On the Record

“This is the National Hurricane Center signing off for 2005...finally.”

A forecaster at the hurricane centre in Miami, Florida, breathes a sigh of relief that Tropical Storm Zeta has finally dissipated, more than a month after the hurricane season ended.

“Like the Loch Ness monster, this can bring some good for our country.”

A tourist official in Malaysia hopes for a flood of visitors now that Bigfoot has apparently been seen there.

Source: National Hurricane Center, Associated Press

Scorecard

Asthma

For once, your mobile phone could be good for your health. Some London-based networks are offering a text-messaging service that alerts asthma sufferers to bad-air days.

Being called Li

A survey of 300 million Chinese people has revealed that the country's most popular surname is Li, a name held by 7.4% of the population. Second and third ranked are Wang and Zhang, held by 7.2% and 6.8% of people, respectively.

Booze in space

A rumour that Russia will bring alcohol aboard the International Space Station is quashed by teetotal NASA.

Number Crunch

A report by Germany's Centre for University Development has led newspaper Die Zeit to suggest that German universities could maybe learn a trick or two from their US counterparts when it comes to raising additional funds.

$540 million was raised by Harvard University in 2003 — the most raised by any US university that year.

$16 million was raised by the University of Mannheim — the most raised in Germany in 2003.

50% of German universities do not do any fundraising at all.