Newstalk Daily

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.