India will cut its export duty on petrol diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for the fortnight starting June 1, its government said in a statement on Saturday.

The duty on exports of petrol has been set at 1.5 rupees ($0.0158) per litre while that on diesel has been set at 13.5 rupees per litre, the statement said. Export duties on ATF have been set at 9.5 rupees per litre.

The rates are being revised on a fortnightly basis and are based on the average international prices of crude oil, petrol, diesel and ATF during the period since the last review.

There is no change in the existing excise duty rates on petrol and diesel cleared for domestic consumption.

Blue Origin faces a months-long setback after the explosion of a rocket damaged its launch pad, company and industry sources said, scrambling schedules for Amazon satellite launches and bolstering SpaceX’s dominance in the commercial launch market.

The mishap, which occurred during a test fire of the engines for the New Glenn rocket’s launch next week, comes at a critical time for Jeff Bezos’ business empire.

His companies Blue Origin and Amazon are seeking to establish themselves as viable challengers in the heavy-lift and global satellite internet network industries, competing with Elon Musk‘s SpaceX.

Thursday’s setback could also complicate NASA’s lunar ambitions.

A Blue Origin booster called “No, It’s Necessary” – a nod to a line from the film Interstellar – was wrecked in the incident on Thursday. The launch pad was “practically destroyed” and engineers expect at least a six-month disruption, if not longer, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named because they are not authorized to speak with media.

“It’s only been a year since the SpaceX Starship also exploded on the launch pad and Blue Origin can also recover. But it will take months to rebuild,” said Antoine Grenier, partner and head of space consulting at Analysys Mason.

Months-long rebuild expected

After a Falcon 9 exploded on the launch pad in 2016, SpaceX spent more than a year repairing the damaged facility, though it resumed launches within 4-1/2 months by shifting operations to a second Florida pad.

While Amazon’s decision to bring aboard more launch partners, including SpaceX, has reduced its dependence on any single rocket, it gives Musk‘s business leverage over Bezos, his long-running rival.

“Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly,” Musk said in a post on X, later replying to Bezos with “Ad astra per aspera,” a Latin phrase that speaks to overcoming impossible goals.

Amazon LEO was relying on New Glenn’s rapid launch cadence to deploy half of its more than 3,200 satellite broadband constellation by July 2026 to meet regulatory deadlines. An extended grounding by the FAA will severely threaten the timeline.

Constellation deployment in jeopardy

Analysys Mason’s Grenier said Amazon has already tapped much of the near-term capacity available from other heavy launch providers. While SpaceX could absorb some additional demand, its Falcon 9 rocket can carry roughly half as many Amazon LEO satellites per launch as New Glenn, meaning any major shift of launches could require a significant increase in mission count, he said.

As well, lunar payloads are designed around specific launch vehicles, making a switch to an alternative rocket complicated.

The rocket was also scheduled to launch Blue Origin’s first Blue Moon lunar lander later this year. Days earlier NASA awarded the company a contract to deliver two lunar rovers ahead of the Artemis 4 mission in 2028.

The space agency said on Thursday it would assess near-term impact on its Artemis and Moon Base programs, though it remains unclear whether any missions would need to be reassigned.

Still, it is yet to be seen how much of a setback the incident is to Blue Origin’s long-term prospects and a gain for SpaceX, whose order book is crowded with its own Starlink satellite deployments, alongside commercial and government missions.

The US Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office on Friday affirmed their commitment to Blue Origin, standing by a newly awarded national security launch contract on Thursday despite the catastrophic launch pad explosion of the company’s New Glenn rocket just hours later.

“Long term, the market still needs viable alternatives, so this strengthens SpaceX’s position at the margin, but doesn’t change the broader trajectory toward a multi-provider ecosystem,” said Mark Boggett, CEO of British space investor Seraphim Space.

AI chip firm Nvidia and Microsoft are expected next week to debut the first Windows PCs that use Nvidia’s chips as the main processor, Axios reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Nvidia-powered computers are expected both from Microsoft’s Surface brand as well as other computer makers including Dell.

Microsoft’s efforts to shift to more battery-life-friendly chips have yet to drive a significant sales boom. Its primary rival Apple, which uses its own chips, unveiled updated MacBooks featuring its latest M5-series chips in March.

