Apple Daily, regarded as among the few independent media outlets in Hong Kong, will close by June 26 after police froze assets linked to the paper and arrested its executives. The board of directors of Next Digital, Apple Daily’s parent company, announced on Wednesday that it “regrets to announce” the decision to cease operations of pro-democracy newspaper, citing “current circumstances prevailing in Hong Kong.” Next Digital is an investment holding company with a focus on media and publishing businesses. According to the announcement, the last print edition of Apple Daily will be on June 26, and the digital version will be accessible until 11:59 p.m. on the same day. “The company thanks our readers for their loyal support and our journalists, staff, and advertisers for their commitment over the past 26 years,” the Next Digital board announced in a release. The expected move to close operations comes after more than 500 …