By SYLVIE CORBET and MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS

PAPHOS, Cyprus (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday pledged to defend Cyprus, days after dispatching a warship to the east Mediterranean island nation, where a Shahed drone struck a British air base on its southern coast last week during the Iran war.

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“When Cyprus is attacked, it is Europe that is attacked,” Macron said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Cyprus’ main air base near the southwestern town of Paphos. “We are bound to one another by strategic partnerships.”

The French president paid a visit to Cyprus to demonstrate his “full solidarity” with Cyprus, which sustained the first drone attack of the Iran war on European territory.

Macron had ordered the French frigate Languedoc to waters off Cyprus, a fellow European Union member, to bolster its anti-drone and anti-missiles defenses. The French president also sent last week ground-based anti-drone and anti-missile defenses to the island.

Greece already dispatched four F-16 fighter planes to the Paphos air base and its two state-of-the-art frigates Kimon and Psara are already patrolling offshore Cyprus, tasked with intercepting any missiles or drones.

Macron hails ‘unprecedented’ show of strength

In a show of strength, Macron said he would also deploy a total of eight warships, two helicopter carriers and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East region, calling the move “unprecedented.” He is due to go aboard the De Gaulle, which is currently sailing “very near” Cyprus.

Macron pointed to a French-led initiative currently in the works that will involve European and non-European nations helping to escort oil and gas tankers with the aim of gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible after the most intense phase of the conflict is over.”

Christodoulides said the leaders’ presence in Cyprus underscores how the EU remains “united and determined” to ensure the security of its member states.

“Our countries have the common believe that the European Union must engage more actively, more strategically and more coherently with the wider region as part of a comprehensive approach,” Christodoulides said.

Mitsotakis echoed the Cypriot president, saying that “now is the time to make clear that every inch of European territory is inviolable” but stressed that any action is purely defensive in posture.

“Our sole and exclusive aim it to strengthen the defense of a European Union member state against any threat,” said Mitsotakis. “And we’re not going to accept any part of European territory, like Cyprus, to be exposed to the slightest danger.”

EU leaders seek to contain Middle East conflict

Macron has been deeply involved in diplomatic talks in recent days to try to avoid further escalation in the Middle East. On Sunday, he spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and urged him to stop strikes.

Last week, Macron ordered the De Gaulle to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets, citing the drone strike on Cyprus. Cyprus and France signed a new strategic partnership in December.

Despite the military buildup, the three leaders have urged against any expansion of the conflict. Christodoulides has repeatedly underscored that Cyprus won’t take part in any military operation and remains focused on its regional humanitarian role that includes a maritime corridor sending aid to Gaza via the Israeli port of Ashdod.

The Shahed drone caused minor damage to a hangar at the RAF Akrotiri air base minutes after midnight on March 2. No one was injured. Another two drones were intercepted by British Typhoon and F-35 warplanes that were scrambled from the air base shortly after midday that day.

Cyprus officials confirmed last week that the Shahed originated from Lebanon and believe that it was launched by the Hezbollah militant group, Iran’s proxy in the country. Hezbollah’s arsenal notably includes exploding drones, similar to the ones used by Iran.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on Sunday condemned the drone attack.

“I called on our Cypriot friends not to confuse the Lebanese state with those acting outside its authority and legal framework,” said Rajji, a staunch opponent of Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government has ordered its security agencies to crack down on non-state groups carrying out attacks.

Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm in the country and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel continues to pound Hezbollah positions.

“Our goal is simple, Hezbollah must cease all strikes from Lebanese territory, because it is putting all Lebanese people in danger,” Macron said, while urging Israel to cease its strikes in Lebanon.

Menelaos Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Kareem Chehayeb contributed to this report from Beirut.

WASHINGTON — Justice Department lawyers announced Monday that they’d reached a settlement in their antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, in a case that alleged an illegal monopoly over live events in America. But it remained possible that some states might continue a trial on their own.

The announcement by the Justice Department at the start of the trial in federal court in Manhattan was greeted angrily by Judge Arun Subramanian, who said no one informed him of the tentative deal until late Sunday even though a term sheet for a possible settlement was signed on Thursday.

“It’s entirely unacceptable,” he said.

Adam Gitlin, a lawyer for the District of Columbia, said the states were requesting a mistrial, although the state of Texas had expressed “serious concerns” about the deal between the U.S. and Live Nation and states have not yet agreed to the deal.

David Marriott, a lawyer for Live Nation, said the company opposed a mistrial and believed it should proceed.

The Department of Justice and Live Nation didn’t immediately respond to requests by The Associated Press for comment.

It comes as the two sides face trial in New York over whether to dismantle the monopoly the Justice Department said was squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.