Microsoft and Nvidia will unveil the new PCs at the Computex trade show in Taiwan and Microsoft’s Build developer conference in San Francisco, the report said.

Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment. Microsoft declined to comment.

The official X accounts of Windows, Nvidia and chip design firm Arm all teased an upcoming announcement on Friday, announcing “A new era of PC,” along with what appeared to be coordinates in Taiwan’s capital Taipei.

Reuters first reported in 2023 Nvidia’s plans to design CPUs that would run Microsoft’s Windows OS and use technology from Arm.

Qualcomm currently makes Arm-based CPUs for Windows laptops, while Intel and AMD remain the dominant suppliers of CPUs for Windows laptops.

Microsoft is also expected to debut software aimed at enabling AI agents to perform tasks locally on Windows computers, according to the Axios report.

The UAE has advised its nationals and residents to avoid non-essential travel to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan as authorities continue to closely monitor regional developments related to Ebola virus disease (EVD).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issued the advisory on Friday, May 29, citing the evolving public health situation linked to the virus in parts of Africa. The Ministry urged UAE nationals and residents to refrain from travelling to the affected countries unless absolutely necessary, a WAM report said.

Read more-New Ebola advisory issued: Emirates, Oman issue travel rules

As part of the UAE’s ongoing commitment to protecting citizens abroad, MoFA stressed the importance of following all official travel advisories and guidance. The ministry also called on UAE nationals currently in the affected countries to exercise the utmost caution and adhere to health and safety instructions issued by local authorities.

In addition, citizens were urged to register with the Twajudi service and contact the Ministry in emergency situations through the dedicated hotline for UAE nationals abroad at +97180024.

Authorities review national preparedness

The travel advisory comes as the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Prevention reviewed the latest regional and international developments concerning the Ebola virus as part of ongoing efforts to maintain a high level of public health readiness.

The review was conducted during a coordination meeting chaired by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, in collaboration with NCEMA and attended by relevant government entities and strategic partners.

Officials examined current epidemiological developments and assessed the UAE’s preparedness measures, including the country’s capability to detect and respond to any suspected or confirmed Ebola cases in line with approved health protocols.

The meeting also reviewed progress on previously agreed actions, with a focus on strengthening coordination among relevant authorities and ensuring preparedness measures continue to meet national response requirements.

Public health situation remains stable

Discussions further covered precautionary procedures at airports, aviation-related health protocols and the readiness of institutional quarantine facilities operated by local health authorities, where required.

Officials also reviewed public awareness and communication plans aimed at providing residents with timely, accurate and reliable information through official channels.

NCEMA and the Ministry of Health and Prevention confirmed that the public health situation in the UAE remains stable. They emphasised that the country’s health preparedness and response systems remain active and effective, while authorities continue to closely monitor developments to safeguard public health and community safety.

The UAE has announced higher fuel prices for June 2026, with motorists set to pay more at the pump from June 1 as petrol prices continue their upward trend.

Super 98 petrol will cost Dhs3.95 per litre, up from Dhs3.66 in May, while Special 95 will rise to Dhs3.83 from Dhs3.55. E-Plus 91 will increase to Dhs3.76 from Dhs3.48.

Diesel, however, will fall to Dhs4.33 per litre, down from Dhs4.69 in May.

The latest revision marks the third consecutive monthly increase in petrol prices, reflecting broader movements in global oil markets.

For motorists, the latest increases will place added pressure on household budgets, with fuel remaining a regular monthly expense for many families. Even relatively small monthly price increases can have a noticeable impact on overall transport costs, particularly for daily commuters.

Super 98 has risen sharply this year, climbing from Dhs2.45 per litre in February — the lowest level recorded in 2026 so far — to Dhs3.95 in June.

The price trajectory has accelerated in recent months. Super 98 stood at Dhs2.53 in January before dipping to Dhs2.45 in February. It then rose to Dhs2.59 in March, jumped to Dhs3.39 in April, climbed again to Dhs3.66 in May and has now reached Dhs3.95 for June.

Diesel prices, by contrast, have eased this month, offering some relief to commercial operators and logistics firms.

The UAE has linked domestic fuel prices to average global oil prices since August 2015, when the government deregulated the sector and removed subsidies, exposing local pump prices to international market fluctuations.