The development in Leeming Bar, led by Broadacres, is located at Harkness Close, off Bedale Road.

Broadacres is working in partnership with contractor Keepmoat and supported by a £7.5 million grant from Homes England.

A CGI of what one of the finished homes will look like (Image: Supplied)

The scheme will deliver one to four-bedroom homes, with 70 available for social rent and 30 offered through shared ownership.

Claire Townson, chief executive of Broadacres, said: “We are delighted to once again be working in partnership with Keepmoat and Homes England to provide these much-needed affordable homes.

“Alongside a similar scheme in Aiskew, it will mean when the homes are complete, we will have delivered almost 200 homes for local people in a one-mile radius in just a few years.”

Homes will be allocated based on local connection.

Each property will be heated using renewable air-source heat pumps and will feature triple glazing, high levels of insulation, and electric vehicle charging points.

These features are designed to make the homes “net zero ready”.

Ms Townson said the scheme also supports the broader goal of sustaining communities.

She said: “We are committed to ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for current and future generations and the new homes won’t just be affordable, but highly efficient and net zero ready.”

A spokesperson for Homes England said: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting ambitious housebuilders of all sizes to build these homes and communities.

“This investment through the Affordable Homes Programme allows our partners and registered providers to do just that and it has enabled Broadacres to build 100 much-needed new homes the people of Leeming Bar can be proud of.”

The scheme follows the nearby 88-home The Hatchery development on Blind Lane in Aiskew, which is nearing completion.

The MV Hondius is currently carrying almost 150 passengers but the majority have been forced to stay in their rooms after a Hantavirus outbreak, which has killed three people already

Disturbing footage from inside a cruise ship packed with masked passengers and deserted decks has emerged as health workers clad in hazmat suits board the stricken vessel.

Dutch ship MV Hondius, situated off the coast of Cape Verde, is currently carrying nearly 150 stranded passengers. The vast majority of those aboard have locked themselves in their cabins to avoid the deadly Hantavirus, as panic continues to grip the ship.

The virus has already claimed the lives of three passengers and left at least eight others seriously ill. The cruise ship was barred from docking at Port of Praia, Cape Verde, as local authorities left the vessel stranded “with the aim of protecting national public health.”

READ MORE: Brit MV Hondius cruise passengers face ‘up to eight weeks isolation’ after Hantavirus exposure fearsREAD MORE: Actor, 41, dies after sharing heartbreaking last post as agent says he was ‘in the prime of his life’

The Dutch vessel is currently making its way towards Spain after Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands leader, declared he cannot permit it to dock in his territory. Chilling footage obtained by AP has shown ghostly, empty decks as a handful of health workers patrol the ship.

The once vibrant lounges, restaurants and dining halls are eerily empty. MV Hondius is expected to arrive at Santa Cruz de Tenerife within days, reports the Daily Star.

A Spanish government statement confirmed the Canary Islands are the “closest location with the necessary capabilities” to treat those onboard. It added: “Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.”

What is Hantavirus?

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) describes Hantavirus as a collection of viruses carried by rodents including mice and rats, and is spread through contact with their droppings and urine.

Symptoms include:

• fever
• extreme fatigue
• muscle aches
• stomach pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• shortness of breath

In certain cases, patients develop severe respiratory problems and require hospitalisation. Symptoms typically emerge between one and four weeks following exposure, though there are reports of this occurring up to eight weeks afterwards.

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Infection takes hold when people inhale air containing virus particles. It can also enter the body via cuts, the eyes, or a rodent bite, though this remains uncommon. Infections are most frequently recorded in rural and agricultural settings.

While the majority of hantavirus strains cannot pass between humans, the Andes variant — confirmed as the type responsible for the current outbreak — is capable of doing so. When transmission between people does occur, it is through prolonged and extremely close contact.

Currently, there is neither a vaccine nor a specific course of treatment available. Those infected with the virus receive care based on managing their individual symptoms.

The latest from UKHSA

Three people, including one British national, with suspected hantavirus have been evacuated from the Hondius in order to receive medical care in the Netherlands

The remaining British nationals can now be repatriated once the ship docks at its next destination if they do not develop symptoms. None of the British citizens onboard are currently reporting symptoms but they are being closely monitored. The FCDO is making arrangements for these individuals to return to the UK, where UKHSA is working with government to support them to isolate with regular testing and contact with healthcare professionals.

