Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy paper Apple Daily has announced its closure, in a blow to media freedom in the city.
The tabloid’s offices were raided last week over allegations that several reports had breached a controversial national security law.
Police detained the chief editor and five other executives, and company-linked assets were frozen.
The publication had become a leading critic of the Hong Kong and Chinese leadership.
The digital version of the 26-year old paper will no longer be updated after midnight.
A separate announcement by publisher Next Digital thanked the readers for their “loyal support” as well as its journalists, staff and advertisers.
The tabloid has long been a beacon of media freedom in the Chinese-speaking world, and is a widely read and supported by political dissents in Hong Kong.
Chinese officials have repeatedly said media freedoms in Hong Kong are respected, but are not absolute.
Ronny Tong, a member of Hong Kong’s government, accused the paper of orchestrating a political stunt in its decision to shut down.