The Trump administration has stated that a Somali referee, who was scheduled to participate in the World Cup, was barred from entering the United States because of alleged terrorism concerns.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, recognized as an outstanding official in Africa, was removed from FIFA’s roster for the event following the U.S. authorities’ refusal to grant him entry at Miami International Airport.

Consequently, the 34-year-old was placed on a return flight to Turkey, his transit point after departing from Kenya, shattering his aspirations of officiating at the World Cup.

In an interview with the New York Times, Artan expressed his profound disappointment with the decision, stating, “I had the correct documentation and everything. I had the appropriate visa.”

Nonetheless, the Trump administration has addressed the issue, asserting that the referee’s denial of entry was rooted in terrorism-related concerns.

In a statement provided to FOX, a Trump admin official said: ‘This individual was seeking admission to the United States. 

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, a top Somali referee, was denied entry to the US after an 11-hour immigration interview

The Trump administration has claimed that Artan was denied entry into the US due to alleged terrorism fears. President Trump pictured with the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, last July

‘Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

‘The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. 

‘President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country – full stop.’

Previously, US Customs and Border Protection had said in a statement: ‘The traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of C.B.P.’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.

‘Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.’

FIFA initially confirmed last week that Artan’s visa situation had been ‘fully resolved and he will now be available to officiate at the FIFA World Cup’.

But on Monday night the governing body released a statement, reading: ‘Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

‘Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who has been acclaimed as the best official in Africa, was dropped from FIFA’s list for the tournament after American authorities refused to grant him entry

Somalis hold pictures of Artan, who had been expected to officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup but was refused entry to the United States, during a match in Somalia on Tuesday

‘In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.’

Meanwhile, when discussing the matter with the New York Times, Artan said: ‘I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.’

The Somali official also claimed that he also showed documentation from FIFA and photographs of his career as a professional referee to border officials.

They also checked online material about his career, said Artan – who was named referee of the year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.

The official claims his immigration interview ended after 11 hours, before he was taken to a separate holding cell. He was detained there for several more hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul, despite officials not giving him a reason for denying him entry to the US.

Somalia features on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list and last month he said of Somali immigrants in America: ‘They’re all crooks.’ 

In January he called the nation ‘the worst country in the world’. 

Somalia features on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list and last month he said of Somali immigrants in America: ‘They’re all crooks’ 

Artan said: ‘I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.’ 

The United States has refused to issue visas to some members of Iran’s staff for the World Cup. 

Iran players landed in Mexico at the weekend and the entire squad were pictured disembarking from their plane with pins on their clothing bearing the number 168, a reference to the number of people killed by what was believed to be a US missile in February. 

Last week Iraqi World Cup star Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for almost seven hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. 

He was eventually allowed to enter, along with the rest of the Iraq squad, but the team’s photographer was barred from entering the country. 

The San Francisco residence of Olympic freestyle skiing sensation Eileen Gu has become a topic of conversation in the Sea Cliff area, after a significant amount of discarded household items appeared outside her family home, prompting concern among local residents.

On Tuesday, neighbors were greeted by a sidewalk cluttered with a couch, mattress, broken furniture, clothing, books, medication bottles, and various other items. The sheer volume of debris was enough to obscure a nearby fire hydrant.

This led to a formal complaint being lodged with the city’s 311 system on Monday evening.

By the following morning, a Recology worker had visited the site to assess the situation, only to discover that no arrangement had been made for a scheduled pickup.

The next morning, a Recology worker arrived to inspect the scene but reportedly found no scheduled pickup.

After receiving no answer at the front door, the worker initially declined to remove the items.

Neighbor Ira Glick, a Stanford academic, told The San Francisco Standard he tried contacting the Gu family after learning no one had responded.

Eileen Gu’s mother, Yan Gu, disputed the impression that the family had simply dumped the items at the curb.

She told the SF Standard she moved the belongings outside around 1 a.m. and had carefully packed them into roughly 20 boxes, covering them in case it rained.

Yan Gu said she was shocked to discover the contents scattered across the sidewalk and blamed either scavengers or what she called “vicious people” for tearing through the pile.

She also claimed someone pulled out a shirt bearing her daughter’s name, which she viewed as a deliberate act.

According to Yan Gu, a truck was already on its way Tuesday afternoon to remove the items.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the family and some neighbors.

Glick said the Gu family had recently hired a gardener and had also been involved in a dispute with another resident over property boundaries.