UKHSA is aware of two people who have returned to the UK independently having been on board the MV Hondius. Neither of these individuals is currently reporting symptoms. They are receiving advice and support from UKHSA and have been advised to self-isolate. UKHSA are supporting a small number of individuals identified as close contacts of those on the boat. They are being offered support and are also self-isolating. None are reporting any symptoms. The risk to the general public remains very low.

Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director for Epidemic and Emerging Infections at UKHSA said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.

“It’s important to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains very low. We are standing up arrangements to support, isolate and monitor British nationals from the ship on their return to the UK and we are contact tracing anyone who may have been in contact with the ship or the hantavirus cases to limit the risk of onward transmission.

“UKHSA will continue to work closely with government partners to offer all necessary support.”

Oceanwide Expeditions latest

A spokesperson said: “Oceanwide Expeditions can confirm that the first of two medicalized aircraft, carrying two of the three individuals transferred from m/v Hondius earlier today has landed in the Netherlands. The two individuals on board have been received by specialist medical and screening teams. The second medicalized aircraft carrying the third individual is currently experiencing a delay. The individual on board this aircraft remains in a stable condition. We will provide an update on the arrival of this second aircraft as soon as possible.

“Oceanwide Expeditions can confirm that m/v Hondius departed Cape Verde at 19:15 CET and is now heading north. Under the current plan, m/v Hondius will sail for the Canary Islands. This is expected to take 3-4 days. Three additional medical professionals have embarked m/v Hondius to provide optimal medical care during the crossing.

“Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline. We are unable to confirm the details of onward travel for guests at this stage. This is dependent on medical advice and the outcome of stringent screening procedures. Close cooperation continues with local and international authorities, including the WHO, the RIVM, relevant embassies, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the MV Hondius by clicking here.

A passenger bus collided head-on with a fuel tanker truck on a highway on Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and injuring four others, officials said.

The crash occurred around midday on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency of South Sumatra province, when an intercity bus carrying at least 20 people struck a tanker truck traveling in the opposite direction, said Mugono, a local disaster management agency official.

Mugono, who uses a single name like many Indonesians, said preliminary findings indicate the bus — which was traveling from South Sumatra’s Lubuklinggau city to Jambi, another city — may have emitted sparks shortly before the collision. This may have prompted the driver to steer the vehicle toward the right side of the road in an attempt to avoid a more serious incident. However, an oil tanker truck was approaching at high speed, leaving little time to avoid a direct impact.

“The forceful impact triggered a fire that engulfed both vehicles, leaving many victims trapped inside,” Mugono said.

The dead include the bus driver and 13 passengers as well as the tanker’s driver and assistant, all of whom burned to death inside the vehicles, Mugono said.

Four bus passengers survived the crash and were taken to a nearby health clinic, including three who suffered severe burn injuries and one who sustained minor injuries, Mugono said.

As the passenger manifest is still being traced, Mugono said authorities are still collecting data on the total number of fatalities.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed firefighters battling the blaze while thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames rose into the air. On the ground were the charred remains of the bus and tanker truck, with twisted metal scattered across the highway.

Rescuers, including disaster officers and traffic police, evacuated victims and cleared the wreckage, though several were pinned inside the vehicles, complicating rescue efforts and disrupting traffic along the highway, Margono said.

Road accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.

Last week, a long-distance train slammed into a commuter train that had stopped near a station just outside the capital of Jakarta, after hitting a taxi that had broken down in the middle of the tracks. The collision killed at least 15 females of passenger sitting in the rear care, an area designated for women only.

Brian John Gourlay Emans, 42, died within HMP Shotts on August 14, 2023.

The death of an inmate inside a Lanarkshire prison is to be investigated.

Brian John Gourlay Emans, 42, was jailed following a machete attack and gun stash discovery. He died within HMP Shotts on August 14, 2023.

Emans had friends at his Bridgeton home on July 11, 2020, when a feud broke out between himself and another man.

He slashed the individual with a machete leaving him with a fractured arm and deep cuts.

Following the attack, police raided Emans’ home, where he was carrying a Smith & Wesson revolver loaded with four bullets and a sawn-off shotgun was also found inside.

An improvised explosive device was also spotted in the bedroom. Neighbours were evacuated and the Royal Navy bomb disposal team were brought in.

Emans was jailed for 13 years, but died just two and a half years into his sentence.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is obliged to investigate such deaths, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) is mandatory.

