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Good afternoon and welcome to your afternoon news update from AP. Today, U.S. stocks surged as oil prices plunged below $100 a barrel after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire; how Rwanda is using satellite imagery and strict land rules to protect farmland as development expands; and one of the world's most famous highways turns 100 years old.

UP FIRST

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on a screen as traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Wall Street, global markets surge after US-Iran ceasefire sends oil prices below $100 a barrel

Major U.S. stock indexes rose around 3% in early trading, following even bigger gains in European and Asian markets. However, stock prices are still below where they were before the war, and oil prices remain higher because of the threat that the war could continue. Read more. 

TOP STORIES

A vertical farm set up in a home compound by Eza Neza, or "Grow Well," which installs vertical farms in the city and describes them as scalable, in Kigali, Rwanda, March 18. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Rwanda tries to protect farmland in Africa’s most densely populated nation

Rwanda has started to use satellite imagery and strict land rules to protect farmland in its capital, Kigali, as development expands. The country is striving to ensure food security amid the latest global pressures on farm inputs like fertilizer, whose prices have been rising since the Iran war began. Developers who encroach on land meant for agriculture face fines of up to $3,000 and jail terms of up to six months. Read more. 

Route 66, a quintessential American road trip heavy on kitsch and history, turns 100 

One of the world's most famous highways is marking its centennial this year. Despite losing its status decades ago as one of the nation’s main arteries, people from around the world still flock to it to take perhaps the quintessential American road trip and soak in its neon lights, kitschy motels and attractions, and culinary offerings. It was a Dust Bowl escape route for many in the 1930s, a key military supply line during World War II and later a symbol for mobility and freedom. Read more.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Gilgo Beach killings: Rex Heuermann set to plead guilty, ending long search for a serial killer

Terror plot: Men charged with bringing bombs to NYC protest were recorded discussing plan, indictment says

Scam operation: Inside a huge compound on Thailand-Cambodia border where 10,000 workers scammed people globally

Midair scare: Nantucket flight returns after part of a cabin door opens midair

Hersheypark zoo: Parents charged after toddler slips into wolf area and gets hurt

WATCH: A native seabird population is surging in Honolulu, finding a home among office towers and traffic

TRENDING

A killer whale swims in Elliott Bay in front of the downtown Seattle skyline on April 1. The orca is a part of a pod that had not been recorded by researchers in this region until this past month when three whales appeared in waters off British Columbia and Washington state. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes) 

Orcas never seen before in Seattle delight whale watchers with a visit

When tourists travel to Seattle, it’s common to take in the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from Puget Sound. It’s an itinerary that a newly arrived pod of killer whales appears to be following too. Three orcas that had not previously been recorded in the Seattle area have delighted whale watchers with several visits just off downtown this past month. They’ve also cruised by other shorelines in the region.