Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

HONG KONG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand proved their dominance at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens here on Sunday, winning both men's and women's finals at the Hong Kong Stadium.

It marked the first time that the Hong Kong Sevens has been played twice on the same series calendar, with 28 teams competing at the Hong Kong Stadium, including 12 sides in women's sevens.

New Zealand men's team finished first with three consecutive wins in the group stage and entered the final after eliminating Argentina and France, setting up a clash against 19-time champion Fiji.

SEOUL, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Forest fires broke out across South Korea Sunday due to dry and windy weather in spring, Yonhap news agency said, citing the Korea Forest Service (KFS).

According to the KFS real-time forest fire information website, a total of 30 forest fires broke out across the country at 3:30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT).

Among the total, 15 fires had been extinguished. The government issued a special dry weather warning.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi protested in a meeting Sunday with his Chinese counterpart the detention of a Japanese national in Beijing and raised “strong concern” about China’s escalating military activity near Taiwan and around Japan.

Hayashi is on a two-day visit in China, becoming Japan’s first diplomat to make the trip in more than three years as frictions grow between the countries. He also met Chinese Premier Li Qiang and top diplomat Wang Yi later Sunday.

PHNOM PENH, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Chinese central bank officials have discussed the promotion of local currency settlement for cross-border trade between the two countries, said a statement released by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) on Saturday.

The talks were held between NBC's Deputy Governor Chea Serey and Xuan Changneng, vice governor of the People's Bank of China, on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in South China's Hainan province.

BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez encouraged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to talk to the Ukrainian leadership and learn first-hand about Kyiv's peace formula to help bring an end to Russia's invasion.

Sanchez told a news conference in Beijing he had informed Xi, who visited Moscow on March 20-21, that Spain supported the proposals made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. They include a demand to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, March 31 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk is making plans to visit China as early as April and is seeking a meeting with China's Premier Li Qiang, two people with knowledge of planning for the trip told Reuters.

The exact timing of the visit is subject to Li Qiang's availability, one of the sources said.

Tesla and China's State Council Information Office did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Friday.

TAIPEI, March 31 (Reuters) - Nine Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line on Friday carrying out combat readiness patrols, Taiwan's defence ministry said, days after Beijing threatened retaliation if President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the island's government, has been angered by what it sees as stepped up U.S. support for Taiwan.

Tsai arrived in the United States on Wednesday, stopping off on her way to Central America.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks followed Wall Street higher Friday ahead of a United States inflation update traders hope might prompt the Federal Reserve to ease plans for more interest rate hikes.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney advanced. Oil prices declined.

Wall Street rose Thursday as worries about the global financial system eased following the collapse of two U.S. banks and one in Switzerland.

PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) — More than 60 members of a Chinese Christian church have been detained in Thailand, supporters said Friday, raising fears they may be returned to their home country, where they face possible persecution.

Deana Brown, one of two American supporters detained along with the church members, told The Associated Press that Thai authorities in the coastal city of Pattaya detained the 63 church members, many of whom are children, Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine coast guard commander said Friday that the tragic scenes of death his team saw aboard a gutted ferry, including adults clutching children, had moved them to tears and sparked fears other passengers could be found dead in the still-smoldering ship.