The UK and the EU condemned the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong on Wednesday after a pro-democracy newspaper announced its closure. Apple Daily, regarded as among the few independent media outlets in Hong Kong, will halt its operations by midnight on Wednesday after police arrested its executives and froze assets linked to the paper, rendering it unable to maintain operations. “The forced closure of Apple Daily by the Hong Kong authorities is a chilling blow to freedom of expression in Hong Kong,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic  Raab said in a statement. “It is crystal clear that the powers under the National Security Law are being used as a tool to curtail freedoms and punish dissent—rather than keep public order,” he said. Raab said the Chinese regime had promised to protect press freedom and freedom of speech in Hong Kong under the UK-Sino Joint Declaration. “It must keep its promises, …