A Preliminary Hearing will take place on June 8 at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

READ MORE: Accounts firm marks its 25th year in business with landmark Motherwell HQ

A FAI determines the cause of death, the circumstances in which the death occurred, and establishing what steps, if any, could have been taken to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.

Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s independent deaths investigation authority, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Brian Emans occurred whilst he was in legal custody and, as such, a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.

“The lodging of the First Notice enables Fatal Accident Inquiry proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.”

READ MORE: NSPCC seeks youngsters join their campaigning group ‘The Voice of Online Youth’

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And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

The Thursday letters page wonders how Ubisoft came up with Assassin’s Creed Invictus, as readers are unimpressed by Star Fox’s graphics.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Ocarina time
Nintendo is usually the best of the three at having livestreams at reasonable times for the UK so I don’t know what’s going on with the Star Fox one being so late. And 10 minutes warning? There comes a point where Nintendo’s crosses over from being charmingly weird to just plain annoying. It’s a good job for them that they make such amazing games.

That said, I’m not a super fan of Star Fox 64, although I will look to see how expensive this remake costs. Although what I will say is that this is the first time in pretty much forever that I remember a Nintendo rumour coming true, even if they never got the remake angle right.

So what I’m thinking is does that mean the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake is real as well? If there was a time to release one it’d be now, with the long wait for the next mainline entry. Could it be out this year, with a reveal in the summer? That seems to be the rumour, and I think there’s now a much better chance of it being true than before, which I am very excited about.
Billy

The wrong remake
So it’s happening! Star Fox/Lylat Wars has returned. Was Star Fox 64 to me ‘cos I bought it on import from Japan via an ad in the local paper. Guy who brought it over was a proper 80s style yuppie, perfectly coiffured beard, floppy hair, even a knee length flashes mac! 90 quid that cost me. But I was young stupid and impatient, it was 6 months before it was coming to Europe and I simply could not wait.

Well, what a game that turned out to be! Was absolutely in love with it. I played it continuously over and over, learning all of the secret routes and shortcuts, even sent a highly detailed scribbled map to one of the mags of the day, before they’d even reviewed the Western release. They never did print it, but I bet they used it to beat the game though!

However, this remake. Mmmm, in my opinion, the more realistic they make it, the cheaper it kind of looks, as in the world seems empty apart from the immediate enemies, so it looks kinda barren and um, cheap. And the characters are nightmare fuel. I’ll of course see how it reviews and, of course, the price, but my feelings right now are, thanks for the nostalgia but I’ll look forward to the ultimate remake of Zelda: Ocarnia Of Time instead.
big boy bent
PS: I also bought Lylat Wars when that was released.

Daily update
If you could talk your way to success, then Xbox would have dominated the games industry years ago. Every day, it seems, you get them flapping their lips about one thing or another and I still don’t see anything that’s going to change people’s minds about them, let alone convince them to buy an Xbox console again.

This whole Copilot thing seems especially bad because I don’t believe a word of it. They’re definitely just going to have AI anyway, and just not call it Copilot anymore, because that’s something they’ve already done with Windows. And all these ex-AI people taking over exec roles. While I’m sure some of it is jobs for the boys, I’d be willing to bet they’re going to be using their AI expertise on Xbox too.
Anderson

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

League of their own
I would love to see a new DC fighting game that wasn’t Injustice 3 but wouldn’t it have been best to wait until Batman and Wonder Woman, at the least, were cast for the new movies? Otherwise what are they going to do? Have the characters that were in Superman act that way but just try to guess for the rest?

Most of the movie characters did act like their comic book selves, so you could make some fairly accurate guesses, but there’s a billion ways to play Batman, let alone anyone else, so it would seem odd to have him super serious or campy or whatever in the game and then completely different in the DCU.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter as long as the game is good but the lack of synergy between DC games and films has been very odd given the same company owns the developers, the comics, and the film company. If even they can’t even organise a match-up properly no wonder nobody else ever manages it.
Tolly

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Top two
Very interesting feature about the ‘second death’ of the PlayStation 4. I didn’t realise they’d stop making it so long ago but it will be sad to see the end of what I agree is the best PlayStation console. You could make an argument for the PlayStation 2 but while it’s definitely a classic there’s very few of its games that I would want to play today without a remaster or remake.

