In Hong Kong, police today said that 148 people were arrested during a confrontation with protesters yesterday. <br />''<br />''At a press conference, the police revealed that they fired some 800 tear gas rounds at about a dozen locations as Hong Kong buckled under a general strike followed by the most widespread and sustained clashes so far. <br />''<br />''Over the last two weeks, both police and protesters have resorted to increasingly confrontational tactics, plunging the city into a crisis.