Fire Erupts at Kuwait Oil Refinery

Kuwait's National Petroleum Company logo
Kuwait's National Petroleum Company logo
TT
20

Fire Erupts at Kuwait Oil Refinery

Kuwait's National Petroleum Company logo
Kuwait's National Petroleum Company logo

A fire erupted on Monday at a major oil refinery in Kuwait, the state-owned oil company said, reporting that some workers suffered from smoke inhalation and other light injuries.

The blaze at the key Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery did not affect the electrical supply or oil exports, according to Kuwait's National Petroleum Company.

"The refinery operations and export operations were not affected and there has been no impact to local marketing operations and supplies to the electricity and water ministry," KNPC said on its Twitter account.

Several oil contractors were receiving treatment for their burns at a nearby hospital, the company said.

Some workers had been treated on site while others had been taken to hospital and were in stable condition, it added.

Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze in the refinery's treatment unit, which removes sulfur from the oil products.



Scholz: EU Ready to Respond to US on Trade Tariffs

30 March 2025, Lower Saxony, Hanover: Acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe 2025 industrial trade fair at the Hannover Congress Centrum HCC. Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa
30 March 2025, Lower Saxony, Hanover: Acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe 2025 industrial trade fair at the Hannover Congress Centrum HCC. Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa
TT
20

Scholz: EU Ready to Respond to US on Trade Tariffs

30 March 2025, Lower Saxony, Hanover: Acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe 2025 industrial trade fair at the Hannover Congress Centrum HCC. Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa
30 March 2025, Lower Saxony, Hanover: Acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe 2025 industrial trade fair at the Hannover Congress Centrum HCC. Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa

Europe wants to cooperate with the United States but the EU is ready to respond as one if Washington leaves it no choice by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday.
Speaking at the opening of the Hanover industrial trade fair which this year has Canada as its partner country, Scholz also insisted that Canada is an independent country.
US President Donald Trump has mused about annexing Canada and referred to the country as the 51st US state.
"We stand by your side!" Scholz said, adding: "Canada is not a state that belongs to anyone else. Canada is a proud, independent nation."
Addressing Trump's plans to introduce tariffs, Scholz said his answer to "my country first" policies was more free trade, greater competitiveness and more technological sovereignty.
Scholz argued that Europe was not naive but also not weak, and said trade wars hurt all sides, Reuters reported.
"So I say to the United States: Europe's goal remains cooperation. But if the US leaves us no choice, such as with the tariffs on steel and aluminium, we as the EU will react as one".