I agree with those that say Sony should never have even released the PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 4’s graphics were perfectly good and as we now know the economics of it worked perfectly, unlike the PlayStation 5. With the PlayStation 4 you got great looking games coming out a regular intervals, with the PlayStation 5 you’re lucky to get one Sony game a year.
Teemo

Luxury item
I am not in the least bit surprised that most gamers don’t buy full price games, considering how much they cost. I’m also not surprised that it’s older games that have given up the most, because we remember the days when they were not only cheaper but could be traded in and didn’t have so much DLC that it’d cost them the same again to experience it all.

This is, of course, the fault of publishers but not in that they’re being unreasonable with the prices, so much as they refuse to do anything about the rising cost of making games and all the other related problems. As GC said, in their excellent article on the PlayStation 4, Sony has made absolutely no attempt to change their approach now that games take so long, and cost so much, to make. The only thing they’ve done is make less games.

They’re not the only ones, all of the publishers are like that, and so here we see the natural end result: nobody is buying their games, at least not at full price. A game would have to be incredibly anticipated for me to ever consider getting it day one, not only that but a guaranteed classic. GTA 6 fits that bill and certain Nintendo games, if they ever get around to announcing them, but that’s about it.

Other than that, it’s just waiting a few months for the sales and reading reviews carefully. And to be honest that works out fine for me and I’ve had few problems. It’s actually quite a sustainable system, as long as you accept that buying at full price game is a one-off luxury.
Benson

One more roll
Obviously, I’ve not played it or anything but in what world does the idea of Assassin’s Creed crossed with Fall Guys seem like a good idea? I really have to wonder how some of these companies make their decisions, but at a guess I’d imagine it involves rolling a dice.

I assume it’s meant to be free-to-play, so once again Ubisoft are trying to get that live service hit they so desperately want, even though it’s been so long coming that the company is half ruined now. I think they’ll complete the job before they ever give up completely.
Gorf

PS2 upgrade
I had a feeling a Star Fox Direct would arrive at very short notice and, after all this time, I thought it was a bad Direct delivering bad news.

The fact it’s a remake of an N64 classic that already got a good remaster on 3DS – and there’s very likely to be another one fitting that exact same bill in just a few months – is a disappointment.

The graphics aren’t even that good. It obviously looks a lot better than the original but I’d argue Rogue Leader on GameCube over 24 years ago looked better than this mostly on-rails Switch 2 game. It certainly doesn’t look like something that couldn’t run well on Switch 1.

I don’t know why they didn’t just make a new game by reshuffling the levels and have it work the same way. The cut scenes are presumably meant to add value but the voice acting and dialogue are clearly pretty poor, so that aspect seems like a complete non-starter.

It would be a bad idea to charge more than about £45 for this and I think they’re being hugely optimistic if they think the multiplayer is going to be taken up widely and for any meaningful period.

To think this game could well be what steered Nintendo towards shoehorning Fox McCloud into the Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I imagine they had the same idea with Yoshi And The Mysterious Book, given that character also seemed to just… be there.

I’m so glad I’ve still got Pokémon Pokopia to try as a 2026 Switch 2 game. Nintendo seems to have fallen into the exact same first party stop-gap pitfall as with most new generations. Their big stuff is taking too long so they’re chucking out things like Star Fox and Splatoon Raiders as schedule padding for a console that’s not yet a year old.

I’m now half expecting Zelda: Ocarina Of Time to compete visually with an upscaled late PlayStation 2 era game at best, just because they needed to put something out.
Panda

GC: We don’t disagree with some of what you say but we think you’re being unreasonably harsh on the graphics.

Inbox also-rans
Just watched the trailer. It kinda looks like the director has confused Resident Evil with The Evil Within. Anyone else?
Bobwallett

Never mind that dumb sounding Assassin’s Creed spin-off, I’m just glad there’s a new Worms game coming out. And it’s a bit like XCOM too!
Clifron

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MORE: Games Inbox: Is Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced going to be worth getting?

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There are many reasons why a particular farm shop is your favourite but we want to find the best in the county.

Farm shops are hugely popular in Cambridgeshire with plenty of options for locals to try. For many people, they might even prefer to do their weekly shop at a farm shop rather than your average supermarket because of the high quality of the products and range of fresh ingredients found there.

Many farm shops across the county focus on providing customers with the best vegetables, meat, and sometimes ready meals to enjoy at home. Lots of farm shops also have their own cafés for people to sit and have a meal before shopping. Some can even be found next to a zoo, as in the case of Johnsons of Old Hurst.

