In Hong Kong, Cross-Harbour Tunnel, one of the most important thoroughfares, was reopened for traffic this morning, after a two-week of protests. The tunnel connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon was closed on November 13, when confrontation between protesters and riot police flared up in the nearby Polytechnic University.

Protesters hurled petrol bombs and set fire to checkpoints before being holed up in the nearby university campus, which led to a dramatic week-long siege. Xinhua news agency reports that traffic resumed at 0500 hrs local time through the tunnel, which, on average, transports about 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s traffic daily.

Hong Kong has faced a wave of protests since June. The unrest was initially triggered by a controversial extradition bill that was officially withdrawn in October, but demonstrators are now going after local authorities for their heavy-handed response to the protests. In total, over 1,500 protesters have been hospitalized after sustaining wounds in the clashes, and over 400 police officers have been injured.