Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the expansion of licensing opportunities for new vehicle testing and registration centres across three major areas, Deira, Bur Dubai, and Mohammed Bin Rashid City, in a move aimed at strengthening service accessibility and supporting economic growth.

According to an official RTA statement, the initiative enables both existing operators and new investors to apply for licences to establish new centres or expand with additional branches.

Read more-Dubai RTA launches autonomous taxis: Here’s where you can ride them

“This step creates new investment opportunities in a vital sector,” the RTA said in a media report, highlighting its commitment to enhancing private sector participation.

The move comes as Dubai continues to experience rapid urbanisation and population growth, alongside expanding commercial and investment activity across key sectors.

Enhancing access and efficiency

The authority said the expansion will bring vehicle testing and registration services closer to residents, ensuring greater convenience and improved service delivery.

“This initiative aims to expand the network of service centres through which RTA delivers vehicle testing and registration services,” the report noted, adding that it aligns with efforts to ensure sustainable and efficient licensing operations.

The plan also reflects RTA’s broader strategy to strengthen public-private partnerships, a key pillar in driving economic growth across the emirate.

Officials emphasised that the authority will support investors throughout the application process, ensuring compliance with regulations while improving inspection efficiency and road safety outcomes.

The expansion forms part of a wider effort to build an integrated infrastructure for vehicle testing and licensing services, in line with Dubai’s long-term mobility and safety goals.

Currently, Dubai is home to 29 approved vehicle testing and licensing centres, all equipped with advanced technologies and staffed by qualified personnel to deliver high-quality services.

The RTA said the continued expansion will help enhance customer experience, streamline procedures, and reinforce Dubai’s position as a leader in efficient government services.

Jet fuel supply to Europe could be disrupted from May if the Middle East conflict continues and potentially put 25 per cent of Ryanair’s supplies at risk through May and June, CEO ​Michael O’Leary told Sky News on Wednesday.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that around 25 per cent to 30 per cent of Europe’s jet fuel demand originates from the Persian Gulf, which it warned puts it among the most exposed regions to the impact on supply from the US-Israeli war.

“If the war finishes and the Straits of Hormuz reopens by the middle or end of April, then there’s no risk to supply,” O’Leary said.

“If the war continues and the disruption to supply continues, we think there’s a reasonable risk that some low level, maybe 10 per cent, 20 per cent, 25 per cent of our supplies might be at risk through May and June.”

O’Leary said the Irish airline, Europe’s largest by passenger numbers, has not cut any flights because its fuel supply is currently secure but that the risk of “significantly higher” ticket prices remains through May, April, June.

He told Ireland’s Business Post newspaper on Sunday that he expected summer airfares to rise by more than 3 per cent year-on-year due to a combination of capacity constraints and higher oil prices for less well hedged competitors.

The budget carrier said in January it had covered about 80 per cent of its jet fuel requirements for the fiscal year to the end of March 2027 based on a crude oil price of $67 per barrel.

For the first time since Apollo 17 touched down on the lunar surface in December 1972, human beings are about to travel to the Moon.

NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight under the agency’s Artemis programme, is targeting launch no earlier than Wednesday, April 1, 2026, with a two-hour window opening at 6:24 pm EDT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Additional launch opportunities remain available through Monday, April 6.

A translunar injection burn on April 2 will send the crew toward the Moon, followed by the lunar flyby on April 6, during which the crew is expected to surpass the record for the farthest distance from Earth ever travelled by humans, previously set by Apollo 13 at 248,655 miles.

Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is scheduled for April 10, with a post-splashdown news conference the same evening.

The crew on the Artemis II

Four astronauts will make the journey, each bringing a remarkable record to the mission.

Reid Wiseman (commander) is a US Navy test pilot and veteran NASA astronaut who previously spent 167 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014. As Artemis II commander, he will be responsible for the overall safety and success of the mission.

Victor Glover (pilot) became the first Black astronaut to serve as a long-duration crew member on the ISS during his 2020–21 mission, logging 168 days in space. As pilot, he will operate the Orion spacecraft during critical phases of the flight.

Christina Koch (mission specialist) holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, 328 consecutive days on the ISS, and will become the first woman to travel to the Moon.

Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. Artemis II will be his first spaceflight, and he will become both the first Canadian and the first non-American to journey to the Moon.

The mission

Artemis II is not a landing but it is a critical step toward one. The crew will spend approximately 10 days aboard the Orion spacecraft, flying a trajectory that takes them around the Moon and back.

The mission has two core objectives: testing Orion’s life support systems with a human crew for the first time, and validating the systems and procedures that will be needed for Artemis III — the mission currently planned to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

The spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System, currently the most powerful rocket in the world, from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center — the same site that sent Apollo missions to the Moon more than half a century ago.

How to watch

NASA will stream all pre-launch briefings, the launch itself, and 24/7 mission coverage on its YouTube channel, as well as on NASA+ and Amazon Prime.

A full schedule of Artemis II coverage events — including exact broadcast times — is available at go.nasa.gov/4c46fOu.

Authorities in Umm Al Quwain have confirmed that one person was injured after debris from an intercepted drone fell in the emirate on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on its official social media channels, the Umm Al Quwain Government Media Office said the incident occurred near an industrial facility in the Umm Al Thuoob area, after air defence systems successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle.

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Emergency response teams were deployed to the scene and handled the situation in line with established safety protocols, authorities said.

Officials also urged the public not to circulate rumours and to rely solely on official sources for updates.

The incident comes just hours after a similar event in Fujairah, where authorities confirmed that one person was killed after debris from an intercepted drone fell on a farm in the Al Rifa area.

Read more: Fujairah incident: One killed after drone debris falls on farm, authorities say

According to the Fujairah Government Media Office, the unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted by air defence systems, with fragments subsequently landing in a populated area. The victim, a Bangladeshi national, died as a result of the incident. No further casualties were reported.

Authorities in Fujairah said emergency teams responded promptly and are managing the situation in accordance with safety procedures.

Both incidents come amid heightened regional tensions, with UAE authorities maintaining a high level of vigilance and response readiness as air defence systems continue to intercept aerial threats.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the UAE Ministry of Defence, released on March 31, showed that air defence systems had engaged 36 UAVs, four cruise missiles and eight ballistic missiles in the previous 24 hours. Cumulatively, authorities said 1,977 drones, 19 cruise missiles and 433 ballistic missiles have been intercepted since the onset of the escalation on February 28.

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China and Hong Kong stocks joined a global relief rally on Wednesday and the yuan firmed against the dollar after US President Donald Trump signalled that an end to the Iran war could be in sight.

Trump said the US could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks and Tehran does not have to make a deal as a prerequisite for the conflict to wind down.

“The Iran war will wrap up quickly,” said Zeng Wenkai, chief investment officer at Hong Kong-based Shengqi Asset Management.

“The US and Iran won’t need to strike a deal. US troops will pull out, Iran won’t really have a choice and won’t block the strait and global stocks will jump.”

However, he expected China stocks to rise less forcefully than other markets, which have been hurt more severely by the oil shock.

China’s blue-chip CSI300 Index rebounded 1.7 per cent in its best day in almost three months. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 per cent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rebounded 2 per cent, as Asian markets rallied more than 4 per cent following an overnight jump on Wall Street.

China’s yuan firmed to its strongest level in two weeks against the dollar, trading at 6.8725 in the late afternoon, as optimism about a war de-escalation reduced the greenback’s appeal.

China’s long-term bond yields remained stable, despite volatility in global debt markets.

“As the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, China can provide a sense of stability to the world,” said Zhang Di, an economist at China Galaxy Securities.

China would be relatively unscathed from an oil shock as it is a coal-rich country, has a dominant position in new energy and has ample oil reserves, Zhang said.

But he said “the US is sitting on a tiger and will find it difficult to get off,” risking being drawn into a prolonged war or losing international credibility.

China stocks have lost roughly 4 per cent since the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, compared with a 10 per cent slump in Asian equities and a 6 per cent tumble in world stocks.

China’s drugmakers, chipmakers and tourism stocks jumped sharply on Wednesday.

In Hong Kong, biotech firms, shipping companies and materials stocks led gains.