DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday blamed foreigners for last week's deadly protests following a disputed election in which two main opposition candidates were barred from challenging her bid for another term.
A regional African bloc, meanwhile, said the Oct. 29 election had fallen short of its standards for democratic elections.
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Tanzanian Army fires a 21 gun salute during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzania security personnel salute as the national anthem is sung during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzania Navy soldiers march in formation during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Supporters of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) sing during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Stranded passengers wait for their delayed flights at the Zanzibar International Airport, Tanzania, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzanian soldiers patrol the street during vote counting in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan casts her vote during the general elections at Chamwino polling station in Dodoma, Tanzania, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
In her first comments after she was sworn in, Hassan acknowledged the “loss of lives” and asserted that “it was not a surprise that those arrested were from other countries,” without giving details. She vowed to unite the country and urged security agencies to ensure that normalcy returns.
Her swearing-in was held on government-owned grounds in the administrative capital of Dodoma, a departure from her previous inauguration at a packed football stadium, as tensions remained high.
It was not clear how many people were killed in the violence around the Oct. 29 election as demonstrators took to the streets of major cities to demand that vote-counting be stopped. The military was deployed to help police quell riots. Internet connectivity has been on and off in the East African nation, disrupting travel and other activities.
Gas stations and grocery shops were still closed Monday in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, with streets nearly empty. In Dodoma, most people stayed home. The government has postponed the reopening of universities, which had been set for Nov. 3.
A spokesman for the U.N. human rights office, Seif Magango, on Friday said there were credible reports of 10 deaths in Dar es Salaam and Shinyanga and Morogoro towns.
The secretary general of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, Charles Kitima, asserted to The Associated Press that “hundreds” of people died, citing reports from communities.
“The president has been sworn in and we hope justice will be served to those who lost their loved ones and that protesters are not targeted,” the Catholic leader said, noting that Tanzania's young people are the most aggrieved.
Observers from a regional bloc Southern African Development Community said in a statement Monday that the Oct. 29 election had fallen short of the bloc’s principles and guidelines for democratic elections, citing the barring of opposition candidates.
The bloc also cited delays in accrediting election observers.
The country's main opposition party, Chadema, has rejected the election results, saying in a statement that they "have no basis in reality.”
Chadema party leader Tundu Lissu has been imprisoned for several months after being charged with treason for calling for electoral reforms that he said were necessary for a free and fair vote. Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo Party, was barred from running.
Internet connections that were shut down in Tanzania on election day resumed Monday, but internet advocacy group Netblocks said there still “widespread restrictions” to many social media and messaging platforms.
Tanzania's government urged public servants to return to work and everyone else to resume their economic activities on Tuesday.
The presidents of Mozambique, Zambia, Burundi and Somalia attended Monday's swearing-in. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged Tanzanians to shun violence.
Kenyan President William Ruto in a statement on Monday called for dialogue in Tanzania to maintain stability. The election violence led to a closure of the main border crossing with Kenya at Namanga, where agricultural goods in trucks have been rotting for days.
Tanzanian Army fires a 21 gun salute during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzania security personnel salute as the national anthem is sung during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzania Navy soldiers march in formation during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Supporters of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party) sing during the inauguration of Zanzibar President elect Hussein Ali Mwinyi at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Stranded passengers wait for their delayed flights at the Zanzibar International Airport, Tanzania, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzanian soldiers patrol the street during vote counting in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan casts her vote during the general elections at Chamwino polling station in Dodoma, Tanzania, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East” in talks at the Vatican on Thursday aimed at easing tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
Rubio met with Leo and then Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a visit that lasted 2½ hours.
Also, Iran said it was reviewing the latest American proposals on ending the war, as Trump threatened the country with a new wave of bombing unless a deal is reached that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. The developments followed days of mixed messaging from the Trump administration over its strategy to end the war.
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The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the closed-door talks, said the meeting would take place next week on May 14 and 15. The official did not specify the venue but the previous two rounds have taken place at the State Department and the White House.
The earlier rounds were led by the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon and the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in both and President Trump greeted the participants at the second.
— Matthew Lee
The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on an Iraqi oil official, several Iraqi firms and leaders of Iran-backed militias accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions and finance militants.
The Treasury Department alleges that Iraq’s deputy oil minister, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, helped divert Iraqi oil and falsify documents so Iranian oil could be sold as Iraqi oil, benefiting Iran and allied militias.
“Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran’s military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement Thursday.
The Vatican said the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace” was discussed in talks Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who came to Rome on a fence-mending visit after President Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
During Rubio’s meeting with Leo, and the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed,” the Vatican said.
In a statement, the Vatican said the two sides then exchanged views on current events “with particular attention to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as on the need to work tirelessly in favor of peace.”
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are debating a plan that could carve up a majority-Black congressional district, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Trump’s strategy to try to hold on to a slim House majority in the November midterm elections.
