Hong Kong has stepped up precautions over the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic “a public health emergency of international concern.”

The WHO said on Sunday that there had been 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in the DRC as of Saturday, in addition to a handful of apparent cases in Uganda.

The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus disease, and there is currently no vaccine.

There are no confirmed cases in Hong Kong, but the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has enacted a series of precautionary measures, according to a government press release on Sunday.

Although there are no direct flights from the affected areas, “the CHP will strengthen health screening for passengers arriving on flights from Africa at the airport… Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for isolation and treatment.”

It will also bolster public awareness and health education efforts, and provide airlines, doctors and hospitals with updated information.

The CHP advises against visiting affected regions.

Highly lethal

Ebola is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals.

The virus is highly lethal and causes haemorrhagic fever, systemic inflammation, and multi-organ failure. The case fatality rates from past outbreaks range from 25 to 90 per cent, according to the WHO – the average is 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is preparing a large-scale response to the outbreak, the humanitarian charity said in a press release on Sunday.

“The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning,” said MSF Emergency Programme Manager Trish Newport. “In Ituri, many people already struggle to access healthcare and live with ongoing insecurity, making rapid action critical to prevent the outbreak from escalating further.”

The NGO is mobilising more teams comprising medical, logistical, and support staff experienced in responding to viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, it said.

Hong Kong police have dismantled an alleged drug manufacturing laboratory inside a public housing flat in Tsuen Wan, seizing HK$2.5 million worth of etomidate – also known as space oil – and arresting three women.

Police said on Wednesday they received a tip-off that a flat in Tsuen Wan’s Lei Muk Shue Estate was suspected of being used as a drug manufacturing and storing facility.

Officers of the Kowloon City district special team conducted an anti-drug operation on Tuesday and raided the flat, the force said.

Police deployed to the estate stopped a 39-year-old woman after she stepped out of her flat. She was found with six e-cigarette capsules containing suspected etomidate and was arrested, police said.

Two more women, aged 29 and 35, were arrested inside the flat, where “a large amount” of capsules containing suspected etomidate was discovered, police said.

Officers also found 28 bottles of suspected etomidate liquid, about 300 grams of powdered etomidate, and drug-making tools such as pots and electronic scale.

The three women were charged with one count each of manufacturing and trafficking a dangerous drug, while the 39-year-old faces another count of possession of a dangerous drug.

The trio will be brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday, police said.

Police warned manufacturing drugs is a serious offence with a maximum penalty of a HK$5 million fine and life behind bars.

See also: An ‘escape’ from the world: As Hong Kong bans ‘space oil’ drug, social workers urge care for teen mental health

Etomidate, previously called “space oil,” is a drug that has gained popularity among teenagers in recent years. Authorities said in March that, since the first quarter of 2025, etomidate has overtaken cannabis and cocaine as the most common type of substance abused by young people under the age of 21.

The government began referring to space oil as etomidate last July, saying that the renaming would reduce its appeal.

Authorities added etomidate to the Dangerous Drug Ordinance last year, putting it in the same ranks as ketamine and cocaine.

Hong Kong Free Press journalism has been nominated for three prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards – a new record for the newspaper.

HKFP photojournalist Kyle Lam’s five shots of the Tai Po fire tragedy were nominated in the Excellence in Photography category.

In the Carlos Tejada Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting category, HKFP’s investigation into local bookstores facing simultaneous tax audits was selected as a finalist.

And Hans Tse & Kelly Ho‘s reporting on how residents of Wang Fuk Court pondered their future a month after last November’s blaze was also shortlisted for Excellence in Feature Writing.

The finalists were selected from a competitive pool of over 700 entries across English, Chinese, and Bahasa Indonesia categories, according to a Thursday SOPA press release.

“This year’s entries once again highlight the strength and diversity of our industry, with a growing number of submissions from global, regional, and small media organizations,” the press release said. “From deeply reported investigations to innovative storytelling formats, the calibre of work continues to demonstrate the vital role journalism plays in informing and connecting our communities.”

Established in 1999, the SOPA Awards recognise editorial excellence in both new media and traditional journalism in the Asia-Pacific region. HKFP has won three prizes in previous years.

The winners will be announced on June 18 at the JW Marriott Hotel. Karen Hao – award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Empire of AI – will address the event.

HKFP’s award-winning reporting

Two out of three journalists say the working environment in Hong Kong has changed “for the worse” in the past year, according to the latest survey by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

The 2026 FCC Press Freedom Survey, which received 78 responses from members, found that “67 per cent of respondents said the working environment for them as a journalist had changed for the worse in the last 12 months.”

