Thursday June 11, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe, newly elected president of Somalia’s Southwest State, formally assumed office on Thursday in a handover ceremony held at the presidential palace in Baidoa. He succeeds Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, who had been serving as interim leader of the regional administration. The ceremony brought together federal and Southwest State officials, representatives of government agencies, politicians, traditional elders and other dignitaries. Jibril transferred official…

By: Joshua FreemanThursday June 11, 2026 Mayor Olivia Chow speaks at an event on May 19, 2026. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says a Somali referee barred from entering the United States for World Cup duties would be welcome in Toronto instead, adding a new Canadian voice to a growing debate over the decision. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national scheduled to referee at the World Cup was found inadmissible for entry into the U.S. “During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a…

By: Joshua FreemanThursday June 11, 2026 Mayor Olivia Chow appears at an event on May 19, 2026. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says a Somali referee blocked from entering the United States for World Cup duties would be welcome to officiate in Toronto instead. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national who had planned to referee at the World Cup was found inadmissible to the U.S. “During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers…

Thursday June 11, 2026 World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday threw his support behind Somali referee Omar Artan after reports emerged that he had been refused entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup. “Omar Artan didn’t just make the FIFA World Cup, he made history as the first Somali referee to get there, and as Africa’s best. That milestone stands no matter what,” Tedros said on X. He said Artan had reached the pinnacle of his profession and, in the process,…

Diyar GuldoganThursday June 11, 2026 FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday brushed aside mounting criticism over travel and visa disputes tied to the 2026 World Cup, urging detractors to “chill, relax” while defending the governing body’s response to the denial of entry to a Somali referee and other restrictions affecting teams, journalists and fans. Addressing reporters in Mexico before the tournament, Infantino said the US decision to deny entry to Somali international referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was…

By Matthew Mpoke BiggReporting from Nairobi, KenyaWednesday June 10, 2026 Khaled Desouki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A Somali referee said Tuesday that the most important dream of his professional career had been cut short after U.S. authorities refused him entry to the country, barring him from the World Cup in North America. Omar Abdulkadir Artan was among 52 referees chosen for the tournament this summer. He was one of seven officials from Africa selected and would have become the first Somali referee to work a…

Wednesday June 10, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a dramatic turn on Wednesday, Southwest State presidential candidate Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden pulled out of the election in Baidoa, saying the process had been compromised by what he described as breaches of an agreement meant to safeguard ballot secrecy and the credibility of the vote. At a news conference, Sharif Hassan said he, the electoral commission and the acting president had previously agreed that lawmakers would not be allowed to take mobile phones into the election hall.…

Wednesday June 10, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Lower House Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe secured the presidency of Southwest State on Wednesday in a vote in Baidoa that unfolded after a leading contender pulled out, citing alleged election irregularities. The Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced that Madobe won 88 votes. Abdiasis Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawaari, his remaining rival, received one vote, and one ballot was ruled invalid. Ninety members of the Southwest House of…

By  OMAR FARUKWednesday June 10, 2026 A scene of celebration greeted Somalia’s Omar Artan on Wednesday when the World Cup referee, blocked from entering the United States, landed in Mogadishu to applause, cheers and Somali flags. Artan said he still intends to reach the next World Cup and urged young Somalis to stand tall and be proud of their nation. Artan had been poised to become the first referee from Somalia to work at a World Cup after earning a place on FIFA’s final tournament list. Already regarded as one of…

By  OMAR FARUKWednesday June 10, 2026 When Omar Artan stepped off the plane in Mogadishu on Wednesday, he was met not as a disappointed official but as a national symbol — a Somali World Cup referee whose journey to football’s biggest stage had been abruptly halted by the United States. Artan, who had been poised to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after landing on FIFA’s final tournament list, told the cheering crowd in Somalia’s capital that his dream was far from over. A leading figure in…