Mykola Azarov, the prime minister of Ukraine, accused those who are opposed to his government's rejection of closer ties with the European Union of escalating "political tensions." He warned protesters at mass rallies to obey the law, or they would be punished. He survived a no-confidence vote in parliament. President Viktor Yanukovych went to China, apparently to forge closer economic ties. Both he and Mr Azarov continue to face calls to step down. The French National Assembly voted for a bill that makes it a crime to pay for sex, though prostitution will retain its legal status. The controversial measure, which must still pass the Senate, would impose fines starting at €1,500 ($2,000) on the customers of the 40,000 prostitutes who work in France. Opponents of the law fear it will push prostitution underground. Politicians in Germany echoed the recent calls of their British counterparts to stop welfare tourism in the EU. They were provoked by a regional court in North Rhine-Westphalia, which ruled that a Romanian family was entitled to social benefits, even though none its members had a job in Germany. Restrictions on the free movement of Romanian and Bulgarian workers are being lifted across the EU in January. A court in Moscow jailed Pavel Dmitrichenko, a dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, for six years for organising an acid attack against the ballet's former artistic director. The case revealed bitter infighting at the Bolshoi, Russia's best-known opera house. A breakdown in law and order Two people died and more than 60 were injured during 24 hours of looting in Córdoba, Argentina's second city. Dozens of supermarkets and shops were attacked after the local police went on strike for higher pay. Córdoba is governed by an opponent of President Cristina Fernández, whose government initially refused to help quell the disorder. Mexico's Senate approved a political reform that would overturn a ban on legislators and mayors standing for consecutive terms and extend the remit of the independent electoral authority to sub-national elections. Meanwhile, a left-of-centre party pulled out of a pact to support reforms brokered last year by President Enrique Peña Nieto. Large parts of Venezuela suffered a power cut that the government blamed on opposition "sabotage" ahead of municipal elections on December 8th. Others attributed it to official mismanagement and neglect of the power grid. Police in Ontario arrested a Canadian citizen of Chinese descent on suspicion of trying to pass secrets about Canada's naval shipbuilding programme to China. Motor City under the wheels A federal judge decided that Detroit should be protected under federal bankruptcy laws so that it can restructure its debt commitments. The judge also ruled that the city's public-sector pensions were not sheltered from the restructuring process under the state constitution, a judicial precedent that will be read closely in other cash-strapped cities across America that are looking at ways to reduce debt. Meanwhile, the legislature in Illinois cut benefits in the state's pension scheme, which is $100 billion in the red. The House of Representatives extended a measure that outlaws guns undetectable by airport screening, but without the provision for home-made 3D-printed guns that officials wanted. Philadelphia recently became the first American city to ban 3D guns. Seeking reassurances America's vice-president, Joe Biden, visited Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul in hopes of easing tensions aroused by China's declaration of an East China Sea "air defence identification zone." Japan was disappointed that while in Tokyo he did not call for its revocation. South Korea was thinking of expanding its own zone to overlap further with China's. The main spy agency in South Korea claimed that North Korea's young dictator, Kim Jong Un, had purged his uncle, Jang Song Taek. Along with his wife, Mr Jang was presumed to be the regent following the death of Mr Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, two years ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency praised Japan for its clean-up of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. This came after months of domestic alarm over leaks at the stricken plant. However, the IAEA said much more had to be done to deal with the radioactive water there. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, fell calm before King Bhumibol's 86th birthday. Opposition-led protests to unseat the government of the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, had turned violent, killing four people. The army and politicians mediated a temporary truce. The protesters claim the government is a puppet of Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Yingluck's brother, ousted as prime minister in 2006 and now in Dubai. Ms Yingluck's government was elected in a landslide only two years ago. Descending into anarchy The first batch of an additional 1,000 French troops were dispatched to the Central African Republic, where marauding rebels have caused 400,000 people to flee their homes. An African Union force of 3,600 soldiers was also preparing to be sent to the country to try to restore order. A committee appointed by Egypt's military rulers drew up a new constitution. If it is approved in a referendum expected soon, elections will be held early next year. Hassan Lakkis, a senior commander in Hizbullah, Lebanon's Shia party-cum-militia, which is backed by Syria, was shot dead in Beirut. He had fought in Syria's civil war. Some blamed Israel, which denied any involvement. A murky Sunni group claimed responsibility. Yasser Arafat probably died of natural causes in 2004, according to a leaked report by French experts who examined his exhumed body. A team of Swiss scientists concluded last month that it was possible the former Palestinian leader had been poisoned by polonium. Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, is on his deathbed, said his daughter Makaziwe, but "he is teaching us...lessons in patience, in love, lessons of tolerance." The 95-year-old was discharged from hospital in September.