Jury’s Out: The trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs draws to a close

Michael D. Higgins has been President of Ireland for almost 14 years. As his second term draws to a close, the hunt is on for a new head of state. With July now upon us, it’s remarkable how few would-be candidates are offering themselves ahead of the election (which must take place by November). For a while, it seemed like the Presidency was the best-paid Irish job nobody wanted. Now, several names from Fianna Fáil have emerged in connection with a tilt at the Park. Fine Gael says it WILL run a candidate for an election the party has never managed to win. And a number of prominent names from the charity sector and media seem at least open to conversations about a run for the Presidency. Ciara Doherty and Seán Defoe get together to take a look at the early runners and riders in the race for the Áras. Presented by Ciara Doherty with guest Seán Defoe, group political correspondent with Bauer Media Audio Ireland. You can contact the podcast by email to [email protected].

A recent report from Women’s Aid found that, in 2024, all categories of violence against women rose considerably. Research shows that one of the drivers of this increased violence is the easy availability of hard-core pornography, especially via smart phones, which is changing perceptions of women and sex. Dr Richard Hogan is a family psychotherapist, author of ‘Parenting the Screenager’ and a long-time campaigner against early sexualisation of children. He claims that “to be sex-positive is to be porn-critical.” He talks to Ciara Doherty about why explicit material has become more widespread in society, the links between pornography and violence, and what parents can do to protect their children. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast you can contact the Women’s Aid 24-hour national freephone helpline on 1800 341 900 or womensaid.ie. The National Male Advice Line is 1800 816 588. Get in touch with the Newstalk Daily team by email on [email protected].

The Trump administration has problems with Ireland’s regulation of what people see on social media and the internet more broadly. According to reports, US officials threatened to impose visa bans on Irish officials who impose strict EU rules on online content because that - according to the MAGA philosophy - is censorship. Meanwhile, Irish students heading to the States on summer visas face having their own social media accounts analysed for content the US State Department regards as hostile “toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.” Today on Newstalk Daily, we look at the importance of the social media giants to the Irish economy, ask how our regulators might respond to the American demands, and consider what freedom of speech really means. Ciara Doherty is joined at Newstalk Daily HQ by business editor Joe Lynam and journalist and entrepreneur Mark Little, who co-founded Storyful and Kinzen and worked for tech giants Twitter and Spotify. Email us at any time on [email protected].

It’s festival season, drawing hundreds of thousands of revellers to fields and camp sites across Ireland and the UK. Glastonbury gets underway today, with Irish rap trio Kneecap at the centre of a political storm, ahead of their appearance at Worthy Farm on Saturday. Closer to home, smaller festival organisers face multiple challenges, as they battle increased costs, inclement weather, and an increasingly packed schedule of competing events. So today on Newstalk Daily, we ask: why do festivals and the artists that perform there – acts like Kneecap – remain such so compelling for music lovers?  Should artists ever be censored for their political points of view? And how might you go about creating a festival of your own? Ciara Doherty speaks to DJ and music critic Louise Bruton, Fiachna Ó Braonáin of Hothouse Flowers, Dr Michael Murphy from IADT, and Craig Hughes, political editor at the Irish Daily Mail and founder of the Night and Day Festival, which takes place this weekend in county Roscommon. Get in touch with the team at any time by email to [email protected]

The Middle East is teetering on the brink of large-scale war, following the decision by the United States to enter the conflict between Israel and Iran, deploying 'bunker buster' bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles against suspected nuclear sites.    The world holds its breath, waiting to see how the conflict develops. European leaders, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, have called for ‘de-escalation,’ but is the European Union irrelevant - impotent even - when it comes to this particular war? And what is it like for Iranian exiles living in Ireland to see their home country come under attack from both Israel and the United States?    For Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty speaks to Shona Murray, European Affairs correspondent with Euronews, and Dr. Roja Fazaeli, Established Professor of Law and Islamic Studies at the University of Galway and chairperson of the Immigrant Council of Ireland.    Get in touch with the team at any time by email to [email protected]