fire at Oxford High School.

She failed to tell school officials that the family had a new 9mm handgun that Ethan Crumbley ultimately used to kill other teenagers. The mother was accused of making the gun accessible at home and not tending to her son’s mental health.