Hong Kong Police Raid Pro-Democracy Newspaper Apple Daily, Arrest 5

Apple Daily and its jailed owner Jimmy Lai have long been a thorn in Beijing's side with unapologetic support for the financial hub's pro-democracy movement and scathing criticism of China's authoritarian leaders.

Hong Kong police arrested the chief editor and four executives of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily on Thursday, raiding its newsroom for a second time in the latest blow to the outspoken tabloid. The paper and its jailed owner Jimmy Lai have long been a thorn in Beijing's side with unapologetic support for the financial hub's pro-democracy movement and scathing criticism of China's authoritarian leaders. More than 500 officers were involved in the dawn operation which police said was sparked by articles Apple Daily had published "appealing for sanctions" against Hong Kong and China's leaders. The five executives were arrested "for collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security".