The FCC pointed out that the survey “happened to take place” after Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was convicted and sentenced to jail, as well as Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong, the Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS), summoned representatives of several major foreign media outlets, shortly following the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire.

At the meeting, the OSNS warned that some media organisations had spread false information and smeared the government in reports on the massive blaze at the housing estate in Tai Po, which killed 168 people and displaced thousands of residents.

‘Watershed moment’

One respondent said that the warning by the OSNS to foreign journalists “should be seen as a watershed moment here in Hong Kong. It has created an increased chilling effect.”

About a quarter of respondents said they experienced minor or significant interference in their work, with most describing incidents while covering the Tai Po fire. One journalist said they were told to leave when they were “speaking to survivors in a corner, disturbing no one.”

Another respondent said that the 20-year sentence handed down to Lai “only further chills the local reporting environment.”

More than 50 per cent said sources had become less willing to be quoted during the same period, the survey found.

One respondent was quoted as saying that “the scope of what is ‘acceptable’ in terms of who can be quoted” has narrowed each year.

“It has reached the point where non-political voices who question policy-making or have reservations about certain aspects of it will get cut or reduced significantly by editors,” the respondent added.

See also: Hong Kong press freedom rebounds slightly from historic low, reflecting ‘resilience,’ journalists’ union says

Fewer respondents had a clear sense of what subjects are sensitive in the most recent survey, down from 78 per cent last year to 65 per cent this year, with one respondent saying the Beijing-imposed national security law “is still rather fluid and capricious.”

Half of the respondents said they were “slightly concerned” about arrest or prosecution in relation to their work as journalists, while 41 said they were not. The remaining 9 per cent said they were very concerned.

A third of respondents said their organisations had downsized in Hong Kong. Among them, a third cited the political and legal environment as well as corporate cost-cutting.

But 17 per cent of respondents said their organisations had increased staff in the city, with 40 per cent of them citing “the growing importance of Hong Kong” and increased investment.

“Press freedom remains engrained in Hong Kong law, but as is apparent from the results of our survey, the sentiment for working journalists in the city has been in flux,” said FCC President Morgan Davis.

“The FCC supports journalists’ fundamental right to conduct their work freely and without fear of intimidation or harassment,” the club said in its statement.

“We will continue to safeguard press freedom in the city, via engagement with the journalism community and relevant stakeholders, in order to make sure that Hong Kong remains an international hub for media, business and finance.”

A new UN study has named Hong Kong’s data centres as some of the most carbon-intensive in the world, blaming the city’s heavy dependence on a fossil-fuel-powered energy grid.

The report, titled “Environmental Cost of AI’s Energy Use,” examined the global carbon, land and water impacts of the infrastructure powering AI, saying that by 2030, data centres could consume 945 terawatt-hours.

That is “nearly triple the combined annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, countries collectively home to more than 650 million people,” according to a UN press release.

“Indonesia, India, and Hong Kong (SAR) are among the most carbon-intensive grids with carbon footprints 62%, 51%, and 43% higher than the global average, respectively. Poland and Mainland China rank lower with carbon intensities at 30% and 21% higher than the global average,” the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health said in a report on Wednesday.

In comparison, the carbon footprint of electricity in the US, Germany, and Italy is 18 per cent, 24 per cent, and 32 per cent below the global average, respectively.

Energy in Hong Kong is 67 per cent derived from fossil fuels, 32 per cent from nuclear and just 1 per cent from renewables, the report said.

There is also a water footprint for cooling heat-intensive data centres, as well as a land footprint. “AI-related water consumption could equal the basic annual domestic needs of 1.3 billion people by the end of the decade, while its land footprint may exceed 14,500 square kilometres – roughly twice the size of the Jakarta metropolitan area,” the UN said.

However, Hong Kong was ranked among the lightest for water and land consumption, mostly because its energy mix does not rely on renewable energy sources, which require large amounts land.

As a trade and logistics hub, with around 300 internet service providers, Hong Kong remains a prime location for data centres. Its telecommunication networks connect to 12 external submarine optical fibre cable systems, with more under construction, according to the city’s Digital Policy Office.

The government is building a new 110,00 square metre data facility in Sandy Ridge, 90 per cent of which will be dedicated to data centres, according to a government press release in March.

Daily AI use, not training

The UN report said that day-to-day use of AI models accounted for around 80 to 90 per cent of total energy demand, as opposed to just model training. It cited the case of ChatGPT, which was processing around 2.5 billion prompts per day, with image generation requiring a thousand times more energy than a simple text query.

“China’s DeepSeek, launched in January 2025, attracted more than 20 million daily active users within three weeks, and had about 125 million monthly active users by mid-2025,” the report said.

