Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Thousands of Oasis fans are set to flood into Dublin this weekend as Croke Park plays host to their two long-awaited concerts. With demand for travel to the capital surging, Irish Rail has announced extra Intercity services to accommodate the crowds, urging passengers to book early.   We get the details from Barry Kenny, Corporate Communications Manager, Iarnród Éireann.

President Donald Trump has stated that if his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is successful, he would be open to arranging a follow-up meeting involving himself, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.  This comes after the US President held talks with European leaders on Wednesday ahead of Friday's Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin. We discuss further with BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse is in Berlin. 

The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, launched a nationwide public consultation on the future of Basic Income for the Arts. Should basic income for artists stay in place? We asked Maria Fleming, Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts.

The return to school is fast approaching, but the Teachers’ Union of Ireland has warned that students will miss out on subject options this year due the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis. All to discuss with Anthony Quinn, TUI President. 

More than a third of rugby players at school level said they would play on with a headache from a minor concussion. Would you stop your children from playing rugby?  Ciara and Shane discussed this morning.

Unsafe attitudes towards concussion among non-professional rugby players are still prevalent in Ireland. A new study by UCC’s School of Medicine and Cork University Hospital  revealed more than a third of players at school level said they would play on with a headache from a minor concussion. We discuss this further with Alix Popham, former Wales International and Founder of the Head for Change charity.

Nearly 9 out of 10 kids in Ireland crave family connection during meal times, that’s according to new research out today commissioned by Heinz. The research also shows that one in five kids say they’re always on phones or watching TV at the dinner table and meals are rushed or disrupted. We discuss these findings with Richard Hogan, Family Psychotherapist and Author of “Home Is Where The Start Is”.

Thousands have been forced to flee their homes as deadly wildfires sweep across southern Europe, fueled by a record-breaking heatwave that continues to grip the region. Speaking to Ciara with the latest on this was Melita Cameron-Woods, Freelance Journalist in Valencia. 

Shocking footage has emerged online of a horse crashing head first into a car as the handler loses control of the animal on a busy Dublin road recently.  A leading animal rescue charity is now calling for a dedicated Garda-led Animal Welfare Crime Unit empowered to investigate and act on incidents of animal welfare. We discuss this further with Martina Kenny Co Founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue.

European leaders will hold online talks with US President Donald Trump today, hoping to convince him to respect Ukraine's interests when he discusses the war with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. We discuss further with Nicholas Vinocur, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent at Politico Europe.

Met Éireann has confirmed that a prolonged spell of very warm weather is on the way this week, with temperatures expected to soar to 27 or 28 degrees Celsius in parts of the country. Siobhan Ryan, Met Eireann Forecaster give us a weather upadate.

August 12th is Vinyl Record Day to celebrate one of the original ways to listen to your favourite tracks. While they were overtaken by the likes of CDs and streaming, vinyl have had a renaissance in recent years. What is behind the vinyl record renaissance? We asked Enda Gogarty, Owner of Spindizzy Records. 

Oasis devotees have been warned to be wary of ticket scams ahead of the band’s Dublin gigs this weekend. Fraudsters are cloning accounts, using stolen images, and charging full price to trick desperate fans. Joining us to discuss this is Mary D'Arcy Financial Crime Lead at BPFI and program lead for FraudSMART.  

A new study led by the University of Galway has found that Ireland’s proposed climate targets protect methane emission privileges at the expense of poorer nations' development. Speaking to Ciara this morning was Dr Colm Duffy from University of Galway and lead scientists on this paper.

A motion to introduce a bye-law banning vehicle clamping in Castlebar, county Mayo, has gained the full backing of the municipal council. But should we be considering introducing such a ban nationally? We asked Keith Gavin, Irish Parking Association Director.

A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of accessible social spaces are now among the most critical issues facing young people in Ireland, according to Spunout.The group is urging the Government to prioritise youth in Budget 2026.  To discuss further was Jack Eustace, Spunout Policy Manager.

As Ireland works towards a cleaner, greener future, a new report by the National Economic and Social Council warns that the energy transition will only succeed if people are placed firmly at its centre.   We discuss further with National Economic and Social Council Policy Analyst Dr Jeanne Moore.

President Donald Trump has announced he will deploy National Guard troops to Washington DC to 're-establish law and order'. We get the details from David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief with The Guardian. 

35-year-old founder and former CEO of Nutriband Gareth Sheridan has announced his intention to run for the Irish presidency in this year’s election. Gareth spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about his run for the Aras.

Many of us have smart watches on our wrists, but just how reliable is the data they give us? A new study calls into question the accuracy of the information relating to stress.  All to discuss with Newstalk's Tech Correspondent, Jess Kelly.