Sierra Leone could become 'Hawaii of Africa' for Russian tourists — ambassador

TourismSierra Leone could become 'Hawaii of Africa' for Russian tourists — ambassador Mohamed Yongawo added that he is ramping up efforts to attract Russian travelers to his countryMOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. Sierra Leone has the potential to become the "Hawaii of Africa" for Russian tourists, Mohamed Yongawo, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Russia, said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the 9th International Forum "North Caucasus: A Space for Dialogue, Traditions, and Development." "We recently met with several Russian travel agencies in Kazan to put Sierra Leone on their radar. It is true that Sierra Leone is often dubbed the 'Hawaii of Africa' because we have pristine beaches--the likes of which probably cannot be found anywhere else in the world--with white sand, alongside very welcoming people. Therefore, if Russian tourists decide to visit Sierra Leone, I will do everything in my power to facilitate this," the ambassador noted. "The potential is definitely there." The diplomat added that he is ramping up efforts to attract Russian travelers to his country. "I have participated in panels at numerous Russian tourism forums, met with representatives from many local travel agencies, and done extensive promotional work," he said. "In December, a group of 12 Russian tourists from the 'Kilimanjaro' group visited us. I met with them, and they told me that out of several African countries they had previously visited, they liked Sierra Leone the most." TagsTourismBusiness, science to consolidate efforts for batteries production localization — Putin"One of the critical matters is, certainly, localization of production facilities," the Russian leader saidRead moreAsian, Middle Eastern, African markets especially promising for Russian biotech exportsFollowing reduced access to European markets, Russian companies have been expanding more actively into China, India, Turkey, the UAE and other Persian Gulf countries, CIS countries, Africa, and Latin AmericaRead moreMedical monitoring ends for 60% of those in contact with pneumonia patient in SiberiaThe agency stressed that the situation remains under its controlRead moreNo alternative to equality-based cooperation with Kabul — Russian Foreign MinistryParticipants in the eighth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan "once again called on the international community to ensure regular humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and stressed the inadmissibility of its politicization"Read moreMerz goes to Kiev to 'escape' low ratings in Germany — Berliner ZeitungOnly 10% of the country’s residents rate the German chancellor's performance positively, while 88% view it negativelyRead moreOvernight Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow among largest in two years650 UAVs headed toward the Moscow RegionRead moreMoscow Military District begins training of FPV interceptor squadsThe Moscow Military District noted that the training program includes studying the technical characteristics of FPV interceptor drones, practicing piloting skills on specialized simulators, and conducting practical flights at training rangesRead moreKiev continues attacking Zaporozhye NPP, threatening nuclear catastrophe — diplomat"These thuggish actions on the brink of a nuclear catastrophe once again expose the true terrorist nature of the Kiev regime," Maria Zakharova stressedRead moreLithuania’s parliament votes to remove ban on nuclear weapons deploymentA second vote in three months is required for the decision to come into forceRead moreSwedish recon aircraft spends more than four hours over Black SeaThe aircraft is a Gulfstream S102B Korpen, which flew in from the Malmen Airbase, passing over the Baltic Sea and several European Union countriesRead moreJapan’s sanctions against Russia show lack of independence of Tokyo’s foreign policy — MFAMaria Zakharova noted that on October 2, Tokyo announced its 27th "package" of illegitimate measures against Russia, targeting 33 Russian legal entities and nine individuals, as well as a number of companies abroadRead moreVanity Fair dubs Sam Altman 'Oppenheimer of our time,' most influential person in USOpenAI CEO Sam Altman was ahead of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceXAIRead moreTickets to NHL star’s final game top $6,100 — aggregatorThe 41-year-old Alexander Ovechkin announced the previous day that the 2026-27 season would be his last in the NHLRead moreCoalition navy carries out operation against Houthis in Yemen’s HodeidahSpokesman Turki Al-Maliki said that coalition forces thwarted planned attacks on shipping routes in the southern Red SeaRead moreSummer heatwave cost France at least €16 bln, lawmaker saysCiting data from France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, Eric Coquerel noted that the extreme weather slashed economic growth by €3 billion and widened the budget deficit by €1.5 billionRead moreRussia says Japan continues to provoke deterioration of relations with itThe unfriendly decisions are for the first time related to navigation restrictions, Maria Zakharova notedRead moreSenior Iranian military officer says US forces have moved 1,000 km away from IranAccording to Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, for the first time ever, US warships were absent from the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the northern Indian OceanRead moreRussia’s anti-plague institute employee diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiologyThe watchdog clarified that expanded