According to the Digital Policy Office website, “data centre operators are all striving to enhance energy efficiency , so as to reduce their power consumption, their operating expense and also their environmental impacts.”

It cites existing policies by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), which set rules for ensuring the energy efficiency of buildings and regulate the use of fresh water in cooling towers for air conditioning systems.

The EMSD’s Green Data Centres Practice Guide lays out initiatives for efficient data centre design, procurement, operations and disposal, whilst also promoting the use of assessment tools to measure environmental impacts.

The driver of a Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) double-decker has been arrested after the bus collided with a maintenance vehicle on Tsing Kwai Highway on Monday, injuring 22 people. The driver was among the injured.

Police said on Monday they arrested the driver, 39, on suspicion of dangerous driving after the collision left 21 bus passengers mildly injured. The driver also sustained injuries to his neck, waist, and legs.

The KMB route 960 bus was seen in dashcam footage travelling towards New Territories before appearing to ram into a stationary maintenance vehicle, which was fitted with flashing arrow signs.

The bus continued to roll forward and came to a halt only after it hit a second maintenance vehicle. A member of the maintenance team on the highway was seen running for safety moments after the first collision.

The front of the bus sustained major damage, trapping the driver in his cabin. He was later rescued and sent to hospital in a conscious state, according to the police.

KMB said the incident took place at roughly 2pm on Monday near Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. The bus was travelling towards Tuen Mun at that time.

“The driver has been suspended from his duties and the KMB will cooperate with police investigation,” the company told HKFP.

Passengers said there were about 10 people on the lower deck at the time of the collision, which threw many off balance and onto the ground, according to local media reports.

An executive for Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings has dismissed speculation that its supermarket chain ParknShop could merge with rival Wellcome.

Dominic Lai, CK Hutchison’s group co-managing director, was responding to a question at the company’s general meeting on Thursday, according to Indexbox.

Last month, the Financial Times reported that Jardines was in “negotiations” with CK Hutchison to acquire ParknShop and merge it with Wellcome, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

Wellcome is operated by DFI Retail, a subsidiary of Jardines.

There are about 260 branches of ParknShop across Hong Kong and Macau, and about 280 Wellcome stores, according to publicly available information from the two supermarket chains.

On Thursday, Lai reportedly praised ParknShop staff for their work amid a competitive environment.

Hongkongers sweated through the hottest day of the year on Friday, with the Observatory (HKO) recording a maximum temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius at its headquarters.

The mercury neared 37 degrees Celsius in the northern part of the territory.

Meanwhile, the Observatory noted 1,263 instances of cloud-to-ground lightning on Friday, and 4,859 cases of cloud-to-cloud lightning.

The city is now set to see nine days of rain, the weather service predicts.

See also: How Hong Kong’s elderly face deadly heat inside cramped cage homes

“A broad trough of low pressure will linger over the vicinity of the coast of southern China to the northern part of the South China Sea during the weekend to midweek next week,” the Observatory said.

The amber rainstorm warning was raised at 10am on Saturday as violent gusts swept into the territory, raising the risk of flooding.

See also: NGO warns hot weather can worsen air quality, urges gov’t action on pollutants and cooling measures in hot districts

Climate crisis

Friday marked the hottest “Grain in Ear” solar term ever documented. The ninth traditional solar term, known in Chinese as Mangzhong, signifies a period when awny crops like wheat are ready to harvest.

This week, environmental NGO Friends of the Earth urged the Hong Kong government to prioritise the climate crisis and strengthen its climate adaptation policies, with the city expected to endure an extremely hot summer.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. The prevalence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – which trap heat in the atmosphere – raises the planet’s surface temperature, with hotter, longer heatwaves putting lives at risk.

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.

Hong Kong police have arrested 16 people for allegedly using bogus medical certificates to fraudulently withdraw over HK$4.3 million from their retirement savings funds.

Police said on Thursday that a syndicate had forged medical certificates to allow claimants to falsely claim they were totally incapacitated or suffered from a terminal illness to withdraw their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions early.

Police Superintendent Allan Chu of the Commercial Crime Bureau said at a press conference that nine men and seven women, aged between 29 and 63, were arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Two suspects were allegedly core members of the fraud ring, while the other 14 were suspected of using the syndicate’s services.

The syndicate members never actually met with the 14 people who sought to withdraw their funds early, Chu said.

Forged medical certificates

According to police, the syndicate placed advertisements on social media purporting to offer services that were ”legal and compliant,” charging no fees on unsuccessful applications.

The individuals seeking to use the service provided the syndicate with identity documents, bank account details, and login details for the electronic MPF platform.