Another neighbor told the SF Standard he had not spoken with the family in four or five years following a disagreement over a newly installed driveway.

Yan Gu, meanwhile, accused that neighbor of maintaining reflective spinning weather vanes that cast light into her home “like a disco ball,” forcing the family to keep curtains closed.

City records show the Gu’s property has faced multiple complaints over the years.

An April 28 complaint alleged the home suffered from neglect, overgrown vegetation and trash issues that attracted rodents and birds, though a city inspector found no housing-code violations the following day.

The property was also the subject of sewage-related complaints in January 2024. Inspection records described standing, bubbling sewage in the backyard before a contractor cleaned the area and agreed to obtain permits for permanent repairs.

In a separate matter, the home is named in a lawsuit filed Jan. 28 in San Francisco Superior Court.

Plaintiff Adolfo Avila Chavez alleges he suffered severe injuries while performing gardening work at the property in July 2024 after falling from a 10-foot ramp that had been improperly positioned.

The lawsuit names Yan Gu and contractor Hector Alvarez as defendants.

According to the complaint, Alvarez was an unlicensed and uninsured contractor who hired Avila Chavez and failed to provide safety equipment.

The suit claims the fall resulted in lasting injuries.

Built in 1925, the Sea Cliff home has been the subject of neighborhood complaints and city inquiries for more than a decade.

Neither defendant has filed a response.

Although she was born and raised in San Francisco, Gu competes internationally for China.

She is the most decorated female freeskier in Olympic history, possessing a historic career total of six Olympic medals (3 Gold, 3 Silver).

Initially, Jonathan Corey Barnes paid little attention to his persistent cough and frequent need to clear his throat. It seemed like just a minor irritation to the 49-year-old father, who can’t quite pinpoint when it all began.

Even when friends and family voiced their concerns, Barnes brushed them off. “I assumed it was just allergies and never thought it could be anything serious,” he explained.

However, that seemingly harmless symptom was actually the first indication of a much graver issue.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, that nagging cough was an early sign of lung cancer, the deadliest form of cancer worldwide, claiming more lives than any other type.

Although he didn’t realize it at the time, that persistent cough was a symptom of lung cancer – the world’s deadliest cancer, responsible for more deaths than any other type.

And, by the time the Nashville firefighter did finally see a doctor, worried by a slew of other symptoms that began to stack up, it was too late for a cure.

His cancer was advanced and tumors riddled his body. 

Today, despite his difficult prognosis, Barnes remains optimistic – and is speaking about his traumatic experience in a bid to warn others not to ignore common lung cancer symptoms like he did. 

Jonathan Corey Barnes, who family call Corey, with his wife Sutton, 48, and their daughter Reese, 16, while on vacation in Florida

The American Lung Association and, in the UK, the NHS both recommend that adults who have had a cough for more than three weeks should see a doctor. 

The most likely cause is a common cold, but a longer duration warrants medical evaluation to rule out secondary infections or underlying conditions.

If initial treatments are ineffective, after around eight weeks X‑rays and other scans may be needed to rule out serious underlying lung disease such as pneumonia, lung cancer or interstitial lung disease.

Experts also warn that if a long-term cough is accompanied by other red-flag symptoms – such as coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, persistent chest pain, or shortness of breath – people should seek urgent medical help to rule out a sinister cause. 

For Barnes, it was developing mysterious shoulder pain in October 2023 that finally saw him visit a doctor. 

He had just worked a full day shift at the fire station and was just sitting down to watch television in the common area when it began. 

A wave of nausea washed over him, too.

‘I had been sitting down for maybe 10, 15 minutes, when it started,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘I started to feel sick, like you do when you are getting a cold too. I would get cold chill or be unable to stay warm. 

‘I didn’t tell anyone when it started. But after an hour, I had to go home. It was too bad to stay at work.’

Barnes managed to sleep that night but when he woke up the next morning and the pain and sick feeling were still there, he drove to urgent care.

Shoulder pain is an incredibly common complication in the US, with almost 70 percent of adults experiencing it at least once in their lives. 

While most of the time it is explained by benign causes, such as awkward posture or lifting heavy objects, pulling a muscle, in rare cases, it may be a warning sign of a life-threatening problem.

In the case of heart disease, pain from the heart can be ‘referred’ to the shoulder because shared nerve pathways cause the brain to misinterpret its origin – meaning a heart attack may present as pain in the shoulder, arm, neck or jaw. 