Protesters shouted “No Jim Crow” outside the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers convened to consider the legislation. The redistricting effort in Tennessee is one of several rapidly advancing plans in Southern states as Republicans try to leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act.
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The U.S. stock market is holding near its records as oil prices keep dropping on hopes that a deal may be nearing to allow tankers to carry crude once again from the Persian Gulf.
The S&P 500 added 0.1% early Thursday to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 193 points, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.1%.
DoorDash jumped after reporting better results than expected. Whirlpool tumbled after reporting much weaker results than expected. The seller of home appliances said it would raise prices by at least 10% for some of its offerings, while accelerating cost cuts.
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Supreme Court justices are not “political actors,” Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday, insisting unpopular court decisions are based solely on the law.
“I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” he said. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.”
His remarks to a conference of judges and lawyers from the 3rd U.S. Circuit in Pennsylvania came at a time of low public confidence in the court, and about a week after the court handed down a decision that hollowed out the Voting Rights Act.
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Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are poised to take up a plan Thursday that could carve up a majority-Black congressional district, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Trump’s strategy to try to hold on to a slim House majority in the November midterm elections.
The redistricting effort in Tennessee is one of several rapidly advancing plans in Southern states as Republicans try to leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act.
The court ruled Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the federal law. The high court’s decision altered a decades-old understanding of the law, giving Republicans grounds to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV and then Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a visit that lasted 2½ hours.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.
In a separate statement about the Parolin meeting, Pigott said the two diplomats discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” the statement said.
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Trump’s lawyer, hoping for an eventual Supreme Court victory, has asked a federal appeals court in New York to temporarily block a longtime columnist from collecting an $83 million defamation award.
The lawyer told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a filing Tuesday to stay its decision supporting the award so that Trump won’t have to pay writer E. Jean Carroll while he appeals to the high court.
A Manhattan jury awarded Carroll the payout in January 2024. Another jury in May 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million after concluding Trump sexually abused her in a Manhattan luxury department store dressing room in 1996 and then defamed her after she published her account of it in 2019.
Trump has vehemently denied sexually abusing Carroll or ever knowing her and has repeatedly accused her of making accusations against him for political purposes or to promote her memoir.
Attorney Roberta Kaplan, who represents Carroll, declined to comment through a spokesperson.
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Trump’s proposal to put a coat of white paint on the exterior of a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House is slated for a hearing Thursday by a key federal agency, which he expects to approve what would be a dramatic makeover.
The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to begin considering the plan on Thursday, according to its meeting agenda. Trump calls for painting all or most of the Eisenhower building’s gray granite exterior with white paint. He last year called the gray a “really bad color.”
But the proposal has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture, deteriorate the stone and not solve problems the administration wants to fix.
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The Trump administration’s approach to the Iran war over the past 24 hours has pinballed from declarations that a tenuous ceasefire was holding and military operations were over to new threats of bombing the Islamic Republic.
Tuesday started with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explaining how the U.S. military was protecting stranded ships so they could traverse the Strait of Hormuz.
That afternoon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House that the military operation was “concluded” and that the U.S. achieved its objectives. But in almost the same breath, he said Trump was still seeking a “path of peace” that required Iran to agree to a deal to reopen the vital oil shipping corridor.
By Tuesday evening, Trump announced that the effort to protect ships was paused to see if an agreement could be reached. Then on Wednesday morning, he again warned that bombing would resume if Tehran didn’t agree to U.S. terms.
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Iran said it was reviewing the latest American proposals on ending the war, as Trump threatened the country with a new wave of bombing unless a deal is reached that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Hope that the two-month conflict could soon end buoyed international markets on Thursday, even as the U.S. military fired on an Iranian oil tanker attempting to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports hours earlier. The developments followed days of mixed messaging from the Trump administration over its strategy to end the war.
Trump posted on social media that the two-month war could soon end and that oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict could restart. But he said that depends on Iran accepting a reported agreement that he did not detail.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts,” Trump wrote.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened a fence-mending visit to the Vatican on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s broadsides against Pope Leo XIV and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran angered the Holy See and sparked ongoing sparring between the two American leaders.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, had an audience scheduled with Leo, which was complicated at the last minute by Trump’s latest criticism of the Chicago-born pope. Leo has pushed back, calling out Trump’s misrepresentations of his views on Iran and nuclear weapons and insisting that he is merely preaching the biblical message of peace.
Rubio was also due to meet with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who on the eve of his visit strongly defended Leo and criticized Trump’s attacks in understated diplomatic terms. “Attacking him like that or criticizing what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Parolin said Wednesday.
Parolin said Washington had requested Rubio’s audience, and that the pope was open to continued dialogue.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a Mother's Day event for members of the military, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in the East Room of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump adjusts his microphone while speaking during an event for military mothers in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
