HONG KONG: After a year of SARS, recession, and political turmoil, superstitious Hong Kongers might be glad to hear that Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho is bowing out of a Chinese New Year ceremony meant to predict the territory's fortunes.
That's because during last February's event at a famous Taoist temple, Ho picked an unlucky number among 100 numbered sticks in a bamboo container believed to hold the keys to Hong Kong's future – and Hong Kong was soon mired in problems.