ARA City Radio

New York City has launched the first congestion charge scheme in the U.S., targeting traffic south of Central Park. Drivers entering the zone during peak hours face fees up to $9 (£7) per day, with higher rates for larger vehicles like trucks and buses. Off-peak charges start at $2.25. The zone covers landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Wall Street. The initiative aims t...

A remarkable dinosaur track way has been unearthed in an Oxfordshire quarry, marking the UK’s largest discovery of its kind. The site features approximately 200 footprints dating back 166 million years, left by two dinosaurs: the plant-eating Cetiosaurus and the meat-eating Megalosaurus. The longest track ways span up to 150 meters, with more tracks possibly hidden underground. Gary Johnson, a qua...

Belgium has become the first EU country to ban the sale of disposable vapes, citing health and environmental concerns. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke emphasized that inexpensive vapes often lure teenagers into nicotine addiction, saying, “Nicotine makes you addicted. Nicotine is bad for your health. These are facts.” He also highlighted the environmental burden of disposable vapes, which gene...

In Pakistan, cultural and religious taboos have long limited women’s use of motorcycles, but this is changing. Economic challenges, including soaring car prices, have driven a shift toward two-wheelers, offering women greater independence in commuting to schools, jobs, and markets. Programs like Women on Wheels (WOW), run by Lahore’s traffic police, provide free motorcycle training, with over 6,60...

In a world often overshadowed by news of extinction, there's a spark of hope: scientists have recently discovered new plant and animal species! Among them are two pirate spiders from St. Helena, a remote Atlantic island. These spiders aggressively take over other spiders' webs and inhabit the island's threatened cloud forest. An expedition to Peru's Alto Mayo region revealed 27 new species, includ...

Belgrade is set to introduce free public transport for all residents starting 1 January, Mayor Aleksandar Sapic announced. The initiative aims to reduce road congestion in the city of 1.7 million, where traffic jams are a daily struggle. Over the past decade, an additional 250,000 cars have clogged Belgrade’s streets, leaving many residents stuck in hours-long commutes. While free public transport...

The Way of Liberation is a journey through vitrines and windows, an exhibition aiming for access to culture, to be witnessed through the streets of the city centers, exhibiting works of Arab artists - Palestine, Lebanese, Algerian and Sudanese artists. The idea is to give visibility and accessibility to their art work, especially in times in which people from these backgrounds are being silenced.

Brazil has made significant strides in reducing poverty, lifting 8.7 million people out of poverty in just one year, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Between 2022 and 2023, the number of people living in poverty fell from 67.7 million to 59 million, while extreme poverty dropped from 12.6 million to 9.5 million—the lowest figures since records began in 2012....

The Miss Netherlands beauty pageant has officially come to an end, marking the close of a significant chapter in its history. Last year’s winner, Rikkie Kollé—the first trans woman to hold the title—was the final contestant to wear the iconic silk sash. Kollé used her platform to champion inclusivity, a theme central to the decision to end the contest. Director Monica van Ee explained that empower...

We're continuing with the story about Jules Hoffmann: in the late ’60s, a young technician in the Strasbourg lab caught Hoffmann’s eye. Little did he know, she’d soon become his wife, the mother of his two children, and his most trusted collaborator. Barely married, she went back to university, earning degrees in biochemistry and biology, joining Jules in his quest to unravel the mysteries of inse...

In a promising step toward making our roads safer, a groundbreaking AI-powered camera system is currently being tested in Devon and Cornwall, England. Known as Heads-Up, this innovative technology is designed to detect drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. By identifying behavior consistent with impaired driving, the system enables police to take action before dangerous situa...

China has completed a monumental 46-year effort to encircle the Taklamakan Desert with a vast green belt of trees. Stretching over 3,000 kilometers in the Xinjiang region, this initiative is part of the "Three-North Shelterbelt" project, also known as the Great Green Wall, launched in 1978. The goal: combat desertification and protect vital farmland. Over 30 million hectares of trees have been pla...

Efforts to restore the Aral Sea region are offering new hope. Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, the Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has shrunk dramatically over the past 50 years due to river diversion for irrigation, primarily for cotton farming. This environmental disaster transformed the area into the Aralkum Desert, marked by saline soil, toxic dust storms, and harsher...

The next week doesn't have to be all about Christmas parties, find out where you can see shoegaze gods DIIV, garage punk from Sprints or up and coming indie faves Honeyglaze

Comedian Mari Volar joins Erin for a fun, candid chat about her life, her comedy, and being an immigrant in Europe. Mari spending the last night of her tour "100% C*ntinental", in Luxembourg. In the show, which she has taken across Europe, including to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she and a group of comedians delve into the immigrant experience. Mari jokes that while she’s a white Estonian with...

Technology is not just changing the workplace, it's revolutionising it. Kinga, a senior talent attraction and project management specialist in HR, and Christopher, an advisory manager specializing in digital transformation, shared their insights on how tech is transforming everything from recruitment to daily work tasks. Even HR, which people often don’t associate with cutting-edge technology, is...

Luxembourg is taking a progressive step forward by allowing gay men to donate blood, as confirmed by Health Minister Martine Deprez. This reform aligns with the nationalisation of the country's blood donation service. Historically, bans on donations from gay and bisexual men stemmed from outdated HIV screening limitations during the early AIDS crisis. Today, advanced testing and updated regulation...

The UK will ban junk food ads on TV before 9 pm and online anytime from October 2025. The move targets childhood obesity, aiming to promote healthier diets, reduce healthcare costs, and prevent 20,000 obesity cases annually. Get all the details on today's "What's right with the world".

This year the Voices International Choir based in Luxembourg is celebrating the holiday season by putting on free concerts to raise money for Children's Charities. With 115 people performing as a part of the choir, this has been a big project to pull together. Jij, one of the members came on the Breakfast Show to talk to us about the rehearsal process and what people can expect from the concert. A...

Norway has halted its deep-sea mining plans in the Arctic following pressure from the Socialist Left Party (SV) and growing environmental concerns. The pause affects a controversial initiative to extract metals essential for renewable energy technologies, including copper, cobalt, zinc, and rare earth elements. These resources, crucial for batteries and wind turbines, are located in a 280,000-squa...

Today on Local Matters, we explore the challenges parents face in finding family-friendly cafés in Luxembourg. Hear from Cecile, who created a new label certifying child-welcoming spaces, and visit Florence Café in the Gare area, one of the certified spots hosting an event for new moms this afternoon.

Researchers at the London King's College have developed a new injection that Could Revolutionize Asthma and COPD Treatment. This is the first real breakthrough in 50 years of asthma research. A trial showed that a single dose of the new benralizumab drug significantly reduced flare-ups, improving symptoms and quality of life. The results of the study were recently published in The Lancet Respirato...

After going out last week and loving Autumn Sweater (pictured) Jon's gig guide for this week features a Blackgaze band, the chilled out ambient sounds of Max Richter and some EDM for the recommendation of the week!

Local Artists have donated their work to a Tombola organised by Gudde Wellen and LUkraine in order to raise money for 'Ukraine is calling'. This project is aiming to save human lives by funding emergency vehicles for Ukraine. The goal is 112 vehicles! All money raised will go directly to the cause. To help you can participate in the Tombola which has over 40 unique prizes to be won. The prizes wer...

Belgium has become the first country to offer maternity leave and pensions for sex workers, marking a major step in labor rights. A new law, effective Sunday, grants sex workers formal employment contracts with benefits similar to other professions. These include health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, and pensions. Passed in May, the law aims to combat abuse by providing sex workers the...