Court orders winding up of Next Digital

The High Court has granted the government’s request to wind up Next Digital, the parent company of Apple Daily.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan had said in a bid he submitted in September that it was in the public interest to wind up the company, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Master Jack Wong approved Chan’s application at a court hearing on Wednesday.

Apple Daily printed its final edition in June after the company’s assets were frozen due to a national security probe.

The newspaper, its founder Jimmy Lai and six former senior executives are all charged with colluding with foreign forces