Newstalk Daily

A murder case in Southampton has now become a major row about policing, racism, and the far right. 

 Henry Nowak was stabbed last December but while he lay dying, police handcuffed him and forcefully arrested him. 

 Now there’s been violent protests across Southampton, championed by Tommy Robinson and the fallout in the UK could prove disastrous. 

Ciara is joined by London Correspondent with The Irish Times, Mark Paul.

Ireland is due to play Israel in October, with those calls for a boycott being raised since the game was announced back in February. 

 The Government says it is a decision for the FAI. 

 Opposition parties say that’s nothing but a cop-out.

 So, who should really be making the call and paying the price if the boycott goes ahead? 

Ciara is joined by OTB's Cameron Hill and Group Political Correspondent at Bauer Media, Sean Defoe.

The European Union is once again talking seriously about getting bigger.  

 Countries like Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and even Iceland are all on the path toward membership. 

 But expansion brings complications — from decision-making to political trust — and now, even ideas like limiting veto powers for new members are being floated.

Ciara is joined by John O’Brennan, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration in Maynooth University and Journalist based in Iceland, Karen McHugh.

For generations in Ireland, communion and confirmation have marked an important moment in a child's life.

For some families, they remain deeply religious occasions, and for others, they're just as much about tradition and family and celebrating a milestone.

But as Ireland changes, more people are beginning to ask whether these ceremonies and the way they're organized through schools still reflect the country we are today.

Should these milestones remain part of school life? Are families simply following tradition, and what options exist for those who want to celebrate growing up differently?

Ciara is joined by Dr Maedbh King who works on policy and strategy at Trinity College Dublin and is an advocate for a pluralist education system in Ireland.

Donald Trump’s 80th birthday is being marked in a way few US presidents ever have... A full UFC event planned on the White House grounds.

From an octagon on the Ellipse to weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, “UFC Freedom 250” is shaping up to be one of the most unusual political-sport crossovers in modern history.

So how did this alliance begin? And is this about a celebration or something more calculated?

Ciara Doherty is joined by Petesy Carroll of Uncrowned and Yahoo Sports to unpack the growing connection between the UFC and Donald Trump and who's really helping who here.

Saudi Arabia has spent the last decade trying to reinvent itself — pouring hundreds of billions into futuristic cities, global sports, and infrastructure mega projects. 

 At the centre of it all is Mohammed bin Salman — MBS — the young, ambitious leader who promised to transform the Kingdom through something called Vision 2030. 

 But now, some of those biggest, boldest ideas are being scaled back. 

 So what happened to the Saudi spending spree? 

Ciara is joined by Economist and host of Newstalk's Taking Stock, Susan Hayes-Culleton and Dr Rahaf Aldoughli, Lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University.

Sinn Féin has spent the last number of years positioning itself as the natural leader of Ireland’s left. 

 But now, that position is being questioned after bruising by-election results and growing tensions with parties like the Social Democrats and Labour,  

 There are now real questions about where Sinn Féin is going and whether it still owns that space at all. 

 So, does Sinn Féin need to change tact?

Ciara is joined by Aoife Moore, journalist, and author of The Long Game: Inside Sinn Féin and also by Siobhán Fenton, former Sinn Féin Press adviser

Pope Leo The Fourteenth has called for artificial intelligence to be designed to achieve the common good and welfare of mankind.

His Holiness has finally weighed in on the AI debate, but there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye. 

He’s comparing it to nuclear power… warning it could be used for domination, exclusion — even harm — if left unchecked. 

So, who is the Pope really calling out? 

Ciara is joined by Founder of Get Started with AI and host of Futureproof on Newstalk, Jonathan Mc Crea  and Theologian Gina Menzies.

Ireland today feels like it’s in the middle of a conversation about immigration & identity. 

 We often think ourselves part of the great diaspora making communities amongst ourselves in other nations. 

 And we think immigration to our island is something relatively new. 

 But in reality, Ireland’s history with migration is a lot more than the famine and economic crises, it’s previously been a place that welcomed (and sometimes rejected) communities from all across the globe .

Shane Beatty is joined by Kieran Connell, History lecturer in Queen’s University Belfast.

Seventeen years after the financial crash, one of the most powerful institutions created in its aftermath is coming to an end. 

NAMA — set up to take toxic property loans off the banks and stabilise the economy — says it returned billions to the State and helped rebuild parts of Dublin. 

But critics argue assets were sold too cheaply, developers were shut out, and international funds walked away with huge profits. 

So, was NAMA a necessary fix at a moment of crisis, or did it reshape Ireland’s property market in ways we’re still dealing with today? 

Ciara is joined by Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post.