Afghanistan’s oil sector is seeing steady expansion, with officials reporting increased extraction activity in the northern Amu Darya basin and expectations of significantly higher output in the near future.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says dozens of wells are currently operational in the Amu Darya region, with additional wells expected to become operational soon. The expansion is projected to raise daily production by several hundred tons compared with current levels.

The ministry’s spokesman Humayoun Afghan said the country holds substantial untapped oil potential, adding that efforts are underway to accelerate development of northern oil fields.

Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also confirmed that plans are in progress to build oil storage facilities alongside the expansion of extraction capacity, aimed at strengthening Afghanistan’s broader energy infrastructure.

The ministry further said it is working with private sector partners to develop large-scale oil refineries, part of a broader strategy to increase domestic processing and reduce reliance on imported fuel products.

In the Amu Darya Basin, members of the oil refinery union say investment in the energy sector has risen in recent years, with investors expressing interest in further expanding refining and processing capacity if more opportunities become available.

Economic analysts argue that sustained investment in mining and energy, combined with targeted incentives for investors, could generate tens of thousands of jobs while boosting national revenues.

Private sector representatives add that expanding domestic production, storage, and refining could improve economic stability and reduce the outflow of foreign currency currently spent on fuel imports.

They are urging the Islamic Emirate to accelerate policy measures that facilitate investment and remove barriers to growth in Afghanistan’s oil and energy sector.

Large numbers of Hajj pilgrims began performing the stoning ritual in Mina from the early hours of the first day of Eid al-Adha, casting seven pebbles at the largest pillar, Jamrat al-Aqaba, amid smooth and orderly movement in line with the approved crowd-management plan.

Pilgrims carried out the ritual in an organised manner across the levels of the Jamarat Bridge, with no overcrowding or pushing reported. Security, medical, ambulance, sanitation, and civil defence teams were fully deployed throughout the area, while security personnel regulated the flow of pilgrims at entrances, exits, and surrounding routes.

Movement toward the Jamarat Bridge and surrounding courtyards remained gradual and well-coordinated, with pilgrims travelling in managed groups distributed across different levels according to the operational plan.

After completing the ritual, they returned smoothly to their accommodation sites, while roads across Mina experienced steady and flexible traffic flow for both vehicles and pedestrians throughout the day.

Careful crowd control

Over the decades, the Hajj pilgrimage has faced several major tragedies, largely linked to crowd crushes, extreme heat, and tent fires during peak rituals. In response, Saudi authorities have invested heavily in expanding infrastructure and improving crowd-management systems to reduce risks and enhance pilgrim safety.

One of the deadliest incidents occurred in 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel in Mina due to overcrowding and ventilation failure.

In 2015, another major disaster struck during the stoning ritual at Jamarat, where at least 2,000 pilgrims were killed in a crowd crush, making it one of the worst incidents in Hajj history.

Extreme weather has also taken a heavy toll. During the 2024 Hajj season, more than 1,300 pilgrims reportedly died amid an intense heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 50°C, leading to widespread cases of heatstroke and dehydration.

Earlier disasters also prompted major safety reforms, including the Mina tent fires of 1975 and 1997.

The 1975 blaze, triggered by a gas cylinder explosion, killed around 200 people, while the 1997 fire claimed more than 340 lives.

Following these incidents, authorities replaced traditional tents with modern fire-resistant structures as part of broader safety upgrades.

Norway will open talks with France on joining its nuclear umbrella, French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on ​Wednesday, reflecting growing European concerns about relying on the United States for security, Reuters reported.

The move ‌signals a shift by Norway, long a staunch Atlanticist that has relied heavily on NATO and the U.S. nuclear umbrella, towards closer defence cooperation within Europe.

Macron and Stoere announced the plan at a meeting in Paris, where they ​also signed a broader defence agreement which includes Norway joining a French-led nuclear weapons initiative.

Stoere ​said Norway’s primary deterrence would remain the NATO alliance and the United States, but ⁠described France’s nuclear capabilities as “an important contribution” to the alliance’s overall posture.

“France’s capabilities are an important ​contribution to NATO’s deterrence posture, which is important for us,” Stoere said.

Under the plan, Norway would take ​part in what France calls “forward nuclear deterrence”, under which European partners are more closely involved in French strategic thinking on nuclear defence.

“This agreement establishes a principle of mutual assistance between our two countries,” Macron said, adding that deeper ​cooperation would support Europe’s ambitions for greater strategic autonomy.

The initiative comes as European countries seek to strengthen ​their own defence capabilities amid doubts about long-term U.S. commitments and heightened tensions with Russia.

In March, France offered to extend ‌the ⁠protection of its nuclear umbrella to other European countries which, in practice, means that an attack on a country could trigger a French nuclear response, read the report.

Norway becomes the latest country to receive France’s nuclear protection, after Poland and Lithuania, which also share borders with Russia.

Stoere told Norwegian news agency NTB earlier on Wednesday that ​no nuclear weapons will ​be deployed in Norway ⁠in peacetime.

The Nordic nation of 5.6 million inhabitants is a member of NATO, but not of the European Union, and shares a border with Russia ​in the Arctic.

“This closer cooperation will make European and transatlantic security stronger. ​Together, we are ⁠enabling a burden shift. It was long before Trump that this became necessary, that Europe had to pay more and do … wiser investments, not only country by country, but coordinated,” Stoere said.

Russia and the U.S. ⁠are the ​world’s biggest nuclear powers, with over 5,000 nuclear warheads each. ​China has about 600, France has 290 and Britain 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.