Israeli defense company Elbit Systems has signed a $235 million contract to supply Azerbaijan with advanced PULS multiple-launch rocket systems and high-precision Extra-MR missiles, the Israeli newspaper Globes reported, citing sources.

The contract will be carried out over a three-year period.

Under the contract, Elbit will supply the medium-range version of its EXTRA supersonic rocket system. The contract also includes the supply of PULS launchers, additional rocket artillery platforms, and integrated logistical support.

The Extra-MR is a precision-guided rocket designed for medium-range operational scenarios, facilitating accurate strikes against enemy targets at ranges of up to 80 km. The system is fully compatible with Elbit Systems’ PULS platform and existing C4I architectures, offering a flexible and cost-effective capability for a wide range of mission profiles, according to Globes.

Kenya has confirmed one more Ebola case, bringing the total number of ‌infections in the country to eight, Reuters reported, citing Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth.

“Today, 38 people were tested, and one tested positive for Ebola,” Amoth said in an interview on Kenya’s Citizen TV.

“He is a ⁠49-year-old man who is not a healthcare worker. He developed fever, headache and muscle pain.”

Amoth said the new case was a patient attendant who cleaned utensils and linens, and he was probably exposed to Kenya’s first Ebola case, discovered earlier this month, in a man who travelled from Democratic Republic of Congo to Nairobi and died at a ‌Nairobi ⁠hospital on October 5.

The latest case developed symptoms on Saturday, was separated from other people in quarantine, and was tested for the virus with the result returning positive on Sunday, a ⁠health ministry source said.

Kenya has been on heightened alert, as a major Ebola outbreak centered in Congo has spread across borders in ⁠the region.

Congo confirmed on Sunday that its outbreak had spread to an eighth province, North Ubangi, underscoring concerns ⁠about wider regional transmission.

Congo’s latest situation report showed 67 new confirmed cases and 26 new deaths in the 24 hours to Oct.16, ⁠bringing the cumulative total to 9,415 cases and 4,536 deaths since the outbreak began.

Three of the four astronauts of the Artemis II lunar mission, the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon in more than half a century, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, received the Stephen Hawking Medal at the opening ceremony of the STARMUS VIII festival in Tenerife on October 17.

The medal, first awarded in 2016, recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to science communication.

During the evening, festival co-founder and astrophysicist Garik Israelian recalled that the very first STARMUS festival, held in 2011, was marked by the participation of some of the world’s most renowned astronauts.

“As you know, STARMUS was inspired in Canary Island, in Tenerife and La Palma. And the very first edition was inaugurated by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Alexey Leonov, William Anders, Charlie Duke. We could never imagined that 15 years later humanity will turn back to the moon and we will be standing here with Artemis II astronauts. So it’s very special honor and very special day in STARMUS in general,” Israelian said.

Photo: Max Alexander/Starmus

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, thanking the organisers for the medal, spoke about the feelings he experienced when looking back at Earth from beyond the Moon.

“If we could take each of you 400,000 km away from planet Earth, you would see Earth at the size of your thumb, and it would look tiny. What does it feel like when you’re there, looking back at this tiny Earth from the Moon? The only things you feel are love, peace, hope, and unity. Those are the right words, but that is all you feel. And then, when you return to this beautiful planet, you realize that you can choose to make tomorrow better. It’s just our choice. We can let tomorrow be as it will be, or we can make tomorrow better. That is up to each and every one of us here. So, let’s all choose to make tomorrow better,” said Wiseman, the commander of NASA’s lunar mission.

Another member of the lunar mission, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, shared his impressions of the journey and emphasised the importance of caring for Earth.

“You look at Earth from space, and it is just so incredible. And yet, from my human experience, I know what is going on and what is happening on Earth. I couldn’t see it from space; I could only see the tremendous gift we have as humans to be here. But I was remembering what was happening down there, and it was causing me to shake my head and ask, ‘What are we doing?’ And I know we can’t fix it with one magic switch or one mission, but I don’t despair at all because there is so much good here. And it becomes very simple: if we don’t despair and remember that, as individuals, all we can do is control our own actions, we can wake up every single day and commit to using our energy to contribute positively to the world around us. Never sell yourself short. You are having a real effect on people all around the world. Humanity does want to choose positivity, and you can be a voice for that as well,” Hansen told the audience.

It had previously been announced that the Stephen Hawking Medal would also be awarded to renowned Hollywood director Ridley Scott and British physicist and musician Brian Cox.

This year, the Stephen Hawking Junior Medal was also awarded for the first time, going to Spanish activist Valeria Corrales.

