After John McCain and Barack Obama made him the most famous plumber in America, it turns out Joe Wurzelbacher isn't a licensed plumber after all and his real name is Sam.
In the midst of an economic crisis, "Joe the Plumber" came to prominence last week as the working class everyman when he asked Mr Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop. That led to an appearance on Fox News and an invitation to a McCain rally.
Mr Obama and Mr McCain repeatedly invoked Mr Wurzelbacher in their third and final debate on Wednesday as they sought to appeal to average Americans.
The morning after the US presidential debate, Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, found himself at the centre of a media frenzy, with reporters camped out on his front lawn.
But it wasn't long before the Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics revealed that Mr Wurzelbacher was not a licensed member of their trade.
Tony Herrera, market recovery specialist for Plumbers and Steamfitters, Ohio, said, "It's a shame that this guy has ended up in this situation because it seems like he's misrepresented himself - and for that matter the plumbing and pipefitting industry."
'Car surfing' killed 58 people
US health officials have warned young people against "car surfing" in which a person rides on top of a moving vehicle, and said at least 58 people had died doing it since 1990.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report that injuries or deaths were reported in 31 states, mainly in the Midwest and the South of the US. Head injuries killed 45 of the 58 victims.
"We strongly recommend that teens not engage in this type of behaviour. It's just too risky. It's just too dangerous," the CDC's Dr. John Halpin said, adding that the origins of "car surfing" were not clear, but it has appeared in movies, for example in the 1985 film "Teen Wolf".
People were killed when falling off cars driving at speeds ranging from 8 kph to 130 kph, the CDC said. Alcohol or drugs were involved in six of the deaths. Most of those hurt or killed were boys. Their average age was seventeen-and-a-half.
Son taken to court for idleness
A father took his 20-year old son to an Islamic court in northern Nigeria for idleness, asking that he be sent to prison for refusing to engage in productive activities, state news agency Nan said yesterday.
"He is not listening to words and he is bringing shame to my family. I am tired of his nefarious deeds. Please put this boy in prison so that I can be free," Sama'ila Tahir, a market trader in the northeastern town of Bauchi, was quoted as saying.
Mr Tahir told the court that his son had refused to go to school and accused him of belonging to a criminal gang.
The court sentenced the son to six months in prison and 30 strokes of the cane - which were immediately administered on the premises - for being disobedient to his parents.
Teens say 'no thanks' to voting rights
The Japanese government is considering lowering the voting age to 18 from 20, but many teenagers disagree, according to a poll published yesterday.
About 32 per cent of respondents to the poll said they opposed voting rights for 18- and 19-year-olds, while only 20 per cent supported the idea, Kyodo news agency said, citing a poll in the Kokosei newspaper.
Nearly 40 per cent of the 3,628 high school students polled declined to give a clear answer but aversion to the idea of 18-year-olds voting was particularly marked among female students where 16 per cent said they approved of the proposal, while 34 per cent opposed it.
Japanese politicians tend to be elderly, and few of them build up a following among young people, although Prime Minister Taro Aso boasts support among fellow lovers of manga comics.
Eiffel Tower cuts twinkling time
The Eiffel Tower is cutting down on its display of sparkling lights to set an example of energy saving.
The Eiffel Tower has twinkled for 10 minutes every hour on the hour during the evening since January 2000. Now, to reinforce the message that energy must be saved for environmental reasons, the tower will sparkle for just five minutes every hour.
The tower's managers said the measure was mostly symbolic, as the 20,000 flashing light bulbs that produce the twinkling effect consume relatively little energy.
The 300-metre tower is France's most recognisable monument. It has become a popular activity for tourists to gather during the evening on bridges and squares to watch the spectacle.