Car carrying Japan ambassador attacked in Beijing

BEIJING — The Japanese Embassy in Beijing said a car carrying the ambassador was attacked by a man who ripped off the Japanese flag from the vehicle. The attack comes amid rising diplomatic tensions and anti-Japanese sentiment over disputed islands.

The embassy said in a statement that Ambassador Uichiro Niwa was returning to the embassy on Monday when his official car was stopped by two other vehicles. It said a man jumped out of one of the vehicles and pulled the flag off the front of Niwa's car, damaging the flagpole.

It said nothing else was damaged.

The embassy said it issued a strong protest to China's Foreign Ministry, which expressed deep regret over the incident and said authorities would spare no effort to prevent a recurrence. (AP)