Yingluck refuses to quit – A Queenslander is jailed in America for an unspeakable crime – Nasty weather makes great video – And Africa mourns a music legend.

Thailand’s anti-democracy opposition appears to be ignoring its own deadline to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, which win lose or draw was supposed to be this week.  Yingluck called for new elections on 2 February, and her populist ruling party is expected to win just as it already won power.  She’s refusing to step down before the elections.  The protesters, if you can believe this, are calling for the democratically elected government to be replaced with an appointed council of “good people”.  The conflict pits Thailand’s urban elites and royalists against the working class and poor. 

North Korea took the rare step of showing the world what a real, old-school Stalinist purge looks like.  State-run television showed photos of authorities arresting the uncle of ruler Kim Jong-Un in a party meeting and taking him away.  Last week, rumors surfaced of Chang’s ill fortune, his arrest and the execution of two of his aides.  Until now, Chang Song-Taek was thought to be pretty secure, since he was married to Kim’s Aunt, sister of Kim’s father and daughter of the founder of North Korea’s hermit kingdom.

A paedophile from Queensland has been sentenced to 30 years in a US prison.  Peter Truong purchased a newborn boy from a Russian woman for A$8784 and then allowed men around the world to abuse the child.  Truong could have gotten 40 years like his partner Mark Newton, also from Queensland, but he cooperated with prosecutors to lead them to other child sex criminals. 

The Italian navy and coast guard rescued 55 Tunisian migrants whose ship ran into trouble in the rough, wintery weather in the Mediterranean.  In fact, in recent weeks there’s been a surge of migrant boats attempting to make the crossing from Africa even though such attempts usually slack off this time of year because of the weather.  Two months ago, 360 migrants drowned when their ship capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa. 

One of the two men accused of murdering British soldier Lee Rigby on a London street in May has admitted in court for the first time that he killed and tried to decapitate the soldier.  28-year old Michael Adebolajo claimed he had been “obeying the command of Allah.”  Adebolajo gained infamy for giving a speech to a brave woman with a video phone shortly after the murder, a recording that went viral worldwide.  The trial of Adebolajo and his codefendant 22-year old Michael Adebowale continues.

Rio de Janeiro hosted the “world’s largest” gay wedding ceremony for more than 130 same sex couples.  Although religious groups still oppose it, Brazil’s national court of justice back in June ruled that marriage rights must be extended to all, paving the way to marriage equality.  The presiding judge said the ceremony marked a “political victory” for equality.

While Nelson Mandela is mourned in South Africa, thousands came out in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the state funeral of Tabu Ley Rochereau, the Afro-Pop superstar who fused Congo’s Soukous music with Latin rhythms into some seriously awesome Rumbas.  The joyful way the guitars blend in these songs is truly amazing.  Rochereau was one of the first to actively promote African music to other continents, playing in London, Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles.  He died Saturday at age 73 in hospital in Belgium where he was being cared for after a debilitating stroke in 2008.  Warning, this music will make you happy.

Isn’t it great to be in Australia?  A massive winter weather system swept across most of North America, causing all sorts of problems in the USA, even in places where they should be used to it.  Such as Milwaukee, a city in America’s upper Midwest where 30 cars spun out of control and wound up in a big ol’ pile up.  Or in Texas, where storms caked sheets of ice onto buildings, which then fell off and onto things.  Or, in the Northeast around New York City and down the eastern seaboard where people spun out on the ice.  Compare and contrast…