Japanese couple attacked in Hong Kong amid tensions

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong police said on Wednesday they had arrested a man suspected of an attack on a Japanese couple which prompted Tokyo to warn its 22,000 citizens in the city to avoid going out at night.

The incident, which occurred on Monday evening as the pair were taking a stroll on a busy waterfront, comes as tens of thousands of anti-Japan protestors rallied across China in recent days over a territorial row.

According to a police spokeswoman, the couple, aged 37 and 35, were repeatedly punched by a local man who has since been released on bail.

"The man attacked the couple and fled the scene," the officer told AFP.