Merkel wants tougher expulsion rules after Cologne sex assaults

German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed tougher expulsion rules for convicted refugees, as brief clashes broke out during a far-right protest (above) against a rash of sexual assaults blamed on migrants.

Police used tear gas and water cannon to clear a rally of the xenophobic Pegida movement in Cologne, after protesters flung firecrackers and bottles at officers they accuse of failing to prevent assaults during New Year's festivities in the western city.

As outrage grows in Germany over the attacks, Merkel declared that any refugee handed a jail term - even if it is only a suspended sentence - should be kicked out of the country. Read more here.

Muslim woman ejected from Trump rally after silent protest

A Muslim woman was kicked out of a Donald Trump presidential campaign rally after staging a silent protest against the Republican frontrunner, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.

Television footage from the event in South Carolina shows the woman, named as Rose Hamid, a 56-year-old flight attendant, wearing a head scarf and loose fitting green shirt reading "Salam. I come in peace."

She stood in silence looking at the podium as the rest of the crowd sat. Later, she was escorted out as Trump supporters waved placards bearing his name in her face and chanted for him. Read more here.

Playboy Mansion up for sale at $200m - Hugh Hefner included

The Playboy Mansion, reputedly host to some of America's most raucous parties and other shenanigans too graphic for print, is up for sale for US$200 million (S$288 million), US media said.

TMZ, citing real-estate sources in the area of Holmby Hills - close to Beverly Hills - said the mansion is more likely to go for between US$80 million and US$90 million.

Any sale comes with a major catch - whoever buys it must give Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, 89, a life estate, meaning he can continue to live in the mansion until he dies. Read more here.

Denmark deports top foreign student for working too hard to fund studies

Denmark has kicked a foreign student out of the country for exceeding hourly part-time work regulations, despite Aarhus University's efforts to hang onto one of its top students, the school said.

Marius Youbi, a 30-year-old engineering student, flew home to Cameroon on Jan 7 under an expulsion order requiring him to leave Denmark by Jan 8.

Working part-time as a cleaner to help pay for his studies, Youbi was found to have occasionally exceeded the 15 hours he was allowed to work per week. Read more here.

Football: Zidane wins first match in charge of Real Madrid 5-0

Gareth Bale struck a hat-trick as Zinedine Zidane enjoyed a winning start to his career as Real Madrid boss with a 5-0 rout of Deportivo la Coruna.

Bale took his tally to 10 goals in his last seven games with two excellent headers either side of a composed left-footed finish after Karim Benzema had opened the scoring before the Frenchman also smashed home the fifth in stoppage time.

Victory moves Zidane's men back to within two points of leaders Barcelona, who were 4-0 winners over Granada earlier in the day. Read more here.