testing of samples from the patient found no microorganisms associated with her professional activitiesRead moreOne killed, six injured in overnight drone attack on Moscow RegionGovernor Andrey Vorobyov reported that 185 UAVs had been shot down overnight across 16 municipalities in the regionRead moreTrump links rising gas prices to Kiev strikes, Democratic policiesThe US president added that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer a cause of rising pricesRead morePutin orders three-day suspension of strikes on Kiev starting at midnight — KremlinThe Ukrainian army would observe a ceasefire from midnight on September 5 through September 8Read moreForeign companies interested in Russian UAV performance in hot climate — developer"Solutions for operating under electronic countermeasures and the ability to adapt the systems to specific tasks drew particular attention," Yekaterina Zgirovskaya saidRead moreWHO in contact with Russia over situation in Irkutsk RegionSpokesman Christian Lindmeier said that WHO experts and Russian health authorities were collaborating to verify the event and its circumstancesRead moreTrump responds to question about pneumonia of unknown etiology in RussiaAccording to the US president, Washington is ready to assist Moscow if necessaryRead moreUS conducts first flight test of HACM hypersonic missile — web portalThe Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program has faced significant delays, TWZ reports, and the US Air Force took a risky step by scaling back the overall scope of testing in an effort to stay on scheduleRead moreRussia's new car imports surge 25% to 301,000 units in January-September — AvtostatGeely emerged as the market leader among brands in this segmentRead moreKremlin spokesman comments on work of embassies in Kiev, situation along Russia’s bordersThe special military operation continues, with the Russian military continuing its work regardless of countries’ decisions on embassies in Kiev, Dmitry Peskov saidRead moreUkrainian forces shell DPR settlements 18 times in past day, wounding threeTwenty-one residential buildings were damagedRead morePeople like Merz, head of intelligence try to drag Germany into fight with Russia — MFARussian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova drew attention to Martin Jaeger’s statement that he allegedly sees a danger of violent confrontation between Germany and RussiaRead moreRussian forces hit power substation in Kharkov Region, port facility in Odessa RegionA dry cargo ship with materiel was struck in the Chernomorsk portRead moreRussia will be forced to retaliate to deployment of nukes in Lithuania — KremlinDmitry Peskov emphasized that NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders "cannot be perceived as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions"Read moreTeam of Ecuadorian mercenaries arrived in KharkovAccording to law enforcement agencies, they will be engaged in counterattacks in the area of Kazachya Lopan and GoptovkaRead moreIncreased strikes on Ukraine aimed at preventing attacks on Russian economy — envoyThe Russian Defense Ministry earlier said that Russian strikes on military facilities and the defense industry in Kiev and other regions of Ukraine would be intensifiedRead morePutin appoints RSPP head Shokhin as business rights ombudsmanA separate decree designates the "Platform for Handling Entrepreneurs' Appeals" autonomous non-profit organization, established by the Presidential Administrative Directorate, as the body responsible for supporting the business ombudsman's operationsRead moreMoscow mayor reports destruction of 18 UAVs near capitalEmergency responders are working at the sites where debris fell, Sergey Sobyanin reportedRead moreEU faces 'difficult winter' amid high energy prices, European Commission saysAnna-Kaisa Itkonen welcomed the decision by EU and G7 countries to release 50 million barrels of oil and 50 million barrels of diesel from their strategic reserves to the marketRead moreRussian stock indices up as main trading session opens on Moscow ExchangeThe benchmark MOEX Russia Index and the dollar-denominated RTS Index both ticked up by 0.28%, reaching 2,326.11 and 862.79 points, respectivelyRead moreOne of most expensive books in world, weighing more than 200 kg, stolen in FranceThe work was Joseph Foret’s "Apocalypse" featuring a bronze-plated cover designed by Salvador DaliRead moreHealth situation in Russia’s Irkutsk Region remains stable — health watchdogEarlier, rumors circulated online that an employee of an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk Region had allegedly been diagnosed with plague. The information was not confirmedRead moreVance suggests Iran may have been involved in incident at Fairford Air Base in BritainThe US vice president also effectively acknowledged that US B-1 strategic bombers were withdrawn from Fairford Air Base due to the incident, seemingly contradicting what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said earlier.Read moreUS Navy helicopter may have crashed off Saudi coast — portalAccording to a report by BNO News, the helicopter sent a distress signal and then disappeared from flight-tracking platformsRead moreAJet aircraft being inspected after bomb threat note found onboardSanliurfa Airport has been temporarily closed for departures and arrivalsRead moreNew York Times to close soon, great day for America — TrumpThe US president criticized the newspaper for publishing what he called a photo "doctored by The Times" of Trump National Doral, his resort and hotel complex near Miami, Florida, which will host the G20 summitRead moreZelensky creates