‘The blackest day’: Apple Daily’s demise comes as no surprise

Analysis: A palpable chill has run through the Hong Kong media, amid warnings about fake news'

The fate of Apple Daily, one of Hong Kong's bestselling tabloids, should not come as a surprise. On the day Jimmy Lai, its founder, was sentenced to 14 months in prison in April, a commentary in the pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao called for a ban on Apple Daily in order to close national security loopholes".

The 72-year-old media tycoon and his 26-year-old newspaper have been among the most high-profile critics of Beijing and the controversial national security law (NSL), which they deem draconian", but which the authorities say is necessary". The law bars secession, subversion and foreign collusion.