The syndicate used the names of real doctors on forged medical certificates – without the physicians’ knowledge – and charged a 10 to 20 per cent commission on the claims totalling some HK$4.3 million.

The amount in each fraudulent application ranged from HK$110,000 to HK$600,000, police said.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the eMPF Platform Company Ltd expressed “grave concern” over the incident and said it would fully cooperate with the police.

It also said it had strengthened the vetting process for all applications for early MPF withdrawal, “particularly those submitted on the grounds of terminal illness or total incapacity, including verifying the authenticity of each medical certificate with relevant doctors to combat fraudulent activities.”

Under the Crimes Ordinance, forging or using false documents constitutes a criminal offence and may result in a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to 14 years.

For the fourth consecutive year, a patriotic carnival is being held in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, the former site of a traditional commemorative candlelit vigil.

The fourth Hometown Market Carnival – jointly organised by Hong Kong’s 30 provincial hometown associations – opened on Wednesday for a five-day run at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, state-controlled Wen Wei Po reported.

The carnival features 370 booths showcasing Chinese specialities and performances, though it requires visitors to undergo security checks before entering the venue.

Thursday marks the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing.

Before the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law, a large-scale candlelit vigil was hosted at Victoria Park every year on the evening of June 4. Members of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement would remember the dead, as well as call for the democratisation of China and justice for the victims.

On Wednesday, the eve of the 37th anniversary, HKFP saw police surround two performance artists, who attempted to stage subtle performances in Causeway Bay near to the park.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Hong Kong’s officials and lawmakers visited Victoria Park to endorse the patriotic event.

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan appeared at the opening ceremony of the carnival. The No. 2 official said that the event boosted “love for hometowns,” as well as local consumption, Orange News reported.

Starry Lee, president of the Legislative Council (LegCo), led over 50 lawmakers to the carnival on Wednesday afternoon. On her Facebook page, Lee praised the event for not only showcasing Chinese specialities, but also boosting the local economy and enhancing exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland China.

However, some exhibitors cited hot weather when complaining that foot traffic at the carnival was down by 30 per cent compared to last year, HK01 reported.

In June 2020, Hong Kong police banned the Tiananmen vigil gathering at Victoria Park for the first time in 30 years, citing Covid-19 restrictions.

The force imposed the same ban in 2021, nearly a year after the national security law came into effect.

In 2023, a group of 26 hometown associations booked Victoria Park to host the patriotic carnival on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown for the first time.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organised the vigils, disbanded in September 2021 after several of its members were arrested.

A Hong Kong court is now hearing a landmark trial of the Alliance and two vigil leaders, Chow Hang-tung and  Lee Cheuk-yan. They are accused of “inciting subversion” under the national security law, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars. Another vigil leader – Albert Ho – pleaded guilty when the trial opened in January.

Whether it’s questioning top officials, gathering breaking news from court, or live-streaming from the ground, HKFP’s tight-knit team is on the frontlines of Hong Kong’s political twists and turns every day. At the city’s only independent English-language outlet, our journalists are in a privileged position to help write the first draft of history.

All of Team HKFP have a high level of responsibility, independence and freedom to chase their own stories. We have no junior staff – everyone is a multimedia journalist, and there is no such thing as a slow news day. 

HKFP staffers have gone on to work for outlets such as the New York Times, Agence France-Presse, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNN, the BBC and the Financial Times. If you want to fast-track your career, if you thrive in a fast-paced environment, or wish to help shape the future of the city’s most independent and transparent English-language newsroom, consider applying to join our team.

Our mission: HKFP’s mission is to be the most credible, impartial and independent news outlet on Hong Kong affairs, and to help safeguard press freedom in the city. We seek to amplify the voices of the voiceless whilst bridging the gap between the Chinese and English languages. Read our Annual Report.

Executive Editor

HKFP is seeking an Executive Editor to oversee our daily output and manage the newsroom, beginning in late June.

• Our Executive Editor will edit, polish and fact-check four to five hard news stories per day, and will schedule and promote them across our platforms. They will also edit newsletters, manage the newsroom, and support our Features Editor in overseeing weekend features and our Monitor newsletter.
• Our newsroom leader will help the team plan future coverage, enforce deadlines, monitor local developments, and assist with story ideas.
• They will be tasked with navigating legal risks and political sensitivities alongside the director, and may occasionally be required to write short leads.
• This dynamic role involves a pathway to rapid, performance-based pay rises within the first year, and a promotion to Editor-in-Chief within three years.
• Other than guiding our dedicated team, there are also opportunities for professional development, room to launch side projects (e.g. a podcast) and a chance to have a meaningful impact at a critical time for the city’s media landscape.