police state to stay in power, Ukrainian lawmaker saysAnna Skorokhod added that there is no one in the Verkhovna Rada who has the power and the voiceRead moreRussian troops liberate Samoilovka community in Zaporozhye Region in past day — top brassAccording to the latest figures, the Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,435 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hoursRead moreUkrainian forces deliberately block evacuation of bodies in Alyoshki — Russian envoyAccording to Rodion Miroshnik, the Ukrainian military continued mining roads, while local civilians came under fire as they traveled to a neighboring community to obtain foodRead moreBrazilian court to review Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year sentence after electionThe former head of state was accused of attempting a coup and staging an armed insurrection following his defeat in the 2022 electionRead more2026 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate to be named in StockholmThe names of the laureates remain confidential until the official announcementRead moreIrkutsk Region records about 16,000 ARVI cases weeklyThere was no upward trend in case numbers over the past 14 daysRead moreOver 1 mln Russians visit Vietnam, Russia becomes country’s largest European marketVietnam welcomed more than 17.7 mln international tourists in the first nine months of 2026Read moreIsrael tightens rules for Red Wings following Flydubai incident — airlineRed Wings will continue to operate flights to Israel in fullRead moreContacts of sick woman in Irkutsk Region diagnosed with Covid, rhinovirus infectionNo other infectious disease pathogens were detected in any of the contactsRead moreARVI incidence in Irkutsk Region 12.6% below epidemic threshold — watchdogAccording to the report, the incidence rate corresponds to long-term averagesRead moreGlobal oil inventories ‘scarily thin,’ Saudi Aramco CEO warns — BloombergAccording to Amin Nasser, global oil consumption continues to rise, meaning that countries will require additional supplies for at least the next two years to replenish their inventoriesRead morePoland not going to evacuate its embassy from Kiev — foreign ministryOn October 3, the Russian foreign ministry once again warned foreign nationals, including diplomatic missions’ personnel, against staying in or traveling to UkraineRead moreSeven injured in drone attack on passenger bus in DPR’s GorlovkaThe bus was attacked in the Kalininsky DistrictRead moreOver half of Ukrainians don’t want Zelensky to run for president again — pollThe poll was conducted over the phone on September 12-21, 2026 and involved 1,002 respondents aged 18 and olderRead moreNearly 190 bears posing threat to people culled in YakutiaA total of 345 decisions on population regulation have been issued, covering 620 animalsRead morePutin thanks teachers who raised special military operation heroesThe Russian leader noted that the daily work of teachers, their attention, and honest and trusting conversations with students shaped their worldview, character, strength of spirit and will to winRead moreTurkey, Pakistan to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia to defend kingdomThe deployment will be carried out in accordance with the national laws of the member states, the joint statement, issued following an emergency meeting of the alliance’s committee, saysRead moreAfD intends to drop demands for Germany exiting EU, eurozone — mediaThe program provides for transforming the European Union into a Union of Sovereign NationsRead moreTanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz — UKMTOThere are no reported casualties or environmental impactRead moreMedvedev DQ'd from match against Djokovic for hitting fan with ballWith Djokovic leading 7:5, 5:3, Daniil Medvedev sent a ball into the stands after a lost rally, hitting a fan in the headRead morePress review: White House names AI czar as Greece, Germany seek Ukraine aid auditTop stories from the Russian press on Monday, October 5thRead moreRussia condemns Flydubai co-pilot’s crime — Foreign MinistryMoscow took notice of the statement by the UAE Prosecutor General’s office, which classified the incident as an attempted terror attackRead moreHomes, outbuildings, vehicles damaged in Moscow Region drone attackGovernor Andrey Vorobyov reported that emergency responders are working in all affected areasRead morePress review: Slovakia blocks Russian asset seizure as Europe youth protests spreadTop stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, October 6thRead moreRussian forces strike enemy radars in Poltava, Odessa regions, data centers across UkraineThe Russian military continued to carry out strikes targeting Ukrainian logistics hubs, transport facilities and port infrastructure as well as sea vessels, the Russian Defense ministry reportedRead moreRussian military to continue its work regardless of embassy decisions in Kiev — Kremlin"The decision is up to those countries that have diplomatic missions in Kiev," Dmitry Peskov saidRead moreGeran drones strike several data centers in UkraineThe Russian Defense Ministry said these centers processed data for government and commercial services, including those used by the Ukrainian armed forcesRead moreWorld’s most famous stealth aircraftTASS is reviewing world's most famous stealth aircraft while Japan is about to become the fourth country in the world possessing oneRead moreRubio says US could suspend operations of embassy in KievThe US secretary of state believes it is not a surprise to anyone that Kiev is under attackRead moreUkrainian army fights 'tooth and nail' for Krasny Liman, energy