Enshrined, Planned Funding; 3 Parent Approval; South Sea Range; Taiwan to Go; Duterte Shows 'em How; Sanctions Missile; Journalists (not) in Turkey; Driving, Touching Air; and AI Typewriter

Abortion

Obama Bars States From Denying Federal Money to Planned Parenthood nytimes

Mindful of the clock ticking down to a Trump presidency, the Obama administration issued a final rule on Wednesday to bar states from withholding federal family-planning funds from Planned Parenthood affiliates and other health clinics that provide abortions. The measure takes effect two days before the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald J. Trump.

According to the department, repealing the rule would require a new rule-making process, or a joint resolution of disapproval by the House and Senate, with concurrence by the new president.

Genetics

Babies made from three people approved in UK bbc

Doctors in Newcastle - who developed the advanced form of IVF - are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs. The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.

However, the decision is not universally welcome. "Already, bioethicists have started to argue that allowing mitochondrial replacement means that there is no logical basis for resisting GM babies, which is exactly how slippery slopes work."

China

China installs weapons systems on artificial islands: U.S. think tank reuters

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) csis.org at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said its findings, made available first to Reuters on Wednesday, come despite statements by the Chinese leadership that Beijing has no intention to militarize the islands in the strategic trade route, where territory is claimed by several countries.

China's Defense Ministry said in a statement on its microblog on Thursday that it was "legitimate and lawful" for it to place defensive military installations on islands where it said Beijing had "indisputable sovereignty".

China should be prepared to invade Taiwan after Donald Trump questions One China Policy, says state-owned newspaper independent.co.uk

The President-elect provoked uproar after he spoke directly with Taiwan’s president, the first time the countries' leaders have talked since 1979.

Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte on Killing Criminal Suspects: ‘I Used to Do It Personally’ nytimes v

“In Davao, I used to do it personally — just to show to the guys that if I can do it, why can’t you?” Mr. Duterte told business leaders at a meeting in Manila, explaining how he goaded police officers to gun down suspects.

North Korea

North Korea prepares to conduct new missile test washingtontimes

U.S. intelligence agencies say Pyongyang will likely conduct a new salvo of missile launches following the latest round of United Nations sanctions against the reclusive communist state.

The world organization on Dec. 1 imposed additional sanctions that seek to block North Korea’s revenue obtained from exports by 25 percent. The sanctions bar member-states from purchasing North Korean copper, nickel, silver and zinc exports, and the sale of large statues, a favored purchase for African dictators. The sanctions followed a recent North Korean underground nuclear test.

Turkey

Turkey Jails Record Number of Journalists in Post-coup Crackdown voanews

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists cpj.org, the journalists jailed by the Turkish government in the aftermath of a failed July coup attempt sent the total number of jailed journalists soaring from 199 in 2015 to 259 now.

Tech

BMW's HoloActive Touch floats a virtual touchscreen next to your steering wheel theverge

HoloActive Touch works with services that are part of BMW's Connected cloud architecture, and the concept image above shows someone using the system to scroll through features including entertainment and communication. “For the first time, the functions can be controlled without any physical contact with materials,” according to a BMW press release. “But the technology still enables the visible and tangible driver-vehicle interaction familiar from conventional touchscreens.”

AI

This Mercedes self-typing AI typewriter feels like real magic slashgear v

To put a new artificial intelligence through its paces ... [Mercedes Benz Research and Development Center of North America] turned to a more entertaining concept. While this might look like an old-fashioned typewriter, and indeed operates as one, it also has a mind of its own.