Requirements:

• Candidates must have at least two years of experience in a daily news editorial role at a – preferably local – news outlet.
• We are seeking applicants familiar with the Hong Kong political beat, with knowledge of who’s-who and a good understanding of how the government, legislative and judicial systems work. They will have an eye for news, and a comprehension of current political/legal risks.
• Native-level English-language fluency is essential, with no tolerance for errors. Candidates must be self-directed, full of ideas and have the ability to edit news with accuracy and speed. Cantonese language skills would be an advantage, but not essential.
• The ideal candidate would have excellent initiative, time management, and must be a team player.
• Digital skills, knowledge of local law, SEO and analytics would be a bonus.
• Candidates must already have the right to work in, and live in, Hong Kong – we cannot arrange visas.

Remuneration and benefits:

• HKFP sets standards on pay, conditions, benefits and work-life balance – all of which are comparable to international news outlets.
• We offer a competitive starting salary depending upon experience, skills and qualifications.
• 14 days of leave per annum in the first year, rising yearly to 24 days in the fourth year, in addition to all Hong Kong public and statutory holidays.
• International healthcare, dental and physio coverage.
• Mental health support options.
• A secure work laptop, work phone and VPN.
• HKFP staff enjoy the many benefits of working at the Hive co-working spaces.
• Staff receive occasional bonuses, and enjoy weekly opportunities to work remotely from home, or abroad.
• HKFP’s Executive Editor may have the opportunity to represent the company at events and conferences, at home and abroad.

How to apply

• Deadline: May 31, 2026.
• If you meet our requirements, please:
  • 1/ Fill in this application form: https://forms.gle/V8dHrcuDhHkhvmG38
  • 2/ Send your CV, separately, to recruitment@hongkongfp.com.
• Please see: https://hongkongfp.com/ethics, https://hongkongfp.com/about & https://hongkongfp.com/annual-report.
• All applications are read and considered. Successful applicants will be contacted within a week. HKFP’s recruitment process includes two stages – an interview, followed by written tests, reference checks and trial sessions.
• The use of generative AI in application materials will lead to disqualification.
• We encourage candidates from all social and ethnic backgrounds to apply. HKFP does not discriminate, along the lines of age, gender or sexual orientation, religion, race, pregnancy or marital status. See: https://hongkongfp.com/ethics/#diversity-statement

Read more about us here. Read about our impact in our Annual Report.

Australian lawyer Samuel Monkivitch has received a fine and suspended 18-month jail term after pleading guilty to charges relating to a dine-and-dash spree across the territory.

Monkivitch appeared on Friday at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts after dining at five-star hotels in Hong Kong without paying. He was previously fined HK$3,000 over similar charges.

In the most recent case, Monkivitch was charged with four instances of making off without payment between April 24 and May 5, as well as a criminal damage charge, local media reported.

The lawyer failed to pay restaurant bills at the Island Shangri-La’s Cafe Too in Admiralty, at the Kowloon Shangri-La’s Cafe Kool in Tsim Sha Tsui, and at two other restaurants – one in Central and another in Wan Chai. His bill at the four eateries totalled around HK$2,039, the court heard.

The criminal damage offences relate to allegations that, on May 4, he destroyed a sales terminal at the Island Shangri-La and damaged a person’s iPhone outside the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The 50-year-old was released on Friday after spending a month behind bars. He was fined HK$2,000 and was slapped with an six-week jail term suspended for 18 months, according to The Age. He was also ordered to pay HK12,539.90 to cover the damaged iPhone and unpaid bills.

A family member – who travelled to Hong Kong for the hearing – agreed to pay the fine.

He represented himself before Magistrate David Cheung, confirming that he was unemployed given his time in custody. When asked when he planned to return to Australia, he said “today, probably,” according to The Age. He pleaded guilty without seeing the prosecution’s statement of facts.

His former employer KorumLegal told the newspaper that they had parted ways with Monkivitch.

Earlier offence

Separately last month, he was fined HK$3,000 for two counts of making off without payment and one count of common assault. He pleaded guilty to the offences the same day, local media reported.

Monkivitch was accused of dashing off after spending HK$639.10 at a Chiu Chow restaurant in Times Square, a mall in Causeway Bay, on March 23. A restaurant staff member chased Monkivitch and said he had not paid, attracting the attention of a bystander surnamed Chen, who pointed a camera at him.

The lawyer got into an altercation with the bystander and said to him, “Do you want your head smashed in?”

Monkivitch was also accused of leaving before paying a bill of HK$586 at Footaholic, a massage parlour in Wan Chai, on March 25.