sites attacked — DPR headDenis Pushilin said that Russian forces cleared Ukrainian troops from the residential sector in the eastern part of Dobropolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and battles continue in the north and center of that townRead moreDeath toll from drone attack on Moscow Region rises to 2 — governorNine people were injured in the attack, Andrey Vorobyov addedRead moreIN BRIEF: Fatalities in Moscow Region, injury in Smolensk Region, UAV attacks aftermathAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver, Tula and Moscow Regions, Crimea and the Sea of AzovRead moreWHO calls public health risk low after Irkutsk pneumonia caseSpokesman Christian Lindmeier said that all of the patient’s contacts "have reportedly been identified and are being monitored for illness"Read moreAnother data center in Kiev ceases operationsAccording to earlier reports, Russian forces hit various data centers in Kiev at least 18 times in SeptemberRead moreBrazilian senator backed by two eliminated presidential candidates — TVAccording to a report by CNN Brasil, Flavio Bolsonaro has secured the support of former Goias Governor Ronaldo Caiado, who received 2.18% of the vote, and former Minas Gerais Governor Romeu ZemaRead moreHainan tops inbound tourism destinations under China Travel initiativeThe newspaper noted that the island had transformed from “a simple destination” to “the number one place to visit” thanks to better service quality and a large-scale modernizationRead moreKiev faces transport collapse after bridges damagedThe traffic situation has forced many drivers to abandon their cars in favor of the subway, the media reportedRead morePutin could speak on Ukraine at news conference after Belarus talks on Thursday — KremlinThe Russian president is scheduled to take questions jointly with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander LukashenkoRead moreUkrainian army expanding rationing, tightening audit measures — expertAndrey Marochko noted that the Russian Armed Forces’ strikes on bridges in Kiev shocked both the authorities in Kiev and the general publicRead moreTwo commercial ships hit with drones in Black Sea off BulgariaThe Togo-flagged Alfa Watan suffered severe damage before sinkingRead moreRussia faces one of largest drone attacks of 2026 — TASS calculationsUkrainian UAVs were intercepted and destroyed over 12 Russian regionsRead moreBrazilian senator leads incumbent by 1.87 percentage points — election authorityThe conservative opposition candidate finished nearly 2.225 million votes ahead of the incumbentRead moreIN BRIEF: Key statements by Finance Minister Siluanov at Federation Council meetingPayments to veterans and people with disabilities, as well as maternity capital, will be adjusted to the previous year's inflation rate, Anton Siluanov saidRead moreNobel Prize for Medicine awarded to three scientists for their work in optogeneticsKarl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were selected as the winnersRead moreNew powerful explosions rock ammo depot in Russia's SiberiaAt least ten people have been injuredRead moreNepal ends search for missing after devastating flood — agencyThe National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management recommended the finance ministry approve the allocation of $3.6 billion on 504 reconstruction and rehabilitation programs in flood-hit regions and on developing an emergency warning systemRead moreTrump says Los Angeles, San Diego could be destroyed amid Iran warThe US president did not explain his remarksRead moreFrench army test-fires new nuclear-capable missile — news agencyThe agency noted that French President Emmanuel Macron observed the test firingRead moreTrump approves firing-squad execution of 2009 Fort Hood shooterNidal Hasan carried out the deadliest shooting of its kind ever carried out at a US military baseRead moreExpert sees no grounds for restoring Nord Stream 2 gas pipelineAlexey Gromov noted that despite the rationale behind the idea, Europe was unlikely to change its chosen political courseRead moreBrazil unlikely to change policy toward Russia after election - expertThe first round of Brazil’s presidential election was held on October 4Read moreContinuing war with Russia to mean death for Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker warnsAccording to Artyom Dmitruk, Ukraine’s key national priority today should be diplomacy and peaceRead moreGlobal trade to feel impact of US-Iran war for long time — Russian ministerExperts have yet to assess the full extent of the consequences, Maxim Reshetnikov notedRead moreUkraine facing armed revolt due to corruption, failures on front — Russian MPMikhail Sheremet recalled that the atrocities committed by officers of the territorial recruitment centers had become an everyday reality in UkraineRead moreRussian stock market closes higher on key indicesThe MOEX Index climbed 1.86% to finish Monday's main trading session at 2,319.57 points, while the RTS Index edged up 0.12% to 860.36 pointsRead moreTrump believes Iran involved in Flydubai incidentThe US president also pointed out that Washington knew who was behind the threat that prompted the US to withdraw all its B-1 strategic bombers from the UK’s RAF FairfordRead moreUkrainian attacks kill 29 Russian civilians over past week — diplomatAccording to Rodion Miroshnik, 230 civilian casualties were caused by Ukrainian drone strikes, accounting for 98% of all casualties reported in the past weekRead moreSome 650 UAVs head toward Moscow Region overnight — mayorSergey Sobyanin reported that the majority of them were neutralized by air defenses at long rangeRead more