The case, brought under President Joe Biden ‘s Democratic administration in 2024, accused Live Nation of using threats, retaliation and other tactics to “suffocate the competition” by controlling virtually every aspect of the industry, from concert promotion to ticketing.

The Justice Department accused Live Nation of engaging in a slew of practices that have allowed it to maintain a stranglehold over the live music scene. The Justice Department has said the company uses long-term contracts to keep venues from choosing rival ticketers, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers and threatening venues that they could lose money and fans if they don’t choose Ticketmaster.

Live Nation has maintained that artists and teams set prices and decide how tickets are sold.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment, based in Beverly Hills, California, have a long history of clashes with major artists and their fans, including Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.

Ticketmaster, which was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010, is the world’s largest ticket seller across live music, sports, theater and more.

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By JUSTIN SPIKE

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s Russia-friendly leader is urging the European Union to lift all sanctions on Russian fossil fuels to remedy spikes in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, considered the Kremlin’s closest partner in the EU, said in a video posted to social media on Monday that he’d sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after “oil prices began to grow explosively.”

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The Iran war, now in its second week, has ensnared places that are critical to the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf, leading to price surges on global markets.

In the video, Orbán said that the 27-nation EU must “review and suspend all sanctions on Russian energy across Europe.” He added he had convened an emergency government meeting on Monday to assess how to prevent further spikes in gasoline and diesel prices in Hungary.

Orbán’s nationalist government has long opposed EU efforts to cut Russian energy imports, and along with neighboring Slovakia has maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas since Moscow launched all-out war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Both countries have received a temporary exemption from an EU policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil, and have until recently taken Russian crude supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine.

But oil deliveries through the Druzhba have been halted since Jan. 27, leading to an escalating feud between Hungary and Ukraine. The Ukrainian government says that a Russian drone strike damaged the pipeline’s infrastructure, but Orbán has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up the oil supplies.

In response, Orbán vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia, and is blocking a major $106 billion EU loan for Ukraine until flows are resumed.

Orbán, lagging in most polls just a month before a critical election, has accused Zelenskyy of seeking to cause an energy crisis in Hungary, in order to influence the outcome of the vote — part of his government’s sweeping anti-Ukraine media campaign leading up to the April 12 ballot.

Further inflaming tensions, Hungary on Thursday temporarily detained seven Ukrainian state bank employees and seized two Ukrainian armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash and gold across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering.

Ukraine has insisted the cash shipment was part of regular services between state banks, and strongly denied the money laundering allegations.

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Nepali political party led by an ex-rapper is set for a landslide victory in the country’s first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests ousted the old leadership that has ruled the Himalayan nation for decades.

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The Rastriya Swatantra, or National Independent Party, formed only four years ago, had already won 117 of 165 directly elected seats and led in eight other constituencies in the results published Sunday morning by Nepal’s Election Commission.

Other political parties and independent candidates had won 36 seats in total so far. Officials were still counting the votes Sunday and final results were expected later in the week.

The party’s prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race. He emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

In Nepal, voters directly elect 165 members to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament. The remaining 110 seats in the 275-member body are allocated through a proportional representation system, under which political parties are assigned seats based on their share of the vote. On Sunday, RSP also led that, with about 51% of the 110 seats.

The relatively new RSP has unseated the two long-dominant parties: the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), who have taken turns ruling the country.

Local papers called the sweeping win a historic moment. “RSP set for a landslide victory,” said the popular Himalayan Times. “People’s ballot revolt; shift in political paradigm,” said Annapurna Post.

RSP supporters have been celebrating the win in several constituencies, offering the winners flower garlands, bouquets, scarves and smearing them with red vermilion powder.

“The future prime minister (Shah) has clearly spoken that there will be no compromise when it comes to developing the country,” said RSP party member and volunteer Khagendra Chapagain, who was at the party headquarters in Kathmandu. “Our first agenda is to develop nation, and focus will be to work for health, education and the fight against corruption.”

The party officials, however, have asked their candidates and supporters to refrain from victory rallies or any other public celebrations out of respect for the dozens of lives lost during last year’s youth-led protests.

In Nepal, voters get two ballot papers, one to choose a candidate of their choice who is usually a political party nominee and the other to choose a party they prefer.

RSP clearly has more than half the directly elected seats and the results of the second ballot also show the party has more than 50% of the votes in its favor. They require the support of half the total number of members in the lower chamber of Parliament to form a government.

Analysts say the party would have comfortable numbers in the parliament to form a single-party government but faces challenges running the government.

“The problem or challenge with this new party would be to deliver things, given the limited resources and the limited institutional support. Because people have high expectations, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the new party can fulfill it,” said Keshab Prasad Poudel, an independent analyst.

Last year’s protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular revolt against the government. Dozens were killed and hundreds wounded when protesters attacked government buildings and police opened fire on them.