Cancer can also occasionally trigger shoulder discomfort. Tumors in the chest – particularly certain lung cancers – may irritate nearby nerves or spread to the bones, leading to persistent shoulder pain, sometimes without any obvious injury.

Once Barnes sought medical help, things moved quickly. 

He underwent scans that revealed ‘an area of concern’ in his upper left lung, although it was initially suggested he may have pneumonia. 

He was prescribed an antibiotic and told to see a pulmonologist for another assessment – the next appointment was in six months.

‘I was assured that was what it was at the time,’ he said. 

‘I had never had pneumonia before, but I did believe the doctor and think that was what was going on. I didn’t think it would be anything else.

‘I had never smoked before and I had no family history of cancer, so there was no reason to suspect it was anything untoward.

‘I am a firefighter, but I’d never worry about that raising my risk of cancer.’

He said he had heard about ‘the studies’ that suggested firefighters had a raised risk of cancer, but he and colleagues made light of them. 

‘We have a different sense of humor,’ he added. 

A large body of research has established that firefighters face a significantly higher risk of cancer than the general population. 

Barnes on a trip to Disney World, Florida, last year. It was organized for his wife and daughter, who are both major Disney fans 

The main driver of this is exposure to toxic fumes billowing from burning buildings.

Mesothelioma, which is a rare type of lung cancer related to asbestos exposure, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, skin cancers and blood cancers are all seen more commonly in firefighters.

And a landmark study of 30,000 firefighters by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showed as a firefighter’s cumulative ‘fire hours’ increased, their risk of lung cancer diagnosis and death went up.

Unprepared to wait for the pulmonologist, and with the pain and sick feeling persisting, Barnes contacted his primary care doctor, who got him an appointment for a CT scan on Halloween.

That revealed the mass in his lung  about the size of a softball, and another on his left adrenal gland, an organ above the kidneys that releases hormones.

His doctors had to admit, this might not be pneumonia after all.  

‘That was a little worrying,’ Barnes said. ‘We were hoping and praying that it was just pneumonia or that the two masses were unrelated. But we found out that was not the case.’

An MRI scan also revealed a sand-grain sized growth there. A fourth small tumor was detected in his aortocaval lymph node, too, a lymph node at the back of the abdomen.

Doctors took a biopsy of the tumor in his lung. By late November, they had the diagnosis: It was lung cancer. 

It had spread, so it was incurable, and it was ALK-positive, a rare subtype driven by a specific genetic mutation that causes cancer cells to grow uncontrollably.

‘My heart sank,’ Barnes said. ‘I didn’t want to ask my doctor about the survival rate. But I have a cousin who’s worked at an oncology department for five years, she told me that I might only live for two years.’

About 230,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer every year, while some 125,000 die from the disease every year.

In the UK, around 50,000 people are diagnosed and it claims roughly 32,800 lives annually, making it the country’s leading cause of cancer death.

Between four and five percent of these patients have the ALK-positive version.

It tends to affect younger patients and people who have never smoked, making it distinct from more typical forms of lung cancer. 

Crucially, however, outcomes for this group have improved dramatically in recent years. A new generation of targeted drugs – known as ALK inhibitors – can slow the disease for years, with some patients now living far longer than was previously possible. 

Barnes was offered one of these, lorlatinib, also known by the brand name Lorbrena.

The targeted therapy works by blocking proteins in cancer cells that allow them to grow – and it is proving remarkably effective.

Data released earlier this month by Pfizer showed that more than half of patients on the drug were still alive without their cancer worsening after seven years – an unprecedented result for advanced lung cancer.

By contrast, earlier treatments such as crizotinib, while effective, typically kept the disease under control for less than a year on average, with patients’ cancer progressing after around nine to ten months.

Barnes said he signed up for lorlatinib immediately.

He started to take the pill in December 2023, taking it once a day in the morning with a glass of water. 

And, finally, there was good news. A second MRI in mid-January revealed the lesion on his brain had completely disappeared, while another full-body scan the following month showed his tumors had shrunk by more than half.

The plan now is to keep taking the medication every day for as long as it works – and the hope is that it will continue to keep his disease at bay. 

Barnes, who hopes to see his daughter graduate college in 2028, is elated with the results.

‘It’s amazing,’ he said. ‘If you were to see me out, you would never think I have stage four lung cancer. It’s unbelievable, just mind–blowing. 

‘It’s given me the hope that I’ll be here for all the things I, frankly, didn’t think I was going to be here for. I just had such a dim future before.’