McDonald's worker fakes clown attack while running late

Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.

Excuse is no laughing matter

An 18-year-old woman has been charged with one count of making false alarms after telling police she had been attacked by a clown with a knife. Alexsandra Conley, from Ohio, was treated for a small wound to her hand while police investigated her claim, but they found a number of inconsistencies in her story. She admitted to making up the report because she was late for her shift at McDonald's and didn't want to get fired.

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Half-naked Australians detained in Malaysia

Malaysian authorities have detained nine Australians who stripped down to their underwear at the F1 Grand Prix on Sunday. The men were filmed wearing nothing but underpants bearing the Malaysian flag as they celebrated Daniel Ricciardo's victory. Police say they will be investigated for breaching the peace, public indecency and disrespecting the national flag. One member of the group has been identified as Jack Walker, a policy adviser to an Australian minister.

Pot plants in front yard tip off police

Police have foiled a major cannabis-growing operation inside a house - after spotting marijuana plants in the front yard. Officers in in Michigan responding to a report of an assault on the property secured a warrant to search the premises and found a large number of plants inside the house, along with processed marijuana and an unregistered firearm. A 52-year-old man was arrested.