For the first time in the festival’s history, the Jane Goodall Earth Medal was also presented. While the Stephen Hawking Medal recognises contributions to science communication, the Jane Goodall Earth Medal honours individuals who work to protect the planet and biodiversity and use their voices to raise awareness of these issues.

The first recipient of the medal was STARMUS co-founder, astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Brian May, who has long been involved in environmental initiatives through his SAVE ME charity.

Photo: Max Alexander/Starmus

“I never thought when we were lovingly putting together with Jane that I could be the recipient of one. Needless to say that I feel kind of unworthy but I am thrilled to be part of her legacy. I was lucky enough to spend some time in her company and be directly inspired by the things she said and felt and acted upon. Most of my work has been done for SAVE ME, which is a charity which I founded 15 years ago with Anne Brummer. We named it SAVE ME with the idea that it would give the wild animals a voice and that’s what we’ve been doing. It has rescued a thousand of animals all around Britain over these past years and given them a second chance at life,” May said.

Christina Figueres also received the Jane Goodall Earth Medal, while the Jane Goodall Earth Junior Medal was awarded to 11-year-old Aneeshwar Kunchala.

Photo: Max Alexander/Starmus

The opening ceremony concluded with STARMUS’s traditional Symphony of the Stars concert, featuring performances by Brian May, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, English soprano Sarah Brightman, legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman, the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra and other singers and musicians.

The Armenpress coverage of the STARMUS festival is supported by Team Telecom Armenia.

Armenian Ambassador to the United States Narek Mkrtchyan hosted an official dinner at the Embassy of Armenia in Washington ahead of the Meridian International Center’s annual Meridian Ball.

According to the Embassy of Armenia in the United States, the dinner was attended by guests of the event, including representatives of diplomatic, civic, and business circles.

The dinner also provided an opportunity to exchange views on cooperation between Armenia and the United States and developments in Armenian-American relations.

Following the dinner, the guests proceeded to the Meridian International Center, where they attended the Ball.

Founded in 1960 and based in Washington, D.C., the Meridian International Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes diplomacy and international cooperation.

The Meridian Summit is a forum for policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders to discuss diplomacy, geopolitics, and global economic issues, while the annual Meridian Ball brings together U.S. and international leaders for ambassador-hosted dinners and an evening of networking and celebration.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsperson) Anahit Manasyan, who is visiting Australia on a working trip, met with Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The meeting addressed the work of national human rights institutions, guarantees of their independence and effective functioning, and challenges in the field of human rights protection, Manasyan’s office said in a press release.

Manasyan presented the main areas of activity and priorities of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender institution. The sides also discussed efforts to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and raise public awareness of human rights.

Other topics included addressing challenges facing human rights protection systems amid societal polarization, preventing hate speech, and related issues.

The sides emphasized the importance of continued dialogue among national human rights institutions, the exchange of professional experience, and further steps to strengthen cooperation.

Prosecutor General of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan has granted Germany’s extradition request for a suspect in a violent assault.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia said the accused, identified only by the initials L.Ch., has been extradited to the German authorities.

L.Ch. is accused of causing life-threatening bodily injuries in a group assault.

Arayik Harutyunyan, president of the Weightlifting Federation of Armenia and a member of parliament, is in Durrës, Albania, where the European Junior and U23 Weightlifting Championships are being held.

The press service of the Weightlifting Federation of Armenia reported that Harutyunyan met with Astrit Hasani, president of the European Weightlifting Federation, during the championships.

Harutyunyan is also following the performances of members of the Armenian national team and attending the medal ceremonies for Armenian athletes.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed Gagik Vanoyan as head of the State Protocol Service.

The dismissal order was published on the government’s e-gov.am website on Monday.

The reason for his dismissal was not immediately clear.

Vanoyan had served as head of the State Protocol Service since December 2022.

YEREVAN, 19 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 19 October, USD exchange rate down by 0.98 drams to 361.36 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.51 drams to 405.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0385 drams to 4.3731 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.38 drams to 481.87 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 298 drams to 48670 drams. Silver price up by 9.72 drams to 670.42 drams.

Armenia’s mining industry is preparing to reach a new stage of development and export a record US$3 billion worth of minerals in 2027. Ahead of this, representatives of the professional community, state bodies, financial institutions, academia, civil society and other sectors gathered in Tsaghkadzor for the third consecutive annual Mining Armenia Forum, held this year under the theme “From Resources to Opportunities”.

