Hawaii is the first US state to ban plastic bags

The option to choose paper or plastic is officially coming to an end in sunny Hawaii, the first U.S. state to ban plastic bags.

A bill was approved in December 2011 to ban the use of plastic bags on the Big Island. Now the whole state is following through with this ecological ban.

People will need to take reusable bags when shopping for their groceries in every city and unincorporated area in the Hawaiian islands.

Paper bags will still be in use as long as they are biodegradable, as they don't have the same negative impact as plastic on wildlife and the eco-system.... read full article.

Black box found near Sukhoi Superjet-100 crash site

The search teams involved in the investigation of the crash site of the Russian plane have now found the black box. Investigations continue.

Today the search teams located the flight recorders of the Sukhoi Superjet-100 which crashed on May 9, 2012 during a demonstration flight.

Head of the search operation, Ketut Parwa, has told reporters that the black box was found 100 meters from the tail of the crashed plane.

A team of Russian experts and Indonesian searchers have been searching on the densely forested Mount Salak for some days.

Tatang Kurniadi, chief of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) told the Jakarta Post on Monday: “We will first open the black box here in Indonesia.” ... read full article.

Video: Exclusive interview with Afghan President Hamid Karzai

President Hamid Karzai has been interviewed by the Russian media - RT, Rossiya-24 and RIA-Novosti. A controversial interview giving the other side of Afghanistan and Karzai's views on issues there.

President Karzai speaks candidly to the Russian media in this exclusive interview. He states that Afghanistan is a united country.

President Karzai believes that after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, neglect by the western world brought about the growth of terror in the country. He states that this led in turn to 9/11 and also to the terror attacks in Russia.... read full article and view video.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: 12m flash mob in Dam Square (video)

Amsterdam did its part in the global 12m movement yesterday by holding a flash mob in Dam Square. Looks like fun was had by all.

The theme of the Flash Mob was to dance the world awake for global change.

In the spirit of peaceful revolution and to the extremely appropriate tune "One Tribe" by the Black Eyed Peas, Occupy Amsterdam danced in the streets.

The organizers stated: "Dance is very natural, people all over the world have always done it. It helps us to feel better, happier, it balances our emotions; it improves the spirit of all. Also it helps us to concentrate on our goal to feel that we are one and we are together!" ... view video.

Málaga, Spain: 12m protest May 12, 2012 (video)

While the subject of the protest was a serious one, members of the 15m movement from Málaga and the surrounding towns protested in true Malagueñan style. They partied.

You've heard the term "the beautiful game"? Well when it comes to 15m protests in Málaga, what you experience is "the beautiful noise". Anyone who didn't realize the purpose for yesterday's manifestation might, understandably, have thought there was a great big party going on.

And boy, did everyone have fun! Well, maybe not the residents who were not involved in the protest... read full article and view video.

Close-up video of debris — Sukhoi Superjet-100 crash site

A video has now been released showing clearly the wreckage of the Sukhoi Superjet-100 aircraft which crashed into Mount Salak in West Java, Indonesia on May 9.

The Indonesian search and rescue team have now been able to locate the debris of the crash site in West Java, Indonesia. The video shows this debris in detail.

The rescuers are using 2 helicopters with nets to collect the bodies of the victims.

The Russian-made aircraft, which crashed during a promotional demonstration on Wednesday, had 45 people on board and no survivors have been found at the crash site on the dormant volcano.... view full article and video.

Facebook co-founder renounces US citizenship prior to IPO

Now residing in Singapore, Eduardo Saverin is giving up his U.S. citizenship. Seems he will have quite the tax saving due to this move.

Bloomberg is reporting that Brazilian-born Saverin (30) renounced his U.S. citizenship in September last year.

This move is apparently not out of the ordinary these days. RT reported some time ago that in 2011 alone, at least 1,788 Americans renounced their U.S. citizenship, which is more than the totals for 2007, 2008 and 2009 together.

Why are people giving up their U.S. citizenship? Its actually quite simple... read full article.

No apocalypse is coming — another Mayan calendar has been found

Breathe a sigh of relief. Another Mayan calendar has been found and there is absolutely no mention of December 21, 2012.

Hidden deep in a Guatemala jungle in the 9th-century Maya complex of Xultun, experts have found a previously unknown version of the Mayan calendar. And according to the new find, Earth is going to be around for a very long time.

The ancient inscription that has been discovered is thought to be the oldest Mayan records to be found so far. Archaeologists say that it dates back around 1,200 years, which is at least 600 years older than previous examples found. However they do say that in many ways, the newly found calendar corresponds with others... read full article.

Video: Olympic paranoia targets protests in the UK

As London gets ready for the summer Olympics, draconian measures are being put in place to prevent some people from entering the country and others in residence are to be banned from the Games.

RT interviews people have have been affected by the range of rules and regulations being introduced to ensure the security of the upcoming Olympics.

While the Olympic torch is lit and already on its way to London, strict measures are being put into place... read full article and view video.

Wrecked Brazilian ship spilling oil in Antarctica

The "Endless Sea" is trapped in the ice and is spilling fuel. There is no hope of containing damage until October this year, due to the long South Pole winter.

Huffington Post reports that the Brazilian-owned ship capsized and sank in 12 meters of water last month, close to where Chile and Brazil hold navy bases. While the crew was rescued without injury, poor weather prevented them from diving below to check the damage until Wednesday this week.... read full article.