U.S.
The American Medical Association called for a ban on drug ads that directly target the general population, such as those broadcast on television. The group argues that these promotions result in higher health care costs because they boost demand for expensive treatments. The U.S. is one of only two countries that allow direct-to-consumer ads from pharmaceutical companies.
U.K.
Officers at U.K. ports impounded thousands of hoverboards after safety tests by several retailers revealed the motorized boards were at risk of exploding or bursting into flames. New York City, meanwhile, has already deemed the devices illegal because they cannot be registered as motor vehicles.
SOUTH KOREA
Researchers at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute announced that they produced the first 360-degree color hologram, in the form of a floating Rubik's Cube.
FINLAND
The country has become the first to approve construction of a dedicated facility to house the highly radioactive material produced by nuclear power plants. Other countries store spent nuclear fuel in temporary facilities.
RUSSIA
A fossilized tooth discovered in a Siberian cave yielded DNA from Denisovans, members of a Homo species that is thought to have lived alongside humans and Neandertals. The finding pushes back the oldest known evidence for the Denisovans by 60,000 years.
JAPAN
Japanese electronics company Epson will release an in-office paper-recycling machine this year. The system, which is the size of a walk-in closet, breaks down wastepaper and produces new white sheets at a rate of 14 sheets per minute.