More than 50 leading specialists from Armenia and 14 other countries took part in a wide-ranging programme of presentations and discussions. Under the overarching theme, topics included global transformation, investment and responsible growth; pathways for developing mining in Armenia; financing operations; expanding various forms of cooperation; risks in emerging markets; changes in global mineral supply chains; investment attractiveness; regulatory predictability; environmental protection and public expectations; legal frameworks governing the sector; waste management; cooperation with communities and scientists; and even the introduction of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

The forum announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the Union of Miners and Metallurgists of Armenia on cooperation to establish a mining and metallurgy analytical centre. The centre will serve as a joint platform for research, policy analysis and dialogue between the public and private sectors, supporting informed decision-making and the sector’s sustainable development.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the significance of this year’s forum taking place alongside COP17.

“This is another good opportunity to draw our attention to an important issue: bringing Armenia’s mining industry into line with the highest possible standards. Clearly, environmental standards are becoming an increasingly pressing issue in Armenia and everywhere else. I cannot say that we have taken no steps in this direction, but neither can we speak of considering this problem resolved in the foreseeable future. We can clearly state that the sector offers major opportunities but also faces challenges,” he said.

Highlighting mining’s role in Armenia’s economy, Pashinyan stressed the need for an institutional approach to the sector. He also said the Government would like to extend mining production chains in Armenia as far as possible and manufacture high-value products.

“As you know, the Armenian Government holds stakes in several mining companies, but that is not the approach we envisage. Essentially, we have taken individual steps in response to particular circumstances, whereas an institutional approach is very important here. In my view, that means opening up share ownership in the sector. I mean listing companies on stock exchanges. The next issue I consider very important for Armenia’s mining industry—although this is more of an aspiration, as more detailed expert assessments are needed—is that we would like mining production chains in Armenia to be extended as far as possible,” the Prime Minister said.

Other practical steps are also important for the sector’s development. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan highlighted several of them.

“The steps we have already begun taking to develop the sector will enable us to move forward. We have already started making extensive use of digital tools. In particular, all permits for subsoil use will soon be issued through a unified system using digital processes. Secondly, work to establish a geological service is under way, and by the end of 2027 we will have a service that will enable us to manage and understand the sector’s challenges from a single point,” the minister said.

Speaking to journalists, Vardan Jhanyan, President of the Armenian Mining and Metallurgy Association, highlighted the sector’s significant contribution to the economy while stressing the importance of meeting the highest environmental standards.

“According to our forecasts, the value of the sector’s exports is expected to reach around US$3 billion next year. By comparison, Armenia’s total exports in 2021 amounted to approximately US$2.8 billion. We expect our sector alone to exceed that figure next year. This is due to the operation of the Amulsar mine and rising prices for critical metals such as copper and molybdenum,” he said.

Responding to a question from Armenpress, Jhanyan said building a copper smelter in Armenia was a recurring topic of discussion but was currently not economically viable.

“We have reviewed several studies indicating that the volume of copper mined is still insufficient for a competitive smelter. Armenia would need to produce at least 100,000–150,000 tonnes of copper annually for a smelter to operate competitively,” Jhanyan said.

International experts also see considerable potential for mining development in Armenia.

“People see potential in Armenia. That is good news. Its geological potential is considered a positive factor. It is also good that Armenia is open to new investment and opportunities. The country also has mining traditions and access to personnel, knowledge and skills. One weakness is data quality, because without that, it is very difficult for investors to assess the expected return on investment. There are also issues with the legal framework. As for downstream processing, we have differing views,” said Wael Jaber, Vice President of Mining and Metals Consulting at Wood Mackenzie.

Meanwhile, Suren Parsyan, an associate professor at the Armenian State University of Economics, a Candidate of Economic Sciences and a lawyer, estimated that Armenia’s mining companies generated around AMD470 billion in revenue in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 62 per cent on the previous year.

“Mining accounts for approximately one-third of Armenia’s total exports, with the share already standing at 29.1 per cent in 2026. It will continue to grow, given the problems we face in exporting several other product categories. Around AMD90 billion in taxes has been collected this year, 51.2 per cent more than last year. We forecast record turnover, or revenue, of around AMD800 billion this year. This will undoubtedly also be affected by the dollar exchange rate, which has had a significant impact in recent months.

“We expect approximately 14,500 jobs in the sector this year, with indirect employment around four to five times higher. It is important to note that the sector’s productivity has become the highest in Armenia, even exceeding that of IT. Productivity stands at approximately AMD50 million per employee. Taxes paid by the mining industry this year will account for approximately 5.5–6 per cent of the state budget’s total tax revenue. Mining output is forecast to increase by around AMD1.7 billion this year,” Parsyan said.

Mining industry representatives hope to return to the next forum, scheduled for a year’s time, with changes made, problems resolved and, of course, new achievements and positive results.