CambridgeshireLive is asking you to let us know what the best farm shop is in Cambridgeshire. Whether it is the products or the extras like a café or playground for children to enjoy that makes a certain farm shop your favourite, we want to know.

You can nominate the best farm shop in the county by using our survey below. If the survey does not appear for you, you can open it in a different tab here.

She discovered the benefits of hypnotism and decided to pursue a career in using it to help people achieve their weight loss and healthier living goals

An Irish woman has shared her journey from school teacher to helping people achieve their goals.

Rosie Callaghan is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and also the owner of the Weight Loss Clinic. The Donegal woman was previously a secondary school teacher before she discovered her passion for using hynotherapy to help people kick their bad habits.

Her journey started when she used the method to give up smoking, and she ended up training in it and beginning the Hypnoslim programme. The programme, which is available from the Weight Loss Clinic, is a six-week course comprising of different hypnotherapy sessions, designed to reprogramme your mind to choose healthy foods.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve defied the odds since birth and now I’m helping other men lacking confidence’READ MORE: ‘I thought I was having a panic attack but it was heart failure’

The idea is that the hypnotherapy will make you no longer want to overeat unhealthy options, but will gradually make you crave healthier options.

“First of all, people have to be willing to change,” Rosie told RSVP Live as she explained how the process works. “Most people who come to me have done all the diets, been dieting for years. When you’ve tried everything, you just have to be willing to go, ‘OK, hit me’.

“I ask them to give me an hour and a half of their time to allow themselves to relax. If someone isn’t 100% committed or willing to relax the mind, it’s not going to work. You have to quieten down the conscious part of the mind.

“If that conscious part of the mind is alert and working, it’s going to say ‘no, not going to happen’. It decides what suggestions get into the subconscious.

“Physical relaxation takes about five minutes and then there’s a 10 minute mental relaxation to allow them to relax the mind. Once they park everything, they allow me to put suggestions in.”

The suggestions are usually things like eating more nutritious foods, avoiding “junk” food, reducing portion sizes and general healthier lifestyle habits. Despite the fact it’s a six week course, the vast majority of clients maintain their healthy changes afterwards.

“I’ve been doing it six years and many people have never gone back to it [bad habits],” she said. “The vast majority of their habits will have improved. There will be some people who will go back to bad habits if the emotional part isn’t addressed.”

For Rosie, the biggest mistake she sees in people who want to lose weight but are struggling is relying on willpower alone.

“Willpower has only got a short term function,” she said. “That lies in the conscious part of the mind. Relying on willpower is pointless and if you want it to be a long term thing, you’ve got to change your habits.

“Stress is a big one that holds people back. It’s the biggest driver of emotional eating at the moment. Have a look at reducing stress because the body is so smart; if you feel like you’re in fight or flight mode, often you feel like what you need to do to help is eat.”

Often weight gain comes from deeper issues with confidence and self esteem, which Rosie also targets during her course.

“We do an anger release and forgiveness session,” she said. “We also do self forgiveness and getting back on your own team again. Get your self worth back and work on compassion for yourself because without it, you’re stuck in the same circle.”

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The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) intends adopting a more aggressive approach in recruiting players who were not born in the Irish republic, but are eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland national team.

That is according to the FAI’s new Director of Football, John Martin, who cited the example of Liverpool’s Conor Bradley as one who got away from the system.

Tyrone man Bradley, 22, has emerged as a prominent Premier League player but, although he was on Ireland’s radar, Northern Ireland capped him in 2021 and he now has 30 caps.

In his role overseeing Irish football, Martin stressed yesterday he will make it a top priority of his that eligible players cannot slip through the net so easily.

“Easy one isn’t he,” he said of Bradley. “Fantastic player and you hear second-hand stuff that he is a (Republic of) Ireland fan. Asking the question is the bare minimum we should be doing, whether they are based in Northern Ireland, Germany or the UK.”

In February, Chelsea prospect Chris Atherton delivered a blow to the North, whom he had represented at youth level, by declaring for the Republic.

In the days afterwards, Atherton and his family were then the target of abuse online.

The move was a coup for the FAI and and asked if they needs to be more aggressive in their recruitment of players, Martin said: “If they are eligible for us, yeah, for sure. It is not specific to the north but we have to make sure we are doing our job.

“We know there are kids out there who want to play for Ireland who haven’t been approached in the past. That’s not right. It’s making sure we have a presence and we understand all the players available to us, and that they are being monitored and tracked.

“That is something we need to be better at. You don’t want to lose out on a player that wants to play for us. We can’t have that.”

Meanwhile, Martin has confirmed that John O’Shea is on the verge of signing a new deal to stay on as Ireland assistant. But while he hopes to also keep Paddy McCarthy on the staff, he expects the well-regarded Crystal Palace coach will be in demand.

“Paddy will be part of our team until the point that maybe someone takes him away from us,” said Martin. “As it stands, he will be staying on but we’ll sit down properly at the end of Palace’s season. He’s huge for us.”

The FAI is close to appointing two new ‘lead coaches’ at Ireland underage level to work alongside James Scott, Keith O’Halloran and John Cotter. Three other coaches will partner up with Richie Smith and Mark Connors in a fluid pool of 10 working across the various youth international teams.

Former Ireland manager Brian Kerr said recently that Damien Duff should have a role with underage Ireland sides.

“I’d rather not go into names (of who has been interviewed) but I’m a big fan of what he did at Shelbourne. What he did was phenomenal,” said Martin.

“I joined the league as a player in 1997 and I think it’s the best achievement, winning that league with Shelbourne. He has a huge amount to offer the game. It will be interesting to see where his next move will be.”

Martin suggested that Heimir Hallgrimsson’s wish for a camp and international friendlies with League of Ireland players could be accommodated – but in May. The Ireland boss wants to do it next January, but will face resistance again from club managers. A tweak in the league calendar next year may be looked at.

Martin has no plans to “mandate and force through” the divisive calendar year at grassroots and amateur level, but will work with stakeholders who are keen to switch.

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Asian shares jumped and the price of crude oil was holding above $100 a barrel on Thursday as investors bet on hopes the U.S. and Iran will strike a deal allowing tankers to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 4.6% to 62,243.88, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 1.2% to 26,531.35.

The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia was up 1.2% at 8,870.90.

In South Korea, the Kospi slipped 1.4% to 7,281.37 and traders sold to lock in profits after the benchmark jumped nearly 7% a day earlier to barrel past 7,000 for the first time.

Taiwan’s Taiex surged 1.7%.

On Wednesday, markets rallied worldwide after President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz could be “OPEN TO ALL” if Iran accepts a reported agreement that the U.S. president did not detail.

Oil prices fell nearly 8% and the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% for its best day in nearly a month, setting a fresh record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 2%.

Early Thursday in Asian trading, Brent crude oil rose $1.06 to $102.29 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $1.20 to $96.28 a barrel.

Oil prices sank Wednesday, and stock markets rallied worldwide with hopes that the United States and Iran are nearing a deal to allow ships to deliver crude through the Strait of Hormuz.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, fell 7.8% to $101.27, down from more than $115 early this week.

The effective closure of the strait due to the war has caused big trouble for the global economy because the conflict has blocked oil tankers from using it to exit the Persian Gulf. A reopening could allow oil to flow freely again and remove pressure on inflation that’s driving prices up for all kinds of products worldwide.

The price of Brent crude fell below $97 a barrel but then pushed above $100 after Trump threatened to start bombing “at a much higher level and intensity” if Iran does not accept the agreement.

U.S. stocks remained resilient despite the war thanks partly to strong profit reports by big U.S. companies for the start of 2026.

Chipmaker AMD helped lead the market Wednesday with a surge of 18.6% after it joined the list of big-name companies topping expectations for both profit and revenue. Its CEO Lisa Su said AMD benefited from continued growth from artificial-intelligence technology, which is demanding tremendous amounts of computing power from data centers.

Super Micro Computer, rallied 24.5% after likewise delivering stronger earnings than analysts expected. Nvidia, the chip company that became the poster child of the AI boom, rose 5.7% and was the single strongest force lifting the S&P 500 because of its immense size.

CVS Health climbed 7.6% after delivering better results for the first quarter than analysts expected and raising its financial forecasts for the full year. The Walt Disney Co. gained 7.5% after saying its “Zootopia 2” movie helped draw people to its streaming business, parks and cruise ships, while delivering a better-than-expected profit. Uber Technologies drove 8.5% higher after giving a bookings forecast for the spring that was higher than analysts expected.

Outside of earnings reports, companies with big fuel bills jumped on hopes that oil prices will continue to ease. That included gains of 6.8% for United Airlines, 6.8% for Carnival and 8.8% for Royal Caribbean.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 105.90 points to 7,365.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 612.34 to 49,910.59, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 512.82 to 25,838.94.

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AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.